I've run out of ideas . . .
 

I've tried everything I can think of. My 13 week old puppy has stuffed animals, chew toys, balls, tugging ropes, problem solving/get the treat out toys and yet none can keep her attention for more than 5 minutes. I take her out for walks multiple times a day and try to tire her put as much as I can and yet she still manages to have all the energy in the world to get into trouble and mess things up.
Is there anything else I can try to keep her busy?


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Well, she IS a puppy and they really do have a very short attention span.

If you can't entertain her - crate her. That keeps her out of mischief. Get her a puppy sized Kong, load it with Peanut Butter and freeze it for an hour or so before you put her and it in her crate.

Set up puppy/dog play dates! Where are you located? My neighbor's puppy loves playing with my shepherd. They would run and run and wrestle (or more like the puppy wrestle and my dog acting motherly). You can also join dog meet up groups in your area. Those play dates tire dogs out very very well.

When my Mother visited me a couple of weeks ago after Lisl arrived she commented that she though I had a child in my home since there were toys strung out all over everywhere in the house.

I suggest that you keep her busy throughout the day using the toys to play with her rather than rely on the toys to do that for you.

Play with your dog, talk to your dog, and develop a relationship with your dog.

My appologies if you are doing that.

I agree with the above. Seriously, she's a pup! They're obnoxious and have the attention span of a gnat. ;) I think most people can't keep up with most dogs--from experience, even very calm sedentary dogs quickly adapt to working for 10 hours a day--a lot quicker than the people involved do. ;) And it's just like a parent chasing after a child--you know that kid is going to have way more energy than the parent does.

Puppy play dates are great because other dogs wear your dog out. :) Otherwise, I think the best thing to do with puppies is just do your best and wait for them to outgrow it...just like babies and toddlers. ;)

But you do also have to factor in the time. I devote at least 2 hours a day to my adult GSD, and would expect to spend a lot more than that (though perhaps more broken up and spaced throughout the day) with a pup. And that's the bare minimum. GSDs are a high-maintenance breed, and puppies of any breed are high-maintenance, so...

she can only get in trouble when you're not
watching her or when she's not crated.

the best things to do with a puppy is start training and socializing.

give her all her meals by hand.
use a clicker.

when she comes click and half a second later give her a small handful of mositened food.

continue this for a week.

once she understands the click means food is coming, she will come at feeding time.

next, make her look into your eyes for a few seconds before making the click and giving her food.

as she begins to understand what you want, make her focus longer and longer before clicking the click and the food.

in 2 weeks she will be able to focus on you....

I'm addressing the "tire her out" portion in my reply. A previous puppy I had, I had to get on my bike and pedal it around the yard and let him chase me. Large yard, maybe for about 7-8 minutes. I'm past the age of jogging around my yard, so had to use the mountain bike.

I have a 9 week old...actually almost 10 week old pup and I laugh when I read things that say pups that age should have 20-40 minutes of good activity with you a day. BAHAHAHAHAHAHA 20 minutes my toosh. More like hours.

He has TONS AND TONS of energy. We have to play with a flirt pole. Then walk around the block a few times. Then run and chase in the back yard. Then take a short nap and play with all the different toys. Then he runs around and follows me, attacking my feet while I try to do, ya know, normal stuff like go to the bathroom and eat. Then we do some training. Then we play with the flirt pole again...well you get the idea.

When I really have to get something done, he has to be crated, because otherwise he gets into trouble. I think that you're just experiencing very normal puppy life. Best to try and be patient, give as much attention as you can and be thankful when he's a bit older and can do something like run along side a bike to help wear him out.

I do notice that when my puppy is at his craziest, he's often mentally under stimulated. This is when I stop what I'm doing, pull out some treats and work on tricks and stimulate him mentally. These dogs are really smart and need as much mental activity as physical. Even a few minutes of teaching and training will help satisfy him. How much are you training him? Is he in puppy class? Does he have other dog friends? All these things can help.

Also, you can try leashing him to your waist while you do household chores. giving treats and praise when he follows without pulling and sits ever time you stop walking. He's also old enough to get a very small pack and put a chew toy or something in it. He cannot really carry much weight yet, but having a pack will help "work" him and give him something to do while following you during the day.