Question?

[HCBell]

Not for me but for a friend, and Yellow lab, not a border collie.

 

Said friend has a ball obsessed lab. 3 years old. They have started keeping her outside because she is driving them nuts dropping balls in their laps indoors and wanting attention and to play.

 

Yesterday Morning: her post, with her permission

 

About 9-9:30 am, I told XX & YY (15 & 12 yrs) to take G and Dixie up by the school and throw the ball for her. She LOVES to play fetch. I told them I wanted them back home in 30 min for me to leave somewhere. That would be about 10 min walking up there, throw the ball a few times, then 10 min walk home.

 

They were gone a little bit more than 30 min, maybe 40 or so. When they got home, Dixie was breathing really hard, tongue sticking out, very thick slobber. Also, shaky legs. I came to the playdate, thinking she would be ok once she cooled off.

 

When I got home 2 hrs later, she had just thrown up, and just looked pathetic. She was limping on one of her legs, too. She could hardly move.

 

I found out at this time that they ran with her up to the field, they threw the ball about 10 times, and tried to run with her home, but she was having problems by that time. And they were throwing the ball with one of those tennis ball throwers that chucks them way out there.

 

I had just come home to eat lunch then I had a 1pm appt to get to. It was about noon. I called the vet and decided to take her up there. I was able to push my appt back 30 min.

 

Apparently, she had a heat stroke. The boys sprayed her with water thinking she needed to be cooled down, but they may have done more damage by cooling her off too quickly.

 

She is staying at the vets. She's being given IV of fluids. They will keep her overnight. Hopefully she can come home tomorrow. I don't know if there can be any permanent damage from this.

 

I was in tears taking her to the vet. I felt SOOOO guilty! She will just keep playing fetch until she keels over.

 

The dog is ok and coming home tonight. My friend wants to keep her inside and calm, but the dog is totally ball obsessed.

 

Her question is this:

 

Is there is a way to break her from wanting to play ball in the house - to leave us alone when we are inside.

 

She is also going to be calling her trainer.

 

Thank you for any advice. I have given her some, but Roxie is not nearly so obsessed, and I thought someone else might have more advice for her.

[Shoofly]

Uh, put away all the balls in the house?

[Anda]

I agree - simply ban balls in the house. I had to do the same thing with my dog. He did not take the ban very well, but after a few days he accepted other toys, instead.

He only gets to play with them outside, about once a week, at the dog park, and then BASTA, no more balls till next time.

[HCBell]

That was one thing I told her, I am not sure what else she is doing. I think she is just following them around, getting under foot and "wishing" for the ball if it is not there. I told you to work on commands like on your mat and settle/rest.

[sandra s.]

Yes, that was my thought too.

 

Kessie is a bad case of a snow ball addict. Not as bad as BCs can get, but bad enough not to care about anything else when she thinks a game is in order.

I always throw snowballs for her at the start of winter, or when we find summer snow in the mountains, but in winter there's always a point where she has to go on a snowball detox. No snowballs at all. Not one. At first she'll keep on waiting for me to throw and trying everything short of paw signals to make me understand. After a while she will relax, play other games, and - unthinkable! - even play with other dogs again!

 

Sounds like your friends dog could do with a "ball fast" period as well!

[Catu]

I would suggest to have a play schedule. By example, to play 10 minutes at 9 am, at 1 pm and at 7 pm. and never, never, throw any ball outside that schedule, no matter how much she beg, if she becomes too much annoying, she could even be crated for a while. In time, she will understand that she will play, but there is no use in insist all the time because there will be no balls outside the schedule.

[Shetlander]

Originally posted by Catu:

I would suggest to have a play schedule.

And at the same time use common sense. If it is really hot out, do not play at all until evening for example. It's no different than dealing with kids. Sometimes you need to say no for their own good. For the future, she will want to learn the signs that the dog is getting overheated and stop before reaching that point.

 

I've heard of a BC that died from heat stroke playing fetch. Dogs that are so driven to do an activity need us to think for them. Actually, all our dogs need us to look out for them. I hope the lab will be ok.

 

And yes, put the balls out of reach!

[urge to herd]

Good ideas from everybody. As well as those suggestions, start training the dog in other ways. Pet tricks, 'helping' around the house, (Sammi has to help me put the laundry in the washer and will pick up and bring to me anything I point to), kong type toys, doggy day care, structured, working walks, (10 steps and sit on command, 4 steps and back up, 5 steps in a heel, 10 steps then turn in a circle, etc)

 

The dog may well be craving interaction with it's humans. Alternate behaviors to fetch will fill that need and avoid the risk of heat stroke. My understanding is that once a dog has one episode, it's more susceptible to future episodes.

 

Good luck, I hope the dog is ok.

 

Ruth n the BC3

[INU]

Teach 'settle'!

I also put away all the balls unless I feel like playing with them. So it's up to me, not them.

 

Labs have heat strokes easier. They'd just keep going and going, all over the place. BCs are smarter and they know how to conserve energy. So I have to rest my lab every 5-6 throws of his frisbee while I continue throwing a ball for my BC.

[HCBell]

Thanks for the tips. I will give them all to her. The lab gets to come nome this afternoon. I think this has been a wake up call for her and for her teenage boys.

