register for free
View our sister sites
Our sister sites
Our sister sites
Our sister sites
LittleMonkies
Dogsey Senior
LittleMonkies is offline  
Location: Hampshire, UK
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 355
Female 
 
16-09-2010, 10:22 AM

Have your dogs had their balls/toys pinched on a walk?

This has happened to me a few times.

I know it's just a ball, but the point is that I went out to buy it and at the rate my dogs get through them they're not cheap!

I take offence when I'm playing with my dogs in a huge open space and then someone who is walking their dog without any toys decides that it will be OK to start playing with the ball their dog has just taken back to them. They haven't bothered to make the connection between their dog picking up a ball and me looking for one or walking towards them to get it back. That happened 3 times last winter and after a not so pleasant response first time round I just shouted the other times would they mind not taking my ball, we're in the middle of a game!

This morning we were walking back to the car and the dogs still had a ball each. There was a lady with 2 labs, 1 quite bouncy so my dogs went over to say hello and as Ben got half way back I realised he had dropped his ball. The lady had a scoop and a ball and she seemed to drop her ball and pick it back up. We were close to the car so I put the dogs away then had a look for our ball. She had been stood by the poo bin waiting for one of her dogs and what did I see but a scrappy old tennis ball with the outside starting to peel. It was right where she was stood so all I can think is that my dogs ran over to her, Ben dropped his ball and she's swapped it for hers and walked off! The cheek of it! Ben walked a straight line back to me after which i walked twice and there was no sign of his ball nor anyone else in the area. At least her labs can have a decent game with a brand new very bouncy ball!

It's such a silly thing but it really winds me up. If I found a ball and there was someone around I'd ask if it was theirs. It's just a nice thing to do. So often I can't find where a ball has been dropped and spend ages looking so if I can help someone out then I will.

I wouldn't care if someone picked up a ball of ours that I'd given up looking for, but to do it right in front of me? It's just rude!

Now I sound really petty and silly but I don't care, I needed to have my rant!
Reply With Quote
krlyr
Dogsey Veteran
krlyr is offline  
Location: Surrey
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,420
Female 
 
16-09-2010, 10:44 AM
I embarrassed OH soo much the other day. I bought these two dog balls (unusual ones, apparently made from the same material as buoys) a few months ago, my local petshop just had a few in and they looked OK, thought they might last a few more weeks longer than the usual tennis balls. Well, they turned out to be the most perfect dog toys I've ever bought - the dogs love them (with some toys they'll fetch once or twice then give up), couldn't destroy them (I was literally going through 2-3 tennis balls on a walk), easy to throw, wipe clean, etc. - perfect! Unfortunately Kiki lost hers one walk when we practically stumbled over a deer and she shot off after it (deer got off OK before anyone worries) and despite looking all over, I never found it. I've tried to find more of these balls everywhere and all I can find out is the company that made them, and a suspicious that they're discontinued. I've even emailed the manufacturer and online petshops that stock this company's range to see if anyone has some in their existing stock, but no luck.
Anyway, we went out with the dogs the other day, and usually I wouldn't take toys if we were going further than the fields next to us, but we ended up going the long route home for a change which involves going through this public meadow. Between the exit of the meadow (we knew he had it then as we stopped to let a couple pass before we entered the narrow footpath out, and OH told him to pick it up before we continued) and the top of our road, literally about two minutes away, Casper managed to lose THE ball, the irreplacable, indestructible miracle ball We were closer to home than the entrance so I said we'd drop the dogs off and go back to find it. Retraced our steps and it had just vanished - impossible! Then out of the corner of my eye I spot a woman and a dog up ahead, and sure enough, the woman has a ball in her hand. I glance at OH and then off I shoot after the woman I just asked if she'd seen a red ball around and she handed it back a bit sheepishly and said she'd found it on the floor and couldn't see anyone else. Returned to a thoroughly cringing OH
Maybe it's just me, but I always leave dog toys where they are because I always think that the owner may realise at the end of the walk that the dog's favourite toy is missing and retrace their steps - and now I know that's the case, I'll definately make sure I continue to leave them alone. At least the woman gave it back though, if she'd been mean enough to argue it's not like I could've proved it, and I did explain that it was the world's most impossible toy to replace and how my two love it, so I hope she didn't think I was totally crazy chasing after her for the sake of a little dog toy
Reply With Quote
ClaireandDaisy
Dogsey Veteran
ClaireandDaisy is offline  
Location: Essex, UK
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 14,147
Female 
 
16-09-2010, 10:47 AM
Anyone trying to purloin Daisy`s Ballie would meet with a sticky end. But she has learned how to stuff two balls in her mouth ( no innuendo intended) so occasionally I have to slink back and apologetically return the extra one to its rightful owner.
Reply With Quote
LittleMonkies
Dogsey Senior
LittleMonkies is offline  
Location: Hampshire, UK
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 355
Female 
 
16-09-2010, 10:49 AM
Love it!

