Just don't know what to do...

ORIGINAL: mudpuppy

oh, and please stay away from anyone who suggests you dominate or punish your dog. These methods will simply "shut down" your dog. A temporary fix at best.

 
Great piece of advice mudpuppy.  The sighthound mentality does not appreciate domination, nor tolerate "punishment" very well.  They were bred to be independent thinkers and free spirits. 

I am really worried about your choice of a second dog, What was you line of thinking? Firstly, that big hyper-active dog can really hurt, a small dog no matter how careful you are, and if this dog were to get a companion it should be something of equal size and energy, they would work off steam w/each other instead of you.
I would really re-think the Maltese thing, and a second dog of any kind until you get a handle on anassa.
Some good books are "The culture clash" The one mudpuppy suggests, and "Bones would fall from the sky" by Suzanne Clothier.

2) at least two hours of full-out running every day. Incorporate obedience and focus exercises into these runs-- put a long line on the dog to maintain control, and at random ask for the dog to pay attention to you and obey a simple obedience command. Reward reward reward. Throw a frisbee or ball as her reward if she likes such things, that'll help exercise her.

 
I don't think your average person has two hours a day to run their dog. Most people don't even spend that much time with their kids. The primary problem here as I see it, is a failure to communicate. The dog is asking for help and no one is listening.

I have a very high energy breed dog (vizsla) and my breeder actually suggested *not* getting him accustomed to this much exercise unless it was for me and not him. IMO, forty-five minutes of flat-out running paired with as much mental exercise: kongs, training, bones, all meals dispensed out of toys that make the dog work paired with boundaries... is enough.

Dogs will ask for more than they need, just for the fun of asking, and will stop asking if it doesn't work for them. My pup will ask for exercise all day long, but he seems more chilled out when I say no about half the time and re-direct about half that energy into training or ignoring him.

I don't think your average person has two hours a day to run their dog. Most people don't even spend that much time with their kids. The primary problem here as I see it, is a failure to communicate. The dog is asking for help and no one is listening.

 
why do people get high-energy breeds of dogs if they don't have time for them? I work with hot young horses, and I can tell you these animals are totally incapable of thinking or focusing until they get adequate exercise. Trying to train them without providing that exercise is just futile. Some folks opt to "shut down" such high-energy animals by punishing them into not-behaving, which I think is such a shame. Once you've tended to these animals needs and trained them they are so much fun to work with-- all that energy they allow you to direct and focus.
How hard is it to exercise a dog? humans need at least one hour of exercise per day themselves, so take the dog along. Go to the dog park and sit their with your laptop doing your bills or something while your dog runs for the other hour, or sit outside and throw the frisbee while doing chores. And I don't mean just letting the dog run wild. Incorporate training and focus work into the exercise periods. At random intervals ask the dog to pay attention to you and obey commands.

For exersizing in the house, set up an obstacle course with boxes for tunnels and broom handles for jumps.  Make her think about how to get from point a to point b.   Jumping a series of 6" to 1' jumps, placed at 4' intervals down a hallway.  Have her go up and down the stairs between you and your friend.  These are good ways to develop problem solving,  focus, body awareness and make them really tired.  Make it fun.[]

Incorporate the N.I.L.I.F. method here by giving her a fun problem to solve, i.e., how to get through a big box, or how to walk through a laundry basket, to get to a really scrumptious treat, and then make a bit jackpot happy time when she figures it out. 

All this will make her listen to you and focus on you, besides tiring her out and satisfying her need to do something relatively meaningful.  It should all be a game. Never punish.

Mudpuppy, you rock here, girl! []

Your focus with her, right now, should be to help her learn, not to make her obey.  The more she learns to "learn" the more able she will be to focus and look to you for "what's next?"

