Fetch

Well, at last the dogs seem to have realised what a ball is for! We have spent ages throwing balls for them, only for us to have to fetch them ourselves! Not quite the right idea. Finally they have figured out that when we throw the ball and then run after it and bring it back, it turns in to a game. Hooray!

Paddy tends to fetch the ball back most of the time, but Max certainly has a few goes too. However, when it gets back to us, Paddy just spits it back out somewhere nearby. Max, on the other hand, won’t give it up! The best thing to do, is catch him (if you can) and then take the ball out of his mouth. If he has already dropped it by his feet, he will bite you as you try to pick it up! Great fun, and a quick way to give them exercise, without the usual 3 mile trek around the mountain!

The bad point is… if the balls are in their mouths long enough, they will get crushed, so they don’t bounce any more! The dogs love popping them, but won’t chase them if they don’t bounce properly! I have now discovered that once they show signs of being bored, I simply remove the ball and put it on the wrong side of the patio railings, where they can see it, but not get it! (Cue another game, where they try to knock it off with their paws – but can’t!)