Tips for living with stressy dogs?

I thought it may be helpful to add our tips for living with stressy dogs to this thread.

Takara is a high energy dog and can be quite stressy. Being disabled I can't do as much exercise with her as I'd like to keep her tired and thus reduce her stress but I do spend time each day to have at least one game of tuggy with her which really helps and is noticeable when we've not done it.

So my tips:
Play tuggy at least once a day
Plenty of 'mental exercise' in the form of training (she loves shaping exercises)
One grooming session a day

Anyone else got anything to add? (particularly interested in what training you might do)

A sense of humour?

With Mad *touch wood*, if we stick with her routine and she gets a good run and a training sesh she's ok and the only thing i'd change about her is her lack of ability to properly socialise nicely with unfamiliar dogs.

I will tell you what she does like though, hide and seek with treats! I'll show her I have a treat, shut her out in the hall and hide it somewhere in the living room, works best if it is somewhere which takes a bit more skill to get out, like behind a dvd on the shelf or something, (and then there is teaching her to get it gently without riving the shelving off the wall and knocking the dvds everywhere 'til it's found!), rather than just on the shelf, but not sure how much of it is natural instinct given her breed as Charlie couldn't care less about this game! Dusty likes it too but she's not as food orientated as Maddy so gets bored after a couple of 'hides'. Mad would play all day if you let her.

Ooh Takara likes hide and seek too, the only thing is, she gets really frustrated if it's in difficult to reach places and barks at me to get it for her! (I always leave her to work it out but my mum gets it out for her so she's a demanding little sod!!)

My lot can be a bit stressy! But that is only when they are out of their routine. At home they are fine. At friends & family house's they can be embarrassing They pace around, looking at the door and basically nag me to go home. They just don't seem to settle. This is in houses they have been going to at least weekly for the past 5 years! It is just that they have got older now.

Oh don't tell me that Lianne!! I was hoping Takara would get used to visiting!!

How about Tellington Touch? TT has worked wonders with my neurotic girl, (calming and restful), and the others adore their sessions as well. Googling TT practitioners will reveal those near you.....

Mary

Thanks Mary,

I'm hoping to do a course on TTouch soon as well - so will definitely be practicing on her ladyship!!

Laid back owners!

Music

Massage

Fetch games/ hide and seek/Plenty of chew toys

If all else fails - a really long walk somewhere different.

I could go on but my 2 are really easygoing but I have had a stressy boy in the past so hope the list helps!