OH shouldn't have been embarrassed! I think you did the right thing, I guess she didn't really do anything wrong by picking up a ball that was just lying there, but when you've found something that you don't seem to be able to get again it must be even more frustrating! At least she took it well!

I know what you mean about not touching a ball that's lying around, it might just be because someone couldnt find it. Personally I never look too hard for mine because it's a pain in the bum and we can buy more of the same. If we couldn't I'd look harder though!
Reply With Quote
LittleMonkies
Dogsey Senior
LittleMonkies is offline  
Location: Hampshire, UK
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 355
Female 
 
16-09-2010, 10:51 AM
Originally Posted by ClaireandDaisy View Post
Anyone trying to purloin Daisy`s Ballie would meet with a sticky end. But she has learned how to stuff two balls in her mouth ( no innuendo intended) so occasionally I have to slink back and apologetically return the extra one to its rightful owner.


Ben will chase another dog's ball but for some reason will never pick it up. I'm sure he'll never come across Daisy but hopefully he'll be safe if he does!!
Reply With Quote
tillytheterrier
Dogsey Veteran
tillytheterrier is offline  
Location: West Sussex, UK
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,533
Female 
 
16-09-2010, 11:22 AM
Guilty! Tilly is the one that will take a dogs toy and run off playing with it. If she sees someone throwing a ball, she will join in the game and being that she's very fast, will often get to it first. But I will always get it off her (Im lucky in the fact that she will drop it on command) and give it back. I dont want her becoming the local pick pocket!
Reply With Quote
LittleMonkies
Dogsey Senior
LittleMonkies is offline  
Location: Hampshire, UK
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 355
Female 
 
16-09-2010, 11:27 AM
Originally Posted by tillytheterrier View Post
Guilty! Tilly is the one that will take a dogs toy and run off playing with it. If she sees someone throwing a ball, she will join in the game and being that she's very fast, will often get to it first. But I will always get it off her (Im lucky in the fact that she will drop it on command) and give it back. I dont want her becoming the local pick pocket!
I have no issue at all with a dog taking a ball, it's when the owner does nothing that it bothers me!

I now go out with a bag which has about 8 balls, poo bags, other toys and a scoop!!!!
Reply With Quote
wilbar
Dogsey Veteran
wilbar is offline  
Location: West Sussex UK
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 2,044
Female 
 
16-09-2010, 11:31 AM
I could write a book about Wilma & her tennis balls!!

She nearly always carries a tennis ball on walks because without it, in times of stress & anxiety, her default behaviour is to jump all over Barney & rag at his neck to get him to engage with her. Poor Barney puts up with it for a while, & does play, but there's only so much he can take! So I found that if Wilma carries a tennis ball, she doesn't do this to Barney, plus she's far more confident meeting new people when she's holding something soft in her mouth. And her latest trick is to walk up to any small children she meets, drop her ball in front of them & back off staring at her ball ~ I've not met a child yet who hasn't got the message "please throw my ball for me"

It works a treat & Wilma's absolutely fantastic at knowing where her ball is. She often drops her ball to chase rabbits, deer etc, to stop & sniff at things & when she greets other dogs. There's no problem with this as she knows exactly where she dropped it & will go & find it everytime. Even when she drops the ball in full flight after a deer, it's always dropped on the path & she always manages to sniff it out, even when it's rolled yards down a slope (or into a rabbit hole ~ which is a different story as my arms aren't always long enough to get it out!).

