How to entertain my Neo?

[Lucy's mama]

Help! Our 1 year old blue Neo, Winston, is driving me crazy. I walk him every morning but first the deep snow and now the mud is not conducive to a good walk. He is tired of our games (find it, fetch, interactive puzzles, tug a jugs, his Kong filled with peanut butter) and I don't know what else to do until the weather cooperates. By noon he is bored. He has started acting out by chewing on inappropriate items like my sofa! We live in a very rural area so dog parks, walks on a sidewalk or dog play dates are not an option. I've even tried getting him on the treadmill, but he wants nothing to do with it. Any ideas?

 

[Tunride]

Hide and find a toy? Treat in a margarine bowl? Freeze the Kong? Maybe a playmate? Since we got the Neo rescue a year and a half (almost), Snookums, our EM, is much better at entertaining her BEST friend instead of us. It does get a little loud, with the tails beating on walls and romping, but.... For chewing I found if you can put a dab of Vicks on it they won't go near it.

 

[Max's mom]

Get a cat?
(Just kidding cat lovers! It's a joke!)

 

[musicdeb]

Cardboard boxes of any type, i.e. kleenex boxes, paper towel rolls, toilet paper rolls, etc., are great toys as long as the pup doesn't eat them. Hide n seek is an excellent game. Play hide n seek with his fav treat and you hide yourself.

Unfortunately, exercise is the only answer to resolve the chewing behavior. The pup is bored and needs to exercise.

Can you walk him on the road? Is there an outside school track? Barn to let him run in?

 

[karennj]

My go to when my dog is bored (getting into things) is training. An hour of sits, downs, bows, leave it, wait, etc. as well as learning a new trick tire them out pretty good. We also like the flirt pole for getting a really good run in. I also like to have chew time where I give Bear a big old knuckle bone with meat bits on it and let him chew. My dane is getting no food from a bowl. All his food comes from treat toys/balls, kongs, training (he gets his kibble instead of treats). Any empty box we have I put a half scoop of kibble in and tape it up and give him that to destroy. He also loves to play fetch and tug.

 

[DDSK]

I think you need a second mastiff for him to play with.

 

[Brinsdad]

Try and teach him sent work as ment to tire them out as its brain work
Know someone with a Shepard and she says can take her dog for 3 hour walk and she will still be bouncing off the walls lol but an hour of sent work and she's soon asleep


No love like a bully love

 

[Brinsdad]

Try some sent work


No love like a bully love

 

[irina]

I would second karennj on training as a way to tire them out. Mental exercise exhausts them much faster than physical. We can't use boxes, Ajax would consume any paper he comes in contact with and then throw it up. I tried the Vicks thing to prevent him from chewing on the dresser when he was a young puppy. He actually liked it and wanted to taste it. So it might depend on the dog or I might just have one weird one who like the smell of menthol.

 

[Lucy's mama]

Hide and find a toy? Treat in a margarine bowl? Freeze the Kong? Maybe a playmate? Since we got the Neo rescue a year and a half (almost), Snookums, our EM, is much better at entertaining her BEST friend instead of us. It does get a little loud, with the tails beating on walls and romping, but.... For chewing I found if you can put a dab of Vicks on it they won't go near it.

Oh my, we also have an EM, and live in Central Indiana. Our EM can't play right now, she injured her leg and is confined and on anti inflammatory meds for the time being. Lucy, the EM is also 9 and doesn't enjoy Winston's youthful exuberance. Lol

 

[PrinceLorde13]

I think you need a second mastiff for him to play with.

That's what I did and it's has been an amazing thing for my first, when I'm busy it's so nice to see them playing with eachother instead of waiting for me to be done to play

 

[Mastinero]

Take him to an area where he can just free run. That will release all of his energy. My neo loves it. I take him to a trail early in the morning and we walk about 30 minutes off leash. He runs around and sniffs everything. I do keep him controlled though. If I don't like him running up to something I let him know and I make sure he listens. That is a mental challenge for him as well. I make sure he does not chase rabbits either. Another mental challenge. But free walking will relieve anxiety and tire them out. BUT U MUST BE IN FULL CONTROL OF YOUR PUP. I am confident with my Neo . He is a big lug who just wants to be pet all day. So, if your dog fits the same I would just free walk him and let him dictate when he is tired and satisfied.