Ken-f Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 I just got my 6 month old border collie yesterday. Shes still getting used to our place, but at least she isn't so scared now. A couple of things I did notice tho is that she is quite scared of using the lead and SHE WONT PLAY BALL!! The lead problem, I can understand, I don't think she was using the lead in the first 6 months with the previous owner, as it was and acreage. I managed to walk her around the yard a bit on the leash today. It'll take time. My main question is...how do i make her play ball?? I can't take her for a walk unless shes on a leash...which means her main exercise would be from playing ball? I never really had to train my previous dog to play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paganman Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 She probably isnt settled in yet maybe shell learn to play when shes got used to her new place.That said not all dogs like to play with balls one of my two couldnt care less shes as much interested in balls as she is in bricks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cockerlover Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 cant really make a dog interested in balls ,some r some arnt,try smearing some vegimite on it !! let her sniff it b4 you throw it ,& if she does become interested, be sure you take the ball from her @ end of game ,to let her know yr in charge of the game ,good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuffles Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 I agree, she probably isn't settled yet. Do you have a range of toys for her? For example she may be more interested in squeaky toys. My dog doesn't have a retrieving bone in his body. He doesn't even LOOK at the ball when you throw it He loves doing zoomies though so that gives him exercise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBen Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Over the 40 years I've had dogs, I've had a few, who were not interested in balls... My Great Dane X is the best retriever I've ever had ... :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 (edited) I think giving the dog a chance would be a good start.Its been one day & you already have expectations that are unreasonable at this time. Ofcourse the dog can exercise without playing ball & she isnt going to damage herself by not doing exercise. I wouldnt be expecting anything from this young dog for a month or more. Her time at present should be trusting you & getting to now the yard.,all the humans,her new routine. I personally wouldnt even be pushing the lead aspect , Over rushing it can result in giant backward steps.You need to be patient & allow the dog to feel at home not you wanting her to something she isnt ready to do. The more you make her want to play ball the more she will react to your body language.If your body language is one of :why wont you chase the ball" dogs will sense this & not feel comfy in responding. balls arent the be all end to all dogs.She may prefer a fluffy Teddy Edited December 24, 2008 by settrlvr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAX Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 BC's love balls, they are the next best thing to sheep. She is very new to your place so let her settle in, in a few days or weeks she will be looking to you for entertainment. Get a ball and start having a game with yourself, I'm sure in no time at all she will want to play ball with you. I got a working BC at 2 years of age, she had only worked sheep and never seen a ball or toy, she now loves to play ball but it took a while for her to learn this new fun game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeltaCharlie Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Delta is 2 and still not interested in balls She has been taught to retrieve though (I need her to bring me a ball for flyball) but she is only interested in the treat at the end, its not a game to her. Give the poor little girl some time, she is only a puppy and in a strange new place. My Cody was as ball obsessed as they come but he didn't really start showing signs of that until about 12months of age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvsdogs Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 I agree with settrlvr. Give her time to settle into your home. She's had a traumatic couple of months 1st with one family & now yours. It's more important for her to get used to you & your way of life & to be comfortable with you. After she's settled in you can start to play ball with her. Bounce it around & make it seem like the ball is the best thing ever then put it away & don't let her play with it. After a few days of this she will be so excited to play with this object that you haven't let her have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken-f Posted December 24, 2008 Author Share Posted December 24, 2008 Wow, thanks for all the replies. settrlvr, I see you have very strong views and I get the feeling that you are almost angry at me.....:S I don't force her to do anything, esp if shes scared! She is definitely used to me now, its only the sound of the door which makes her step back a bit. As for the lead, i've managed to get her to walk around the yard with it a bit, (follwing the instructions i read from another thread which linked me to youtube). The other question i have is toilet training, she is consistent in the area that shes goes to...