How Often Should You Use It?

Who this is for

• People who just got a flirt pole and are figuring out a routine
• Anybody whose dog loved it for a week and then stopped caring
• People who play every so often and aren’t seeing much change
• People playing twice a day who are worried it’s too much
• Puppy owners trying to figure out when it’s OK to start
• People with older dogs who want to keep them moving
• People with high-drive breeds like Huskies, Border Collies and Malinois

Signs your dog needs a routine

• Destructive when left alone, chewing furniture, shredding bedding, getting on the counters
• Reactive on leash despite training. A flirt pole won’t fix that alone, but it can give the drive somewhere to go while you work on it with a trainer
• Restless in the evening, pacing and nudging you even after a walk, cause a walk doesn’t let a dog hunt
• Rough play that escalates fast, and a chase game with rules gives them practice coming back down
• You’ve tried more walks and it’s not working
• Bored of every toy within minutes, cause a toy lying on the floor doesn’t move or run off

Four things that change the answer

Four things change how often: your dog’s age, their drive, what you’re using it for, and how long they’ve been doing it. Here’s how each one moves the number, and which ones win when they don’t agree.

1. Age

This one matters the most. Under 6 months I’d just let a puppy check out a lure that isn’t moving, with no chasing. From 6 to 12 months it’s short, slow sweeps on the ground, a few minutes at most with no hard turns, a few times a week. Full sessions wait until your vet says the growth plates are closed. Grown dogs can go most days, and older dogs drop to 2 or 3 shorter, easier sessions a week.

2. Drive

High-drive breeds usually need more, not less. Huskies, Border Collies, Malinois, working-line Shepherds and pit bull types a lot of times do better with two shorter sessions a day, morning and evening, cause splitting it up keeps them from getting too wound up. Average dogs do the regular session, and laid-back dogs can be fine every other day.

3. Your goal

If you’re working on restlessness or a dog that tears things up, I’d go most days. If your dog is already pretty balanced and you just want to burn some energy, every other day works. Self-control work has its own setup, which is on the impulse control drills page.

4. How long they’ve been doing it

A dog new to the flirt pole needs to work up to it. The first week I’d keep sessions short and every other day and see how your dog does, then build toward the full 10 minutes most days. Dogs that get thrown into it full speed can end up sore or too wound up, so ease in. The first week is laid out in how to introduce a flirt pole.

Signs you’re using it too often

A flirt pole is hard exercise, more like sprints than a jog, and if you do it too often you’ll see it in your dog. If you see any of these, cut back on how often and how long until they go away.

• Limping or stiff the day after. Play on grass and drop a session a week, and if it keeps up, see your vet.
• Not as into it anymore. A dog that used to run to the pole and now hangs back might be sore or burned out, so take a few days off.
• Still panting long after the session. That usually means the sessions are too long, so make them shorter.
• Won’t start the game. If a dog that’s usually playful won’t start, they’re telling you something, and I’d listen.
• Clicking, popping or pain while playing. Stop right away and see a vet before you play again.
• Wound up the rest of the day. Pacing, whining and barking at you for the next session means it’s winding them up more than it’s helping.

None of these mean you have to quit. They mean what you’re doing right now is too much for your dog. Drop a session a week, make the rest a couple minutes shorter, play on grass, and give your dog a week or so to rest up. If something doesn’t clear up, see your vet.

What to expect if you stick with it

Every dog is different, so I’m not gonna give you a schedule. You’ll have a tired dog after the first session. Some dogs are a little sore early on while they get used to it, and if it’s more than a little, back off and ask your vet. After a while most dogs start looking forward to it, and the flirt pole stops being a fix for something and turns into just what you and your dog do. Once your dog is in better shape you might want to go a little longer, but I’d still keep it under 15 minutes.

How often to use a flirt pole: FAQ