Too Funny!

[Hound dog]

Maggie has finally learned to get the herding ball moving on her own.

It is both the most fascinating thing to watch as well as comical. When she was having trouble deciding if Molly moved it somehow or if her barking "motivated" it to move I would help her by pushing the ball along with my feet the way a soccer player does taking care to keep control of the ball so it basically stayed right with me while it moved. This is a large (bigger than a basketball) hard heavy plastic ball.....I wasn't doing that to be fancy smancy, I was doing that so it didn't hurt me to move it along that way. One cannot kick this ball unless one would like some broken toes. Know what I mean?? Maggie would watch me intently and then try herself with limited success.

This week it clicked. The yard has been dry enough some days she's spent 3 hrs out there with the ball, guess it gave her enough time to work it out. I went out to coax her inside (a feet unto itself) and I find her moving the herding ball along like a four legged soccer player. She is using her front feet/legs the way I used mine when I showed her.....and she was using the side of her face to steer the ball where she wants it to go. Maggie has none of the issues Molly did with the ball getting stuck in areas of the yard moving it with this method. Moving it with her nose Molly didn't have a lot of control over where the ball went especially if she was going very fast.

The new thing is she now seems to want to get on top of the ball and walk on it to move it. She has successfully mounted the ball a few times and even moved it with a few steps. I dunno where in the world that came from but she thinks it's great fun. Oh, wait.........we do have some kids that skateboard in the church parking lot and she has watched them when we walk. She doesn't like it when they flip the board ect but she does intently watch them as they ride it across the parking lot. (maybe that is where she got the idea?)

My camera also takes videos. One of these nice days I'll have to try to record her antics.

 

[buddy]

Teach her to roll on it! Get her own skate board! What a cool dog.

 

[susiestar]

Goofy as this may look, she sounds like a very intelligent dog. Most wouldn't try to figure out what the humans are doing, or try to copy their behavior with such a different shaped/looking thing as the herding balls is very different looking than a skateboard. I would go on freecycle and see if you can get a skateboard for her, or look at garage sales for one. I think she could learn to do a lot of cool things if she has a little help.

 

[Hound dog]

I always wondered how people got their dogs to do cool things most dogs would never dream of doing. I never quite believed them when they'd say it was totally the dogs idea. Now? I most certainly do. Evidently a lot of the time it IS the dogs idea.

Oh, I started her on the herding ball for the same reason I did Molly. Working breeds need something to do if you want to keep them out of troubles. But the freesbie thing and this new thing with the ball is totally her idea. I'll try picking her up a skate board and see what happens. I know she doesn't like it clacking on the ground/cement but she might think it great fun to get it going and ride on it.

Maggie is huge on self play, which is a good thing since her Mommy is getting a bit old to play much, especially some of the things she'd like to play. She will fling all sorts of things from soda bottles to stuffed toys to small segments of rawhide high into the air so she can catch them herself.

She is quite entertaining to watch.

Goes to show each dog is unique unto themselves. Molly was a very special dog, very intelligent and did some pretty awesome things. Maggie is Maggie and while she does have characteristics similar to Molly, which is why I brought her home......I can say I've not ever met a dog like her before. She never ceases to amaze me with things she does and won't do. I can't wait to see if she'll fish with us the way Molly used to do. To Molly that was THE MOST FUN EVER. lol

 

[Tiapet]

Have you seen these?

 

[Hound dog]

I've not had much luck with such things Tia. The kong was a total flop.........even filled with peanut butter. Maggie gets at them too quickly and is done. She's not a huge treat fan to begin with.

I have better luck with an empty 2 liter bottle........that she'll play with for hours on end for days. Same with a milk jug. She wants to mooooove if you get my drift.

 

[Hound dog]

That was wonderful RE!

I wouldn't be surprised if that is Maggie one day.........well, maybe not the surf board part. lol We just finished up a half hour soccer session of hard core running for both of us. At this rate Mommy is gonna be skinny come summer........ omg

 

[DammitJanet]

I was just going to suggest the thing Tia suggested...lol. I think I am going to get Abby one of those treat puzzle type things but Im not sure its going to be one by that maker. I want one that Abby can toss all over the place and have the treats come out bit by bit. I dont think Abby will have the patience to play tic tac toe. Now eat an entire stuffed animal to get to the squeaker? Oh yeah...thats her idea of fun! LOL

We do have the plus of having Buddy being her big brother even though he is only a 5 pound dog, they both are convinced he is top dog in the family. They run laps from one end of the house to the other until they are plum worn out. You need another puppy. Maybe one about her age.

 

[InsaneCdn]

You need another puppy. Maybe one about her age.

No... definitely NOT one her age.
Maggie is now the top dog, and needs to stay that way.
Once Lisa gets her feet under her, she can figure out if they can add another younger one...
We have two... same age, same litter, and... if we hadn't lucked out and gotten two that were SO much seeking to be integrated into OUR pack... it would have been too much.

 

[Hound dog]

IF I were to add another dog, it wouldn't be for another year or more. I've been thinking a lot on this since the other dogs passed.

Maggie is a lot like Molly in her acceptance of other dogs/animals and her general love for them. But even with Molly we didn't introduce another dog into the pack until she was nearly 3.....and of course it was a 6 wk old pup. Maggie is lonely for other dogs but is coming out of it as she and I are growing closer. She has her neighborhood "friends", she has Nichole's puppy Baily who visits from time to time......and easy child is thinking of adding a pup to the family this summer, so she'd have that one to play with too without any worry over who is top dog. I work hard to make certain all Maggie's experiences with other dogs are positive ones.

I'm no where near ready to go back to training a wee pup at this point. I'm still training Maggie and the way she is going I may be for quite some time to come depending on all she winds up learning to do. If the time comes, I'll know it. But it's not right now.

I do admit to keeping a close eye on the dog/pups in the pound right now. I think that is more habit and because I do a lot of sharing the info to help them get adopted/rescued. If someone special comes along the right age.......I *might* reconsider. But I've seen like 4 really special ones that I know will make families wonderful pets.......and passed on them.

I don't need another dog for Maggie to run from one end of the house to the other to wear herself out..........she does that with her toys all by herself. lol

Actually at this point I'd like to stay a one dog person. I like being able to give Maggie my undivided attention and right now she is thriving on it.