Ball Obssession

[kirklou]

We have the most adorable 1year old who seems to have become obssessed with tennis balls.  We walk round our local woods daily and my OH would take a chuckit and launch balls for him to chase, i however dont take a ball with me now because he will not look at another dog and socialise, only wants the ball and nothing else - usually without a ball he will chase squirrels and have fun with other dogs but not when we have a ball with us.  Lately however every other time we go out he seems to sniff out a tennis ball someone has lost and then will wag his tail profusely and keep hold of it - he seems happy enough but i wonder whether i should forget the balls for now.  He has a great scent because he does find balls nearly every time we got out - its quite amazing.  Does anyone else have a ball obssessed cocker?

[Helen]

working cockers can very easily be very ball obsessive...and I think you're doing the right thing by limiting his contact with balls on walks so he does other things. I do limit using the chuckit etc on walks, and don't let mine chew tennis balls...

if that sounds odd, it's because tennis balls are notoriously bad for wearing down canine teeth - I have a friend who had to have major dental work done on her springers canine as tennis balls had worn them down so much (retrieving, chewing etc - apparently tennis balls absorb lots of grit which doesn't help either)  The dog was only 4, and had to have upper and lower canines rebuilt.

Jarv loves a ball, but I like him to do other stuff on walks too

[ladylola]

Ellie loves tennis balls. I spend a fortune on them. She either loses them or drops then in a river, we rarely bring one home. Sasha isn't bothered though she just prefers to sniff.

[Mari]

When my cocker was very young she started to get obsessed with balls. So I stopped bringing them on walks, I put them away for a few weeks. In the beginning she kept stealing other dogs tennisballs in the park    but she got better. She still loves tennis balls, footballs, basically anything round but she is not quite as obsessed with them.

I only throw smaller balls in the garden, and she has one big plastic ball we use inside as reward in training (she loves heading it back to me). Other than that we use other toys or sticks (I know I know it's bad, but I'm careful how I throw them). It was just too stressful to have her stealing balls, interrupting people playing football in the park  so I'm glad she got rid of the worst obsession.

We had one really funny experience. My puppie stole a ball from a german sheperd in the park. One of those massive rubber balls. And it was so big she could not get it out of her mouth. So instead of running away with it and hiding it as she used to, she came trotting over to me for help, looking defeated and embarrassed. Of course five seconds later she was happily chasing that very same ball 

[Jan/Billy]

The police force like toy obsessive dogs . They work hard to try and find dogs like this that are so toy focused to enable them to become police sniffer dogs 

[Macy and Tia]

Yes my dog is obssesed to! She even takes them to her bed at night!
Her favourite ball is her treat ball for obvious reasons and if she gets fed up of getting the treats out of it, she keeps dropping it on my lap until i get them out for her!

[Cob-Web]

Have you considered taking part in flyball? It might give him an outlet for the energy and intellect he has, which can help reduce obsessions 

[Top Barks]

Have you considered taking part in flyball? It might give him an outlet for the energy and intellect he has, which can help reduce obsessions 

It also might make matters worse

[Cob-Web]

Have you considered taking part in flyball? It might give him an outlet for the energy and intellect he has, which can help reduce obsessions 

It also might make matters worse

That's always a risk  I suppose it depends on the degree of obsession 

Molo doesn't chase squirrels or play with other dogs if I have a ball/chuckitt either, and will often come out of the bushes with someone elses lost ball; but I have never considered it a problem, and use it as a way of keeping him focused on me 

[Jan/Billy]

but I have never considered it a problem, and use it as a way of keeping him focused on me 

I was thinking the same thing. I am currently trying to train Billy to be ball obsessive so he focuses more on me & the ball  whilst we are out as opossed to other dogs 

[kirklou]

The police force like toy obsessive dogs . They work hard to try and find dogs like this that are so toy focused to enable them to become police sniffer dogs 
[

Yes we are amazed at the way he finds the balls int he woods - his sense of smell is homed around the rubbber of tennis balls!!!

[Cob-Web]

The police force like toy obsessive dogs . They work hard to try and find dogs like this that are so toy focused to enable them to become police sniffer dogs 

Yes we are amazed at the way he finds the balls int he woods - his sense of smell is homed around the rubbber of tennis balls!!!

Excellent  I am desperately trying to teach my two this skill - at the moment, they can only find balls I throw into undergrowth if they have been in my pocket for a while and so smell of "me" 

[PennyB]

Have you considered taking part in flyball? It might give him an outlet for the energy and intellect he has, which can help reduce obsessions 

It also might make matters worse

That's always a risk  I suppose it depends on the degree of obsession 

Molo doesn't chase squirrels or play with other dogs if I have a ball/chuckitt either, and will often come out of the bushes with someone elses lost ball; but I have never considered it a problem, and use it as a way of keeping him focused on me 

I use chuckit for same reason as its a great distracter and keeps mine really focused

[Joelf]

Spike doesn't really do balls but Domino loves his ball & chuckitt.

Molo doesn't chase squirrels or play with other dogs if I have a ball/chuckitt either, and will often come out of the bushes with someone elses lost ball; but I have never considered it a problem, and use it as a way of keeping him focused on me 

I use chuckit for same reason as its a great distracter and keeps mine really focused

Same here. ( Domino always loses balls; unfortunately he very seldom finds them!!)

if that sounds odd, it's because tennis balls are notoriously bad for wearing down canine teeth - I have a friend who had to have major dental work done on her springers canine as tennis balls had worn them down so much (retrieving, chewing etc - apparently tennis balls absorb lots of grit which doesn't help either)  The dog was only 4, and had to have upper and lower canines rebuilt.

 I didn't realise that about the teeth though!!

[Top Barks]

Have you considered taking part in flyball? It might give him an outlet for the energy and intellect he has, which can help reduce obsessions 

It also might make matters worse

That's always a risk  I suppose it depends on the degree of obsession 

Molo doesn't chase squirrels or play with other dogs if I have a ball/chuckitt either, and will often come out of the bushes with someone elses lost ball; but I have never considered it a problem, and use it as a way of keeping him focused on me 

I feel the same