Soccer Ball
Ok, I'm sure I am not the only person who has a Corgi who needs a way to keep busy! Madison is happy enough to play, or not, as the mood strikes you. She'll chase a ball but if you don't throw one, she's just as happy to curl up on your lap and go to sleep.
Jack, on the other hand... well, we can never do enough to tire Jack out. The dog needs a hobby. I'm thinking of agility, but herding would be my first choice. Not many herding instructors around here, though. In the meantime, keeping him happy can be a challenge. I mean, we walked the dog in a St Patrick's Day parade this spring. It was maybe three hours including the meet-up and the prep and the march. Probably 100,000 people along the route, a few dozen dogs in our group, dozens of kids petting him. I thought "He'll sleep for days!" Hah! An hour nap later and he was dragging out his toys for us to play. He chases balls up and down our hallway like a crazy dog.
I know a few people on here have given their dogs soccer balls. I have suggested it once or twice to my husband, but he wasn't sure it was a good idea (they do puncture). Well, we came into a free one today, and took it and the dogs over to the park, and oh my god! what a blast!!
Jack was chasing it like mad. I don't mean poking around after it, but full-speed all-out run, the length of the field and back. I don't know how he kept it moving so fast without tripping on it; it's almost as big as he is. He was panting so hard I could see his sides going up and down. He loved it! If there is a Canine Olympic Soccer Team, we can sign him up. Madison found it quite exciting too, but she didn't have the idea of how to push it so she just waited for Jack to do the work and went tearing after, barking.
My only suggestion would be to make sure you are in a fenced area. Honestly we have let Jack off-leash regularly since he was about 8 months old, as long as we're away from traffic, but he was running full speed in straight lines and I could envision him pushing it full speed right into a road that might be a block or more away, he was that quick. Also make sure there are no edges or corners they can run into, or banks they can flip over, because he had that crazed look in his eye and I don't think he noticed anything but the soccer ball. I think it really appeals to their herding instinct, as they can push it and bite it and bark at it and change its direction.
Well worth the time, if you have an intense player! Maddie is more submissive and when she pushed the ball carefully and not much happened, she didn't know what to do. Jack, however, has pushed things around with his nose since he was a pup, so he got the idea instantly.
Anyone else let their dogs play soccer?
Jack, on the other hand... well, we can never do enough to tire Jack out. The dog needs a hobby. I'm thinking of agility, but herding would be my first choice. Not many herding instructors around here, though. In the meantime, keeping him happy can be a challenge. I mean, we walked the dog in a St Patrick's Day parade this spring. It was maybe three hours including the meet-up and the prep and the march. Probably 100,000 people along the route, a few dozen dogs in our group, dozens of kids petting him. I thought "He'll sleep for days!" Hah! An hour nap later and he was dragging out his toys for us to play. He chases balls up and down our hallway like a crazy dog.
I know a few people on here have given their dogs soccer balls. I have suggested it once or twice to my husband, but he wasn't sure it was a good idea (they do puncture). Well, we came into a free one today, and took it and the dogs over to the park, and oh my god! what a blast!!
Jack was chasing it like mad. I don't mean poking around after it, but full-speed all-out run, the length of the field and back. I don't know how he kept it moving so fast without tripping on it; it's almost as big as he is. He was panting so hard I could see his sides going up and down. He loved it! If there is a Canine Olympic Soccer Team, we can sign him up. Madison found it quite exciting too, but she didn't have the idea of how to push it so she just waited for Jack to do the work and went tearing after, barking.
My only suggestion would be to make sure you are in a fenced area. Honestly we have let Jack off-leash regularly since he was about 8 months old, as long as we're away from traffic, but he was running full speed in straight lines and I could envision him pushing it full speed right into a road that might be a block or more away, he was that quick. Also make sure there are no edges or corners they can run into, or banks they can flip over, because he had that crazed look in his eye and I don't think he noticed anything but the soccer ball. I think it really appeals to their herding instinct, as they can push it and bite it and bark at it and change its direction.
Well worth the time, if you have an intense player! Maddie is more submissive and when she pushed the ball carefully and not much happened, she didn't know what to do. Jack, however, has pushed things around with his nose since he was a pup, so he got the idea instantly.
