help to relieve post operation boredom, anyone?

Hello,

I have a very intelligent (ie naughty when bored!), lively Staffy-Boxer cross, Stanley.
He is a rescue, and I've had him about 18 months now. He's about 3 years old and very, very food orientated.
He's quite well trained in obedience and agility and lives happily with my Rottie rescue dog.

7 days ago, the poor little blighter had to have his cruciate ligament rebuilt in his right knee. His pain seems to have subsided a bit and he's on a shed load of pain killers. The stitches are due to be removed in 5 days.
The vets told me no exercise at all for 6 weeks, then very gentle exercise in very small amounts, gently increasing in intensity, for approx 7 months.....

My reason for this posting is by day 3 after the op, he has been desperate to go on his walks. We carry him in and out for him to mooch about the grass and wee and poo, as the vets told us to do, but he is already climbing the walls, desperate to get some stimulation....he must be bored stiff, poor boy

Does anyone have any ideas how I can mentally stimulate him without being too physical, as he's not allowed any exercise? Maybe someone else has 'been here' with their pooch?

I already place doggy treats on his paws and get him to 'leave it', before letting him have them, I have a 'Kong Wobbler' and a 'Buster Food Cube', but both of these require quite a bit of the dog moving about.....

He had a bone yesterday, and that did help tire him out, but I can't give him a bone every day for the next 5 weeks...

Any ideas very gladly received

Many thanks, Claire

Sorry, forgot to add we've been doing a bit of clicker training, I'm just running out of 'calm' things to teach him!

Hello. Welcome to the Cruciate Club! There are quite a few threads on post-cruciate recovery here if you do a search. Sounds like you are already doing lots of the games. I found that wanton destruction was a good way of releasing pent-up energy. Stuff a smelly treat in a cardboard box/loo roll/scrunched-up paper, and let the dog rip it up. Messy, but fun.

It may be worth talking to the vet about activity levels. It sounds like you've been given quite conservative advice. Obviously your vet knows best, and it depends on the exact surgery he has had. I was walking my dog round the garden four times a day, for five minutes at a time, in the week after TPLO surgery. My vet wanted her to use the operated leg straight away...but as I said you must take your vet's advice, not mine!