How obsessive is too obsessive?

[Laurelin]

I just can't help but wonder. Mia is almost always with a tennis ball. Not chewing it, just rolling it around with her paws or squeaking it or putting it into things and then figuring out how to get it out. On the one hand, it's nice because she's very self-entertaining. She doesn't get into too much trouble while she's playing. On the other hand, should I try to limit the tennis ball time at all?

 

[ACooper]

That's a very good question I've often wondered myself. Orson isn't that way with tennis balls or other toys in general, but he is most definitely that way with stuffies. He can NOT rest until it's destroyed in most cases, if he puts it down at all for a drink or potty break, he IMMEDIATELY goes right back to it asap. Once destroyed, he's done. I do limit the number of stuffies he gets due to mess (the price isn't a problem 'cause they come from goodwill or thrift shops @ .25-.50 cents a piece, LOL)

So yes, when does it STOP being a form of good fun and entertainment for the dog and turn to obsession which needs intervention?

 

[milos_mommy]

If you try and call her away from it, will she go to you? If she's got something else to do, is she STILL playing with the ball? I'd say as long as she's responding to other stimulation and can learn to stop playing when she needs to (ie, to eat, etc.) it's not a problem.

 

[Doberluv]

Well, I've heard that tennis balls have something on them that wears down enamel. It never hurts if you control the resources, like you could put it away and take it out several times a day for her to play with. Try to time those times when she is behaving herself. LOL.

 

[Laurelin]

I've heard that too doberluv but these aren't 'real' tennis balls so to speak. They're made for toy dogs and are a lot softer. She won't play with real tennis balls (they don't squeak). I tried taking up the tennis balls once and she transferred that to chewing up things or she started playing the same games with different toys.

This morning for example she got her ball and started rolling it around on the floor with her paws. Then she decided to see what happened if she put it in a box. Then she figured out how to get it out of there. Then she put it on the tv stand. Then she rolled it off and watched it. Then she took it to the chair, etc etc.

 

[Lizmo]

I've thought about this, too, with Blaze. If I feel he's getting too obsessed with his ball, then I put it up for a while. Or start using it only for training purposes.

 

[Doberluv]

Oh, I see....about the tennis balls. That's good!

She sounds too darn cute how she finds so many things to do with her ball or toys....too cute to put them away.

 

[Beanie]

I wonder if you play with the ball with her most of the time just because you know it's her fave? When Auggie was a puppy he LOOOOVED tennis balls so that is what we played with mostly. Throw the ball, he'd go get it. Hours and hours and hours on end. I still really like playing ball with him rather than wrestling or fetch with a stuffie, but my dad likes to wrestle and stuff with a stuffie so he got to where he would get one of those out and play with Auggie with a stuffie. When Auggie was a puppy, he played almost entirely with tennis balls though he would chew on a few other things (like a rope bone) during teething time, but as he's gotten older and started to be played WITH using other toys, now it seems like he's about as likely to get a stuffie out of the toy box as he is to grab a tennis ball.
Is that maybe the same case with Mia? Maybe if you make a point of playing with stuffed toys she will start to learn to play with them just as much. Obviously a tennis ball will probably still always be her fave - Auggie's heart is still a tennis ball - but she may poke through the toy box and diversify a little, LOL.

 

[Criosphynx]

Emma, in her previous home, chewed them until she broke or wore down most of her teeth until they fell out. So be careful.

The moment for me, was we were at a dogpark and my bombproof dog would not come to me (or respond AT ALL) when another woman was trying to leave the park with a ball in her hands. I can call this dog off a fleeing rabbit mid chase from hundreds of feet away but not a stranger holding a ball.

That was the "too much" moment for me. All ball play is now structured and limited.

 

[Amanda885]

Some good suggestions on here..good topic..you got me wondering!

mine isn't obsessed with any one toy in general..but it would be interesting to see what i would do if i were in your shoes..

if she's responsive to you and will leave the ball alone, i think its ok that she plays with it..however if shes solely focused on the ball and nothing else, perhaps the ball should have time outs sometimes....

 

[OutlineACDs]

I think obsession varies by owner. Each person has a degree of obsession that bothers them to the point they do something. I think my tolerance is pretty low for obsessions.

Each of my dogs has something that they love more than anything else. I use these things for training and playtime. I keep the obsession level fairly low by having rules to each game. I might ask my dog to wait until released to get the frisbee or lie down before chasing the water hose. Sometimes mindless water/frisbee/ball chasing is allowed, but when I say "enough" its game over and I mean it. The frisbee goes up, the water is turned off, and if they don't calm down quickly, I go inside, or they can have crate time to cool down.

Not saying the dogs are perfect, there are things I would like to be able to do that I can't do yet. Like, call Rumor off of a frisbee in midflight after she has been released to chase it, but I can strive to work towards those things.

