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Treibball


Aidan
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Has anyone had a look at Treibball yet? http://blog.johannthedog.com/2009/04/treibball.html

I've been playing little games with one of my dogs using soccer and gym balls for a while now, she loves it and I certainly have clients with dogs who would love it. Then I find out those clever Germans have been doing this as a sport since 2003! There isn't much on the internet about this, a few videos on YouTube and some websites that don't translate very well. If anyone knows more about it, please contribute to this thread.

Other suggestions for 'sport' for herding dogs using balls also welcomed.

I've been working on passing the ball back and forth along the ground and also in the air (Sabella has a surprising amount of control over the ball bouncing it with her muzzle if I throw it to her). We've started working on a 'retrieve', dribbling the ball back to me on cue from a distance.

I've had ideas about running a modified agility course, dribbling a ball. Think of agility poles set up a bit like a slalom course, or running through a chute. Sabella has spontaneously manipulated the ball from underneath the trampoline in the back-yard, while the ball is on top of the trampoline. I've had visions of setting a ball on top of a suspended tarp and having her move the ball along the tarp from underneath.

Just a few crazy ideas you might have some fun with...

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Oh lol that looks like fun!

When we were away one of mine was playing with the fitballs with our friends kids, she would push it around using her head to guide it, and then try to bounce it off the top of her head :D

Some of the spontaneous stuff they do can be amazing to watch. Our yard has lots of kids stuff in it, watching Sabella problem solve to get her ball out from underneath the trampoline or when it is wedged between the swing-set and fence demonstrates a remarkable level of intelligence that you'd otherwise probably never really witness. That is one of the things about "Treibball" that I think is missing, although the Germans seem very open to the idea of introducing new challenges within the sport.

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I have a gym ball here that is too small and have done a bit with my older dog with it - teaching her to get on it and learning balance. She loves playing with it but I've never taken it outside. The youngster hasn't had much to do with it yet but loves the soccer ball.

Guess what we're doing tomorrow if the weather is fine.... :)

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My toy poodle used to love doing this with soccer balls, he wasn't fussed with having balls in his mouth but loved to round them up! He also really loved balloons and used to bounce them on his nose. My current girl would be over the moon to do this but she's a little too ball obsessed to let her loose. :thumbsup:

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My current girl would be over the moon to do this but she's a little too ball obsessed to let her loose. :hug:

A bit of control work around balls might be just the ticket then :) Limit her options in how she interacts with the ball at first (hold it, put your foot on it etc), once I nutted that bit out it was a lot easier to work more freely with the ball with my ball obsessed girl.

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I agree Aiden, we do need to do some work on ball distraction - at the moment if she hears a soccer ball being kicked 300m away I'm in trouble! :thumbsup: At home I can hold a tennis ball in my hand and gently, very gently throw it in the air and walk around her and she can maintain a sit. We'll get there, one day I hope!

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I have a gym ball here that is too small and have done a bit with my older dog with it - teaching her to get on it and learning balance

How is that going? I can't even do that!

She's not balancing on it totally alone, I support the ball so it's not rolling out from under her but she still needs to use her balance a lot.

Pics from today - taken with my phone so not the greatest quality. Do you think they had fun???

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Thanks for posting this Aidan, you've just given me a huge help here. :thumbsup: I'm due to go away for a week in March and it's the first time I've been away since I got Zee. I have my doubts on how Mum is going to go with her given her high energy levels and need for training to keep her entertained. Darcy is more laid back and tends to tolerate just a quiet walk each day but I had visions of Zee getting up to all kinds of mischief. :)

I don't like using a ball or a frisbee or even a soccer ball too often given the potential for injury and wear and tear. I reckon a daily session with the gym ball will keep them entertained and work their brain without the higher risk of injury with the other options. ;)

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Thanks for the link Aiden. :eek:

Our previous Kelpie would play with the medicine ball. We would throw it at him and he would punch it back with his nose...the game would go on forever! He would then chase it around the yard and round it up. A great way to exercise.

Our current kelpies think it's more fun to try and puncture the balls with their teeth. :mad

Edited by Kelpie-i
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Looks interesting, is it a "formal" sport anywhere? I thought the dog looked quite lame behind, and that it was getting tired. It could work well as a timed team event like Flyball. Next dog goes after previous dog has the ball in and behind the goal-line. It wouldn't have to be two teams running as in flyball: just enough stop-watch-holders to keep it fair. and best team-time wins. Using teams of four or five would still give dogs quite a few runs through the day instead of doing too much at once. It's certainly less equipment to carry around than flyball, I think it would get a good following if a few teams could demonstrate at competition standard.

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She's not balancing on it totally alone, I support the ball so it's not rolling out from under her but she still needs to use her balance a lot.

That's still amazing, make sure you have the camera ready in case she ever nails it!

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Our current kelpies think it's more fun to try and puncture the balls with their teeth. :)

I am embarassed to admit how many balls we have lost this way :love: Even with a muzzle on, Sabella will always find a way to destroy a ball eventually.

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Looks interesting, is it a "formal" sport anywhere?

Yes, in Germany at least and possibly elsewhere.

It could work well as a timed team event like Flyball. Next dog goes after previous dog has the ball in and behind the goal-line. It wouldn't have to be two teams running as in flyball: just enough stop-watch-holders to keep it fair. and best team-time wins. Using teams of four or five would still give dogs quite a few runs through the day instead of doing too much at once. It's certainly less equipment to carry around than flyball, I think it would get a good following if a few teams could demonstrate at competition standard.

That's a good idea, I like the twist. The more I think about it, the more I think it needs to be a "slalom" event, which would also lend itself to being either a team or singles event.

Another idea, get hold of a few of those giant fans that movie studios use, put them on some sort of randomised switching device so they blow in different directions at different times, then have the dog keep a mob of balls inside lines. It could be kind of like German 'HGH' style herding then, the GSDs would love it.

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This is from years ago

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But given a bit more room its more fun to push it around a bit instead of just killing it (pics aren't too good sorry)

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She does the same with the Aussie Dog staffy ball, cos she cant pick it up, pushes it around with her nose/head, and can get it out of most situations she puts it in, only needed rescueing occasionally

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