[Catu]

On defense of your boys... I don't think than spray the dog with water could have done more damage. Unless they had sumerged her in ice water or so, they did what had to be done, maybe they prevented more damage.

[Kat's Dogs]

I would also put the balls away in the house. Or, just ignore the behavior - don't EVER play with the balls in the house. After awhile the dog will just give up - as long as they NEVER play in the house. That way they could have balls around if the dog wants to play by herself but she won't bother them. It would be hard on the people though - so much temptation, but it could be done.

[Cheri McDonald]

As the owner of a rescue that was taught nothing but fetch, I agree with Robin and Kat, put the balls away. All toys are MINE and only I decide when we play. Everyone has given lot's of great ideas to teach her other more constructive things.

[Anda]

originaly posted by Kat's Dogs

Or, just ignore the behavior - don't EVER play with the balls in the house. After awhile the dog will just give up - as long as they NEVER play in the house. That way they could have balls around if the dog wants to play by herself but she won't bother them

This depends on the dog. Mine can be totally OCD all by himself if he has access to a ball in the house. Would push it under the couch and bark at it to get out by itself. And would keep throwing it to himself to fetch No need for anyone else to participate (even though he would prefer it that way).

 

That's why there are no middle ways with my crazy one.

[Kat's Dogs]

This depends on the dog

I did think of that (it is what Dazzy would do too) but the ? was to get the dog to stop bothering the people with putting balls in their laps all the time - it would stop that, but yes, the dog could still play on their own in the house.

 

For a BC, playing on their own is never a good idea, but for a Lab, it might be OK.

[Beth G]

I had a springer like that. She was the worst case of it I've ever seen.

 

 

I had to hide her balls. Man she went through withdrawel until she learned I control her access to the balls and that's that....lol.

[Carson Crazies]

I do not leave balls where the dogs can get them. Period. They get kept in the toy bins (placed high up on the tops of things where nosy doggies can't reach them), and I take them down when I want to play. If I left balls down full time I'd spend all of my time running recon on the balls that Bree bats under the couch. With the exception of bones to chew, ALL toys are kept up and gotten down when I want to play, else I'd have NO PEACE EVER - because according to June ANYTHING is a ball and must be thrown (including socks).

 

June has issues with hot weather and exercise, so if we are doing something outside I give her frequent breaks, and a belly splash. Couple throws, lie down. Couple throws, lie down. When we're done, I splash her belly off with water - usually whatever is in the water bowl out there, as long as its not too hot, or frigid cold.

[Carson Crazies]

Oh. I almost forgot - once your dog has had problems with heat or exercise intolerance or stroke, they're much more likely to have problems again - and sometimes it will happen easier than before. They need to be aware, and take extra special care with this dog in the heat and exercise, in the future.

[juliepoudrier]

Originally posted by urge to herd:

The dog may well be craving interaction with it's humans. Alternate behaviors to fetch will fill that need and avoid the risk of heat stroke.

Ruth made a great point above, and it bears repeating. The obnoxiousness with the ball may simply be the lab's way of asking for attention. If the people in question want to stop that behavior so that they aren't being "forced" to interact with the dog (as in so they can simply ignore the dog--and I'm not saying this is what will happen, but it *could* happen), then in the end it is the dog who will suffer. That is, they really need to consider alternate *quality time* (like some of the tips that have been given here) with the dog in exchange for not playing fetch.

 

Teaching the dog to settle is a good idea--all of my dogs know what it means. But I don't expect them to stay settled all the time--I have daily quality time spent just with them doing doggy things they love to do (which rarely includes fetch, but does sometimes). And that time spent together--with my attention on them--is the important thing to the dogs, no matter what we're doing.

 

J.

[JackoDog]

I agree with teaching settle. Jacko knows what it means, and at a year old and only having him for a month he can already settle for about an hour before he gets bored.

 

Jacko is not allowed to have toys in the living room, period, because he plays with them and gets so riled up that he tends to knock things over and break them. So we just banned all toys from the living room. He can have a bone, and if he settles quietly he gets lots of treats and praise.

 

It's going to be tough, but the dog can be taught to settle. The best thing we found was leashing him and either sitting on the leash or tying it to a heavy piece of furniture, as recommended by both our trainers and our vet. That he learns that sometimes he just needs to chill and not be all up in our business. Like I said, he's definitely learning.

 

The other thing - when they go someplace to play they need to take water with them. We generally have to force J to drink if he's really involved in something, like playing with the dogs at the dog park. We make it like it's a huge reward and treat for coming near us. He has his own water bottle and a dish and we just pour a little into that and he drinks it. He only gets a little at a time or he plays with it and wastes it. At home that's no big deal, but when we're at the park and all he has is one bottle, well - bigger deal!

 

Good luck to your friend.

[Meg's mum]

I'm glad this topic came up. Meg has a heirarchy of coping behaviors when I can't play with her : The first is dropping things on my feet - disc, ball, plushie, sock. Then she gets the zoom-zoom, bark at anything that moves going. Then the herd mommie, herd kitty focus, folowed by the chew on wood, chew on shoe, and finally she gets to the settle down chew on chew toy, mope, and sleep.

 

I can settle Meg for an hour, but the days I work at home I'm on the computer 8 hours and it can be exhausting intermingling that with attention to Meg. Frankly I've started taking conference calls outside on the wireless so that I can play ball with Meg during the meeting.