When is it enough?

[mwiacek10]

I know I've fostered this behavior, but when is enough play enough? It seems as if everything I do involves playing with the dog (I love him and want him to be happy). I get up in the morning and throw the rope while I get ready, come home in the evening and toss the rope or play some kind of game with him. I get things done around the house, but only if I'm interacting with the dog. This sounds silly, I know, but he doesn't allow me to do anything else. I've been working on the NILIF theory. He sits before he goes out, sits and waits before I put his food bowl down. He's really a good boy, its just that lately I've noticed he's got me wrapped around his paw and I don't know when to tell him "enough play for now Gunny".

[Witz]

You don't say whether he gets other exercise besides the rope playing and you do not say how long you play rope with him. I know that my 9 month old gets 4-5 sessions of at least 15 minutes of running, ball throwing/tug, on top of a good 45 minute walk. If all you are doing is playing rope then he will be in your face more so then not. I have a large yard so I admit it's easy for me to just walk outside and play.

In terms of enough, my pup would go non stop, but because I feel he is getting enough exercise, I will stick him in his crate to chill or have him lie down and ignore him till he settles. Fortunately with that amount of exercise he will turn it off for an hour or two.

[1sttimeforgsd]

Right reason or wrong, that is why I have more than 1 dog. They have each other to play with if I need to be doing something else. Works for me but maybe not for others.

[Holmeshx2]

Sometimes they can be demanding you have to up the exercise so they are really worn out of course pay with them but learn how to end it and teach them when its ended. I will play for awhile then put my hands up showing both palms to her and say "all done" then I walk away that means game is over I'm done playing you can continue playing by yourself but mom has been taken out of the game then I go do what I need to. When I want to play I start back up with her then again will tell her all done and walk away again.