The only time I have any problems are:
  • if she stops for a poo ~ she won't pick her ball up again if it's anywhere near a poo, either hers or another dog's ~ she stares at her ball, then at me so I have to go & get it!
  • or when she drops it to say hello to another dog. Quite often the other dog will pick up the dropped ball. Now Wilma doesn't worry about this at all, she's not possessive or guardy with her balls. But it can be very annoying for me, especially if the other dog runs off with it, or I don't feel it's appropriate to try to take it back from the other dog. So many a time I've chased after other owners shouting "excuse me, please can we have our ball back?" I've never had a problem doing this & all other owners I meet are quite happy to return the ball, & many apologise for their dog's behaviour. I don't blame the other dogs ~ it's Wilma's fault for dropping her ball in front of another dog.
Sometimes the other dog won't give the ball back & the owner is embarrassed because he/she can't catch the dog to get it back. I'm quite happy to ask if their dog will swap the ball for a treat ~ this often works well. But if not, then I just have to allow the other dog to keep the ball ~ they're often covered in mud & doggy saliva by then anyway ~ not everyone's idea of a desirable toy!! I always carry at least 2 tennis balls because of this & have a bagful permanently in the back of the car.

My friend has a dog with very similar behaviour to Wilma ~ she carries her ball because she's a gobby cow who'll bark for attention so we stick a ball in her mouth to shut her up. But Wilma & my friend's dog never quarrel over balls, they each know their own ball, & will make sure they pick the right one up. The only exception is when we throw the balls into the river. My friend's dog won't go out of her depth, so Wilma is asked to retrieve both balls. She tries to do this by fitting both balls in her mouth at the same time (now it's starting to sound like a porn story ) but is rarely successful. So I have to call her out of the water with one ball, then pretend to throw it back so she swims out to find the other ball ~ hence her nickname "The Ball Monitor"!!

As you can imagine, my friend & I get through quite a lot of tennis balls, especially in the winter when it's dark. But we've managed to secure a good free supply by asking at local tennis clubs if we can have any old balls that are no longer any good for playing with. One club (where my sister's family are members) have a large bin & balls that are no longer suitable for matches are put in there for any children to practice with. Once the children have finished with them, we've provided another bin, which we empty once a week/month, when we're passing ~ all for free. Plus my sister's family go round the outside of the courts & collect any "lost" balls for me, plus I've got quite a few tennis-playing friends at work, who've all been "trained" to give me their old tennis balls. All in all, we've got an almost endless supply for free.

I've tried the "tennis balls" they sell in pet shops ~ rubbish quality & only last 5 minutes as the dogs chew them up. Only the best quality Slazenger/Wilson etc for our dogs!
Reply With Quote
lozzibear
Dogsey Veteran
lozzibear is offline  
Location: Motherwell, UK
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 17,088
Female 
 
16-09-2010, 11:54 AM
this is so funny that you posted this, as i was going to have a rant as this happened to me and Jake last night!

I was throwing Jakes ball for him, but I mis-threw it and it went into the water. Jake dived in after it, but it was in a deep bit of water so he couldn’t get it (he doesn’t swim too much). he went a bit further down, and stood at the shallow bit ready to catch it as it moved down stream. But then, a woman with a BC came along across the other side of the river, and spotted the ball (I was standing on the bank watching it, with Jake clearly standing watching it, waiting it to get to him). she actually sent her BC in to the water to get it, which s/he did and then when the BC gave her ball, she pocketed it! I was fuming, and poor Jake stood there completely confused as to this dog pinching his ball!

Jake often pinches another dogs ball, but I always take it off him and return it to the rightful owner. If it’s a dog I don’t know playing with the ball, then I will put him onlead until we pass, so he cant pinch the ball. The thing with Jake is that he is so fast, that he usually beats most dogs to the ball

I will admit that Jake often finds balls in the long grass, which I will just let him keep coz he finds them in the most awkward place so I assume the owner gave up looking. But if I saw an owner looking for a ball, I would always return it. I don’t usually look for balls when Jake loses them, but he will… and he can be so persistant!
Reply With Quote
LittleMonkies
Dogsey Senior
LittleMonkies is offline  
Location: Hampshire, UK
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 355
Female 
 
16-09-2010, 12:09 PM
Willbar it sounds like you've got your methods spot on! You're so lucky to have a dog who knows where the ball is, mine just act dumb! Swaps are a good idea as is getting in with a teniis club. Our hydrotherapy centre does that which is handy as my boys destroy tennis balls when they swim!

Lozzibear, did you say anything to the woman who let her dog get your ball? I would have been fuming too! I always used to keep my mouth shut but something in me has changed and I refuse to let people get away with things anymore! I'm never nasty, just can't fight the urge to speak up!!!
How funny that it's just happened to you too.
Reply With Quote
Reply
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 >


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools


© Copyright 2016, Dogsey   Contact Us - Dogsey - Top Contact us | Archive | Privacy | Terms of use | Top