Bouncer has recently become totaly & utterly obsessed with chasing tennis balls. Wierdly this is only in the garden or in the house (I know this sounds dangerous but I have a looooong corridor that we use as a runway). When we are out walking & he is off lead he will fetch it about 3 times then just leaves it. When we get home its like "wahay, ball time". I have one crazy dog.
Re: Tennis ball obsession Lol ;D That's how Harley started! Now, we have at least 2 tennis balls on us every time we go out anywhere!
Re: Tennis ball obsession Lilly will maybe fetch a ball 2 or 3 times in the garden, NEVER out on a walk (too much that's more interesting) But get her on the beach - way hay! She finders her inner retriever!! ;D
Re: Tennis ball obsession I've heard, but don't know for sure, that the fibreglass in tennis balls will wear down a dog's teeth. We stick to orange hockey balls. (That's what they are called here in Canada.)
Re: Tennis ball obsession Do be careful. My boy worn down his teeth by holding tennis balls in his mouth on walks. Small particles of grit and dirt get coughs in the fibres which are abrasive and wear down teeth. I know wash them in the washing machine and always give him a clean one to play a bit of catch and fetch but then the ball goes back into my pocket.
Re: Tennis ball obsession Oh lor! My Lab just has to have something in his mouth when we are out, mainly the tree guards he found in the plantation, there are hundreds there, I tried to stop him, so then he started picking up sticks, so rather than sticks I decided to let him hold his tennis ball :'(
Re: Tennis ball obsession Mira adores chasing balls. Generally we only play with them in the garden, but we usually take one on walks as it is the only thing which will lure her from dead hares, deer etc. : And we come across quite a lot of these! On the beach we only throw a dummy into the water and avoid sandy tennis balls. There are times when one of those plastic balls with holes would be useful on the beach so I might look out for one of them.
Re: Tennis ball obsession [quote author=Kirriegirl link=topic=10041.msg147095#msg147095 date=1425383088] Mira adores chasing balls. Generally we only play with them in the garden, but we usually take one on walks as it is the only thing which will lure her from dead hares, deer etc. : And we come across quite a lot of these! On the beach we only throw a dummy into the water and avoid sandy tennis balls. There are times when one of those plastic balls with holes would be useful on the beach so I might look out for one of them. [/quote] Beach? I live in Essex, England. The nearest thing I have to a beach is southends see front which is made of pebbles or in Bouncers mind "Toys".
Re: Tennis ball obsession Holly is selective. She quickly gets bored of chasing balls on land but will play swimmy-fetch all day.
Re: Tennis ball obsession Charlie doesn't get bored of balls. Ever. Ever, ever, ever. Any kind of ball. Whether they belong to him or not. Whether they are being used in a game of football, tennis, golf, volleyball....or not (usually not once he has pinched them). Be careful what you wish for in terms of a tennis ball obsessed dog! ;D ;D ;D (I don't actually use tennis balls because of the teeth thing, I use rubber and canvas balls that don't collect grit).
Hi I was hoping someone could advice me on how to stop my dog from wanting to carry a tennis ball around on his walks. As soon as he has the ball (he finds them quite often) he becomes impossible to get near and won't come to call or even for food! This is a new obsession. He is nearly one and up till now has been beautifully behaved with really good recall. He was bringing the ball back to me but now prefers to keep it. Should I stop playing with/letting him carry them? Thanks
Hi and a warm welcome from me and my two dogs Sam and Millie . Millie is a rescue who came to me with no training whatsoever , I used her love of tennis balls as an aid to training which worked very well , but I also then encountered the same problems as you have . What I do I to carry a couple of them , if she finds one in the undergrowth I quickly show her another one whereupon she drops the one she has , allowing me to pick it up and pocket it So yes, at times I end up with a bag bursting with the blinkin things at times, but it is a way of lessening the obsession , god luck
Just train him to give balls back to you. If he is really keen on balls, throwing another ball when he gives you a ball can work well.... My dog is ball obsessed and I don't allow him to have balls on walks, and he has to give me any balls he finds. He gets balls as rewards (so he gets to play with balls lots) but always as part of something structured. I think for dogs that show any signs of obsession that's the best thing to do. Otherwise the obsession can get really out of hand.