 

[Doberluv]

Some good suggestions on here..good topic..you got me wondering!

mine isn't obsessed with any one toy in general..but it would be interesting to see what i would do if i were in your shoes..

if she's responsive to you and will leave the ball alone, i think its ok that she plays with it..however if shes solely focused on the ball and nothing else, perhaps the ball should have time outs sometimes....

I agree with this. And I do think it's a good idea, especially if you have any training or behavior problems that bother you, that you take control of her resources...have her defer to you for the things she wants....have her earn the things she wants. Maybe not all things. But a lot of things.

If I had a dog who was bordering on obsessing over a single activity, I know I'd probably want to diversify his/her interests and create more structured play time, where the dog is reminded, on an ongoing basis that I provide the good things in life and the good things are contingent upon the dog's behavior. I think it aides in providing a secure feeling for the dog and reduces some potential behavior issues down the road. JMO

 

[M&M's Mommy]

Except for when he's sleeping or playing with Muffin (in this case, Muffin IS his stuffy , Mocha is never without a stuffed animal in his mouth. When he's eating, he puts it down between his two front feet & pick it up immediately after.

I see no problems with it.

 

[Doberluv]

Except for when he's sleeping or playing with Muffin (in this case, Muffin IS his stuffy , Mocha is never without a stuffed animal in his mouth. When he's eating, he puts it down between his two front feet & pick it up immediately after.

I see no problems with it.

But is he obsessive about it? Will he go for a walk without a stuffy in his mouth? Will he focus on you when you need him to? Will he leave the stuffy if you wanted to go outside for a training session or if you did agility with him? As long as it doesn't become an all exclusive thing, I don't see a problem either. But sometimes these behaviors can get away from a person. There are dogs who develop obsessions about things. Some don't, some do. I know someone with a dog who loves to retrieve balls. The dog barely thinks about anything else. Of course, the owner obliges him every step of the way. The dog barks at her, demanding she throws the ball. You can't even carry on a conversation. Of course, she asked for advice, my reply was concise. She listened very nicely, then went out and did precisely what she wants. LOL.

That would drive me nuts to have a dog who could think of nothing but one thing....his ball, his stuffy, this or that. I prefer to have my dogs learn to defer to me first, at least for lots of things. Controlling resources is how all animals' leaders lead. I'm not a stickler by any means, but do include plenty of that with my dogs.

 

[elegy]

steve is nuts about balls. it's something i worry about from time to time and something i have worked a lot on to teach him to *think* and function in the presence of a ball. it used to be he couldn't sit if there was a ball around because obsessing over the ball burned up all his brain cells. but now he can heel past a ball, he can heel over a ball, he can recall past a ball, he can hold stays around balls being thrown (provided other dogs aren't chasing them- he's not up to that yet!), he can leave it (even with another dog chasing it) and come, etc. it took a LOT of work and the reason i did all that work is because being able to use the ball for a reward for him is HUGE.

he still has unlimited access to balls (chuck it ultra balls, not tennis balls) during the day. we play casual ball in the house a lot. and i'm ok with his relationship with his balls (hee) right now, but it's certainly something i pay attention to.

 

[Laurelin]

She can focus and leave a ball if I'm not holding it. If I pick it up, it's all lost. But she'll leave her other games with the ball for me if I ask. I think I should work on using the ball to reward her, but at this point if I pick up the ball, she's gone.

 

[ihartgonzo]

Personally, I cannot STAND obsessive dogs. When I say leave it, leave it alone... period. But I also mostly see Border Collies whose only form is exercise is a ball being thrown, and whose lives revolve around... ball. I want a dog who will play with me when I initiate it, and who will chill out when I say so. But that's my personal preference.

 

[puppydog]

Ben was bad! He had to have his ball time limited. Otherwise he would become a little pain in the arse. I still miss him!

 

[Doberluv]

She can focus and leave a ball if I'm not holding it. If I pick it up, it's all lost. But she'll leave her other games with the ball for me if I ask. I think I should work on using the ball to reward her, but at this point if I pick up the ball, she's gone.

I personally love the concept...or way of life, really...of doggie zen. This way the dog, by not getting what she wants, WILL get what she wants. Not being obsessed, will get her the ball. Not being pushy about this or that, Will get her this and that. So, using the ball to reward her for NOT being "gone," (lol) WILL get her the ball. It's about self control. Here is a description of some lessons.

Clicker Training Doggie Zen (videos) | Stale Cheerios

 

[ihartgonzo]

I personally love the concept...or way of life, really...of doggie zen. This way the dog, by not getting what she wants, WILL get what she wants. Not being obsessed, will get her the ball. Not being pushy about this or that, Will get her this and that. So, using the ball to reward her for NOT being "gone," (lol) WILL get her the ball. It's about self control. Here is a description of some lessons.

Clicker Training Doggie Zen (videos) | Stale Cheerios

Great link!!!!

I'm trying to get my friend with a ball fixated BC to do this... it's about focusing on and playing with YOU, not whatever toy you're playing with.