[Kelly7]

Hi guys, new to this forum. Just got my first small dog (mini poodle) he is 10 weeks and 6lbs. He is learning very well and has his hyper days and calm days. He gets bursts of energy and I’m wondering the best way to exert this. I have a fairly big house and usually play fetch with a small ball in the hallway but he is always slipping and falling on the hard surface and i dont know if this is too rough on him and if it can cause problems. I dont have a backyard for him to play in and the vet advised not to take him on walks yet as he hasn’t had his full set of shots.

Looking forward to hearing your responses.

Here’s Theo

 

[fjm]

Welcome - what a poppet! I think you are right to be concerned about slipping on hard floors - Sophy, my papillon, has suffered back injuries, and is very, very careful about slippery floors. She has taught me to put non slip rugs wherever she needs to run or jump up or down. I would get machine washable runners for your hall, and rugs to put in front of furniture in uncarpeted areas. A flirt pole is another good way of burning off energy, and needs rather less space than a ball.

 

[Basil_the_Spoo]

Do you have any friends/family near by who are pet free and you can ask, "can my puppy come explore your yard?"

You can keep him on a leash and monitor what he sniffs or nibbles, be socially distant, outside, and relieve the worry of catching another animal bacteria.

Basil bonked her head when she was that age before I learned that I probably shouldn't play as hard with her, but rather operate at like 60% of my perceived play level so it's appropriate for her. Can you try rolling the ball slower?

I found rolling the ball slower caused Basil to jog instead of sprint which was still good enough to burn energy and give her enough space to slow down instead of slamming on the brakes.

Basil only needed about 3 hallway jogs in our apt complex before losing interest and caused Dad to get the ball.

Hang in there, I'm sure it feels like puppy enduced house arrest lol. There's still a lot of desensitizing, exposure, enrichment, and bonding to do inside.

Cute hairball!

 

[Dianaleez]

Love that big black poodle nose!

 

[Michigan Gal]

With my border collie, I used a set of stairs. If you have carpeted stairs, bounce the ball up and down them.

 

[Rose n Poos]

I'd be concerned that even carpeted stairs might be a bit fally downy for a pup this age and size. My boys didn't master stairs, up and down, at ball chasing speed til almost 4 months old.

Our backyard neighbors got a BC pup not long ago and he was almost as big at 10 weeks as my two are full grown .

 

[Dechi]

Falling on slippery floors is certainly a risk for a puppy or any dog. I would not make the puppy run on such floors. Put a long non-slippery rug down and you can play as much as you want (be aware that carpets and rugs are often regarded as soiling areas by small breeds. Always supervise.)

 

[Skylar]

Cute puppy.

I agree with those that say don’t allow your puppy to run on wood floors. Buy a cheap runner that is washable and fills the whole space. Don’t play ball until you install the runner.