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No Trouble with Treibball
What is Treibball?
Pronounced “try ball,” this fun dog sport was born in Germany in the mid-2000s when a Dutch hunting and herding dog trainer, Jan Nijboer, wondered if he could teach high-energy dogs to play soccer. The game boils down to getting your dog (or a team of dogs) to push large exercise balls across a field into a goal.
Can any dog do Treibball?
While herding-type dogs and dogs who love chase games are natural treibball contenders, dogs of any age and breed can take part. As with all dog sports, some foundational skills are important. For treibball, it’s an advantage if your dog knows sit, down, left, right, and object targeting.
How to play Treibball
Playing the game is simple. Using cues like “center” and “drive” you guide your dog to push exercise balls into a goal with her nose (no teeth allowed). Treibball Associations have sprung up in many countries, bringing with them formal competitions. But treibball can just as easily be played recreationally at home in your backyard. It provides terrific physical and mental stimulation for your dog—and a fun time for you.
How can we try Treibball?
In-person and online classes, YouTube videos, and books like Get the Ball Rolling by Dianna L. Stearns (www.dogwise.com) are great resources to, well, get the treibball ball rolling with your dog!
AZ Dog Sports offers Treibball classes year round. See here for more information… And then call us to find out when you can start your first class! 602-237-67775
The Teenage Dog – Surviving Your Dog’s Teens
Last week we posted about Puppies and all things puppy related. This week, we focus on the next phase….your dog’s teen years.
Two-legged kids are not the only ones to go through an awkward phase. Adolescence—usually thought of as the period from four months to two years of age, a little later for larger breeds—often feels like an honest-to-goodness teenage rebellion. Your young dog develops selective hearing, seems to forget manners they know well, and reverts to puppyish behavior like mouthing, jumping, barking, and destructive chewing. Disheartening as such apparent setbacks can be, remember that adolescence is a phase. It, too, shall pass.
Meanwhile, here are five tips for keeping your sanity intact and raising a polite, easygoing adult dog:
Be consistent with your pooch.
Consistency in routines, training, and expectations is key. Just like human children, young dogs do better with boundaries and rules in place.
Use life rewards.
Dinner, treats, walks, belly rubs, play sessions, a spot on the couch—all are opportunities for manners practice. Use things your dog enjoys to reward him throughout the day for a quick practice of sit or other cues he knows. A little training all day long will help keep your dog’s manners muscles flexing.
Take a dog activity class.
Now is a great time to take training classes or engage with a private trainer to get tips and regular training time in. You wouldn’t consider your human children’s education finished after elementary school, right? Think of this time as junior high for your dog.
Pile on the dog exercise.
The more doggie workouts you can fit in, the better behaved your dog is likely to be. Exercise is the antidote to adolescent hyperactivity. (Just consult with your vet before undertaking strenuous sports. Don’t go running with your dog until he is at least 18 months old, for example, it may damage bone development.)
Puppies, Puppies, Puppies
Did you know these puppy facts?
- Puppies are born blind, deaf, and toothless, but able to smell.
- Puppies begin developing permanent teeth around the 12-week mark.
- Puppies’ eyes and ears begin to open at 10 to 16 days of age.
- Puppies spend on average 14 hours of every day sleeping.
- The growth rate of puppies varies widely, depending on the size of the dog. Birth weights can multiply more than tenfold within the first 7 to 8 weeks.
- Puppies go through several developmental stages early in life: neonatal (0-2 weeks), transitional (2-4 weeks), socialization (3-12 weeks), and adolescence (6-18 months).
How To Puppy Proof Your Home
- Your house. Hide electrical cords. Hunt for and hide small objects your puppy can chew or choke on. Get guardrails for stairs, low windows, and balconies. Invest in mats or runners for slippery hallways. Place poisonous plants in high spots—or give them to dogless friends.
- Your kitchen and bathroom. Put safety latches on any cabinet with cleaning supplies or poison. Keep plastic bags out of your puppy’s reach, and secure your garbage can.
- Your yard. Make sure your yard is escape-proof. Put a fence around your pool—or keep your puppy away from it. Make sure chemicals, fertilizers, and sharp garden tools are off-limits.
- Always supervise. That’s indoors and out. If you can’t supervise, put your puppy in a confinement/safe area with a toy.
If you recently adopted a new puppy….click here to sign up for one of our popular puppy classes!
Dog’s Ears & Preventing Ear Infections
Dog’s ears are impressive.
For example, they can swivel to locate the source of a sound in 6/100 of a second. However, the design of canine ear canals leaves something to be desired. Their shape (a downward plunge followed by a horizontal tract) can leave debris stuck too easily, which is why dogs—floppy-eared ones in particular—are prone to ear infections.
Telltale signs your dog has an ear infection include:
- ear scratching
- colored discharge
- odor
- redness
- swelling
- crusted or scabby skin
- impaired hearing
- Also pay attention if your dog wipes his ear on the floor or furniture, or if he shakes his head a lot.
How to Prevent Ear Infections
Gently dry your dog’s ears after swimming or baths, and occasionally clean his ears with a cotton ball dampened with a solution recommended by your vet. If you suspect a problem, it’s important not to self-diagnose. Bacteria or yeast causes most ear infections, and both require veterinary treatment.
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