Entertainment Tips Please - Jolie puppy in plaster for 4 weeks!

[Debi Latino]

My darling Jolie, a 6 month old Labradoodle living in Australia, is not feeling too good right now. I'd like to know if any of you have ideas on how to keep her entertained within her small confines until the plaster comes off in 3 weeks and 1 day! (but who's counting!)

[Bonnie and Kona]

Poor Jolie! I don't have any ideas but I have read on here that taking dogs for rides in the car is stimulating for them and can tire them. Hoping you post often to let us know how she is doing!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Car rides do work for our girls.  She looks small enough to carry, so I'd try and take her with you as many places as possible just to get her out and about, tire her out and get rid of a little boredom.  Maybe some treat toys.  You could use them to feed her.  She looks so sad in her pics.   Hope she recovers quickly and completely.

[Coco Chanel and Cheryl]

Poor baby!! Car rides always tire coco out!! You can take her places too but just a car ride can wear them out!! Find out about taking her to an assisted living facility to see people and they will love it!!

[Jeanine Bandini]

Oh, dear! What happened? I love the set up you have for her. I have a 3 month old and am going to try to make something like that for him! My suggestions are dog puzzles, car rides, visits from people and other dogs. So sorry for both of you; good luck!

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Well first off she is adorable and I love the little sticker on her cast.  I'd perhaps think of getting a pet stroller (or a used baby stoller would work) so that you could take her with you when possible.  Even if it is just going around your neighborhood it would get her out.  They sell them as most pet stores.

[Debi Latino]

Ah a pet stroller! great idea ... i will look for one tomorrow :0)

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Have you tried giving her antlers to chew....not even sure you can get them in Australia.  My guys love them.  Also the dog puzzles are great because they have to figure out how to get the treats.  I love the little set up you have for her...she looks so cozy.  Hope she's better real soon.

[Ginny Nightingale]

Great set-up! And she is so cute! I hope she heals quickly and is back to running around in no time. We use cow hooves (just plain, no filling) and the dogs chew on them for hours. The other ideas are great too!

[Lynn D.]

A kong filled with plain non fat yogurt, I add a small cookie at the bottom so that the yogurt doesn't leak out while I am adding other treats in with the yogurt. Currently, I am using a Elk jerkey stick in the middle then freeze the whole thing in a ziplock bag. I also bought buffalo bones and bully sticks that keep my puppy happy. I try to keep rotating treats so that he didnt get bored.

[Debi Latino]

great idea... what size kong do you use Lynn? I bought a red one, relatively small which i think is a mistake as Jolie just doesn't go for it.. too hard for her i think. I filled it with some of her favourite snacks & peanut butter which she loves but she didn't get further than about 1 1/2 " from the big opening at the bottom. Should I have bought a larger kong?

[Debi Latino]

Dear fellow doodle lovers.. thank you so much for each and every one of your ideas... they were all absolutely great! Today i figured out how to modify my hatchback car so I could take Jolie out for a drive - previous to today i have always had to nurse her in my arms since the accident & get someone to drive me to the specialists etc.... and she really seemed to enjoy it. So that was a great start!!! I took her to the pet groomers while we were out so she could get the matts that appeared under her ears after the emerency  cut out.... she was happy to be cleaner and non-tangled again. 4 weeks with only brushing and no bath! Oh dear.. I will try to sponge her out on the lawn from time to time.

By the way a few people have enquired as to how it happened... well she was just chasing her ball down the hallway last Tuesday evening same as she has done every day since we got her at 8 weeks and slipped, got herself tangled up...it was just bad luck. The specialist said it can happen quite easily especially with young dogs who are growing rapidly/have grown rapidly.

 

Thank you all for the well wishes and i will keep the pics updated at each stage... will be sad to have to cut all her fleece down to 1" and start again but that was the groomers advice today to avoid further matts under the bandage and full shave. Appearances are the last thing to worry about now though.... one step at a time.

 

Thank you all again for your well wishes and great ideas!

Kind regards

Debi & Jolie  ps re the set up... puppies can get through the bars i discovered so had to cover them with secure shade cloth for the first 2+ months we had her :0)

[Christine & Camus]

I was given some great tips/ideas for  Camus when he fractured a bone in his paw and ended up spending 9 weeks with no running, playing or even walking.  I have not figured out how to paste the link to the discussion, but if you do a search of "Camus is depressed" you will be able to find the link with all of the recommendations I was given.  Car rides were a really winner as was the "shell game" .  I also found some a few interactive games at TJ MAX for $9.99.  Of course, the treats were received quite well, howeve he put on 12 pounds which need to come off!  I can really sympathize -- I hope Jolie heals quickly.