If you are having trouble finding a way to help her "blow out the carbon" because there is no safe, big  space near you, buy a long line from a tack shop (30') or buy 30' of soft sturdy rope with a snap hook attached for her collar and a comfortable handle for you to hold and "lunge" her in big circles at the park.  You can change directions, throw her a frisbee or just let her run in big circles while you either stand still or walk along.  All you need is 20 min. to do this in the A.M. and she will most likely be set for the day.[8D]

Diane,  do you ever go out hunting and shoot birds for your bird dogs? Running and hunting will sure tire them out. Great exercise.

I think mudpuppy and adogwhisper are both correct.  They are both on the same track.  I order to be successful you have to be able to follow your routine so do as much as you can for exercise just be consistant and develop a routine you can manage.  A nice long controlled walk can be more tiring than a full fledge run.  My dog use to come home from obdience class much more tired than a few hours at the park, your exercising his mind and body.  NILIF is excellant for any issue and will be key in establishing a relationship/bonding in a positive manner.  And the point to reconize good behavior is great advice!

adogwisperer, no I don't hunt.  I've been tempted by a friend to try some field trials with them, but don't know the first thing about it.

Besides a good daily walk, I do agility and obedience with the girls.  My setter, Trudy, will be trialing in the fall.  I have a huge yard with an electric fence.  They point at everything out there!  Even each other to initiate play.  Currently, my pointer is a bit obsessed on a dove nest up in one of our trees.  She alternately points and pogo-jumps trying to reach it.  My setter just walks over and looks at her as if to say "Are you crazy?" 

During the winter, during class break,  I do sent up an obstacle course in my basement or back porch (enclosed) to keep them thinking and having fun. 

My girls have no problem sleeping at night.  []

MP, I think you are right to make daily strenuous exercise an important part of a dog's life. I think that two continuous hours of exercise is going to train a dog to need increasing amounts of exercise. Bird dogs and other sporting breeds were bred for endurance--giving them 2 hours of exercise isn't going to tire them out as much as 3 daily random bursts at twenty minutes.

Just trying to be efficient here.

Oh, forgot to add in the last post:

when paired with adequate mental stimulation. Without consistent mental stimulation all bets are off.

I don't think your average person has two hours a day to run their dog. Most people don't even spend that much time with their kids.

I'm an average person who also works and my dogs get 3 off lead walks of an hour each everyday,morning,evening and before bed,they also do a little training inbetween.I have kids too,and i manage to spend more than two hours with them a day [8|] No offence,but that was a ridiculous thing to say! If people cant even manage 2 hours with their kids then what are they doing having kids in the first place?They obviously dont have time for them [:@] High energy dogs NEED high energy activities,meantal AND physical,if you cant provide this then a lap dog might be more appropriate,and even they need a good hour or more a day of off lead exercise!

Felicity obedience clases arent expensive,you have to pay a small one of fee and then it's something like 2 bucks a class,agilty would be worth looking into too.

High energy dogs NEED high energy activities,meantal AND physical,if you cant provide this then a lap dog might be more appropriate,and even they need a good hour or more a day of off lead exercise!

 
exactly. Great danes aren't considered "high energy dogs" and mine, particularly when young, need around an hour a day of trotting/running to be well-behaved. Walking does nothing for them except improve their leash manners and provide mental stimulation. If we take a leash-walk, we still have to have that run or they'll eat the couch and dig craters in the back yard.
 My high-energy mutt would be totally unbearable without her daily hour run, her agility and obedience work, her sessions of high-intensity fetching, her twice-monthly "fake bird hunt", and the occasional session of weight-pulling. It is totally unrealistic to take on a really high energy breed such as a viszla or border collie and expect the dog to somehow be satisfied with only an hour of exercise per day. If that's all you have to offer a dog, perhaps you should consider a cat. Or a turtle.

Have you thought of biking with her?  Although I have not done it with Sally yet, I have heard many good things about biking for burning energy. 
 
I do agree with what has been said about structure and mental stimulation.  One thing you can try to make her listen better for the "okay" is a "spelling test."  Sally's release word is "okay" so sometimes I'll say words that sound like "okay" but are not.  She doesn't get to go do what she wants until she actually hears "okay."