(that i know of) but its not the correct area. So i scoop up the poo while she watches and I put it in the area where I want her to go. Anyway, heres a pic of her Love her to bits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted December 24, 2008 Share Posted December 24, 2008 "Wow, thanks for all the replies. settrlvr, I see you have very strong views and I get the feeling that you are almost angry at me.....:S I don't force her to do anything, esp if shes scared!. Yes i do have strong views because its been one day not a month,2 months or 3 .One day in a new home with new expectations & she cant meet then all over night. Be patient,she doesnt understand what you want & it will take time for her to learn. I have seen to many people get an older dog & the next just go off presuming its older it should do this/that. Dogs are just like humans & a whole new life change can be very overwhelming & traumatic & as humans we now whats its like to be rushed into something we dont feel comfy with ,dogs are the same. I have taking many older dogs on especially showdogs but each one has been given the time it needs to acclimatize . My current one arrived at 5 months ,he is now 9 months & whilst extremely happy & easy going i can safely say he has just now fully settled into our home routine & understands what our house rules are,all the members,our feeding routines,cars,voice tones,body language & actions.He is avery bright dog who craves to learn but he also needed to now he could rely on us to be his leader. This was very well socialized & had alot of time spent on him before he flew here but even so that doesnt equate to instant dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken-f Posted December 24, 2008 Author Share Posted December 24, 2008 I don't expect anything to happen instantly.....But with no interest in the ball at all, I was surprised. I was just wondering what others experience as well....Like I said earlier, I would never force her to do anything if she was scared. As for the more simpler commands like SIT, she doesn't do it everytime, but its much better than not at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted December 24, 2008 Share Posted December 24, 2008 As i say buy a fluffy toy,she may feel more comfy with that. Even use the empty toilet roll. my dogs dislike like the smell of new balls & tend not to want them especially the cheapie ones. my young dog is ball obessessed,if he could fit 20 in he would. My others sort of play but lose interest quickly BUT will fetch there soft toys for hours,especially ones that squeak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becks Posted December 24, 2008 Share Posted December 24, 2008 Why don't you take her to the pet shop and see what type of toys she shows interest in? Some dogs like balls, some like rope toys, fluffy toys, chew toys, some just like a sock with a ball in the toe end. Her true personality may not come out for several days to weeks, she may like balls but just be feeling a bit overwhelmed atm. You said yourself that she is still getting used to your place, and will also still be learning the body language of you and family. I would just let her be for a few more days, let her mooch about the place and get used to things before you even start to try anything else with her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken-f Posted December 24, 2008 Author Share Posted December 24, 2008 One thing i know she loves......ARE SHOES!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted December 24, 2008 Share Posted December 24, 2008 (edited) Then i would use a "shoe" thats her own as a starter. Personally i use anything that works for my dogs . I would use the shoe as her reward for walking on the leash & making a game at the end & go from there Edited December 25, 2008 by settrlvr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken-f Posted December 25, 2008 Author Share Posted December 25, 2008 Yea, they were old shoes. So I don't mind. Took her for a walk today FINALLY! She's still a bit nervous around our front gate, but once we were out, she was so well behaved! I made sure I brought some treats when we went and made her sit before crossing the road. On the way back there were a couple of dogs across the road barking, she was just....making weird sounds...wimpering? but still excited? I don't know how to describe it, anyway, she was still very well behaved then and we just continued walking/running home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle. Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 I have got an Australian Shepherd girl that's not the slightest bit interested in balls, but will chase a frisbee all day! She's also not fussed on walks.....she walks beautifully on the leash, trots very nicely alongside of me but I can tell she's not at all interested in "going for a walk" for the sake of it. My boy dog though, he just LOVES a walk....he sniffs and he looks at stuff and the whole world is interesting to him. He likes the frisbee, he likes a ball, he LOVES rope toys though and will bring them and lay them on our laps in the hope of a good game of tug. They are all different and even dogs that live together and play all day together like different things. Your lovely girl will let you know what she likes soon enough. Have fun with her! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoofnHoof Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 Just out of curiosity - where is the 'correct' place to poo? With my dogs as long as it's outside somewhere then I'm happy I think putting the poo in the spot where you want it might help, if you see her 'go' in the right spot then lots of rewards might get her to eventually understand but personally I think having one particular spot where she should go is another of those 'too high' expectations, at this early stage I would just be happy with 'outside' BTW she is very cute Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wind in the trees Posted December 27, 2008 Share Posted December 27, 2008 I think some dogs just aren't ball oriented. I would say do as the other posters try and just keep gently encouraging her. Best of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now