Anyone else let their dogs play soccer?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on
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Oh yes...Wynn's first herding job was with a soccer size heavy duty ball...he loved it unfortunately our Aussie bit it and I just bought a real soccer ball but haven't had the chance to go out with Wynn to play with it! What a blast to watch! I can just imagine a dog like Jack chasing one!
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Permalink Reply by Kristen on
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Brodie plays football. He is a Nebraska Corgi after all! It started with him pushing the ball around, much like you described Jack. Unfortunately Brodie pops his footballs quickly, but that doesn't end his fun. At that stage we have to throw the ball for him to chase over and over and over. If we coud find an unpoppable football I think he could entertain himself for hours. Nothing makes him happier than asking him..."Brodie,where's your football?" I can hear him when I am in the house and he is outside whining trying to get someone to throw his deflated football. I'll have to buy a cheap soccerball and see how long it lasts.
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Permalink Reply by Natalie, Lance &Tucker on
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You should order a planetdog football for him, Lance loves his!! www.planetdog.com. It has bouyancy so when they bite it they cant chew it. Lance is a very destructive chewer and thats one thing he hasnt been able to chew!
The laces on the ball are rubber so as a pup I had to peel them off but now that he is older he doent do that.
www.planetdog.com
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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
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Sparty used to herd the soccer ball at high speed. It was one of his favorite pastimes! We learned to not purchase expensive ones because they all die anyway. It really was fun for him but when he partially tore his cruciate ligament a few years ago it was an activity we had to end. So sad but he ends up lame after too much fast starting and stopping. The last thing I want is for him to have to have the surgery. (he would make a terrible patient!!) Izzy could care less.
Agility is a good choice because you can do a lot of it in your yard just for fun. Sparty like that too but again his injury put an end to it. I have thought about beginning it with Izzy but she is such a couch potato I am not sure how well it would go over. She is old enough so maybe I will check it out. Jack sounds like he would be great at it!
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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Bev, how did Sparty tear his ligament? I worry about Jack. He is not light on his feet and when he chases something, he goes as fast as he possibly can and it looks to me like he puts a lot of strain on those little legs. Maddie is much more graceful when she runs, but with Jack it's always 110%. He also slides around the tile floors like crazy.
My parents' dog tore hers going over a log in the water; her leg slipped and the ligament popped.
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Beth, Sparty was just going after a ball! He also does everything all out. Wasn't overweight just unlucky. It is a partial tear so we decided to try to live with it. He is a total baby at the vet and is very anxious about being handled so we decided to curtail his activities for the rest of his life. That was 2 or 3 years ago and (knock on wood) he is doing well. From what I have read they really don't know why some dogs have this happen and others don't.There is no guaranty that the surgery would be successful and he will be a terrible patient.
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Permalink Reply by Heather and Ella on
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Ella used to love an irish flag regulation league soccer ball. But sadly she loved it too much. She would herd it through the living room and give it love nibbles. But one sad day she nibbled a little harder and that was fun too, so she bit it a little more. Long story, short - she chewed an entire section of the ball off. She then tried to play with it by putting her head in the hole. So it ended up needing to be tossed. Sad, sad day.
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LOL! Jack pulls the outer skin off of tennis balls after awhile.
The soccer ball has been hidden in the laundry room. It's an outside toy only. He has smaller balls he can play with in here. He tried herding it up and down my hallway and it sounded like he had a whole flock of sheep down there! He's very, er, vigorous when he plays.
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Permalink Reply by Debbie, Sadie & Joey on
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Sadie LOVES to play with a soccer ball. I have a little clip of her playing.
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Sadie Plays Soccer_0001.wmv, 12.4 MB
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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on
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The average soccer ball lasts about 6 months. The padded skin invites teeth, but one ball lasted a whole year (its two outer layers of skin did not).
Now we have a water polo ball, lighter, livelier, a sleek outer surface that does not invite teeth, but it loses pressure faster. I prefer this type of ball. Shop at thrift stores and yard sales. Make sure you have an air pump an a needle inflator attachment.
They have learned not to leave the fenced playground when the ball rolls through the gate. It isn't legal, but we are very careful to be good citizens and always leave the place cleaner than we found it.
Al often gets bloody tooth cuts on his tongue that stop bleeding very quickly.
They never tire of this game.
They're often hyperventilating half an hour after playtime is over.
Corgi + ball = total kid magnet.
We found a basketball that had lost its skin, but that was a bit too heavy.
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