swainsons
|
Tennis ball retrievesHello All,
Is their any reason why one should or should not let the dog do retrieves with a tennis ball.
A friend has a tennis ball launcher and my little one goes mad for it. My son must have tossed the ball for her 50 times the other day. I just made sure she came in for a decent delivery. I cant see a problem.
Any ideas?
Regards,
Leon
|
windem bang
|
Hi Leon, whether or not there is a problem with tennis balls depends on the individual dog. Some dogs - Buck for example - seem to like the "squashy" feeling of them and will deliberately bite down on the ball and "work" it in their mouths. I try hard to encourage nothing that might give hard mouth a start so he no longer is allowed to retrieve them. I may be too late for I sometimes see him "working" the dummy trying to get that "in - out -in -out" feeling a hard squeezed tennis ball gives. Some dogs just love that sensation !
If the dog isn't doing that then I can see no harm in using tennis balls.
Bill T.
|
Helen
|
I use a tennis ball on them if they aren't keen on retrieving. I also used to use a tennis ball with my springer when doing agility. As long as I get a good retrieve and they do it all "properly", it never was detrimental to their training.
Helen
|
sako75
|
I use the tennis ball in the early stages of retrieving. One big advantage that I have found IMLE is to rub the ball with your hand scent and roll the ball downhill if possible through heavyish grass - the ball leaves a trail of scent through the grass and helps the dog understand how to follow a line to guide it onto the unsighted retrieve. This is the start of the dog learning to follow a line of scent and eventually leading to the dog following up on wounded game (runners). Or if you are really unlucky , the dog ignoring runners and hunting for tennis balls in the shooting field   .
Barry.
|
Alkemist
|
Don't know from a working point of view, but what is a concern with tennis balls is that dogs can get swallow them and choke. A very experienced weimaraner owner who did working trials and obedience did lose a young Weim this way, I believe.....
Don't know if it's as much of a risk for Brits, but just be aware of it.
Nina
|
Liz
|
| Alkemist wrote: |
Don't know if it's as much of a risk for Brits, but just be aware of it.
Nina |
Sherry tears tennis balls to pieces, given the chance, so she doesn't get near them. Trouble is the others aren't allowed to have them either!
|
countrygirl
|
Rumour is a tennis ball additc as I type she is plonking next to me to be thrown again.
Mav eats them  and normally chucks them up later 
I have a launcher for them I replaced the tennis ball with a hard Bio -degrable one I got at Crufts they are slightly larger so hopefully to big to swollow, Rumour can sometimes catch them on the bounce but Mav cant catch to save his life.
It is their weekend treat and Vic throws for them(I cant get the knack) It dosent seem to be effecting her training as she has done the basic's but I would think if its a youngster you would want to be carful not to teach bad habbits.
We have found that if you wing it down a downjill track they get knackered in no time 
Caz
|
|
|
