Very, very true.

This is a really interesting thread that I must have missed the first time around.

My dogs have always enjoyed playing with toys, especially a ball on a rope. However, Zak takes it to a whole other level and is totally obsessed by his ball.

Initially I thought this was great, but then found it extremely difficult to teach him to "out" his ball - a problem I had never encountered with the other dogs. So I put the ball away and started to just take a tug toy out instead. I worked on him outing the tug and when that was reliable I reintroduced the ball. However, we are now almost back to square one where he is becoming obsessed with the ball again (not a problem in itself) but has started refusing to out it when he is on a high.

I am going to have to take the ball away again completely and use a much lower value reward and start again.

Obsession with a ball can be a good thing to distract a dog or to reinforce and reward already learned behaviour but, as I am finding, it can also bring its own problems.

I can definitely see some advantages but I wouldn't like to have a dog that was manically ball obsessed.

The local rescue once had a labrdador surrendered to them when his owner had enough after (a) the dog destroyed the sofa because a ball had got stuck behind it and then (b) demolished the front of their washing machine because he though the round washing powder dispenser was a ball and he just had to have it.

It was decided that it would be too difficult to rehome the dog because of the damage he might cause if he even 'thought' he saw a ball, so they kept him with their own dogs - he's now happily living in kennels and working as a gundog where his ball obsession is not a problem.

Must admit, until then, I'd never realised just how bad a ball obsession could get!

Having a dog with a very high toy drive is a good thing, it just has to be managed. If they are developing dangerously obsessive behaviour then they need a lower value toy as Moobli says. My GSP would be ranging into the next county if his drive was transferred back onto hunting, I definitely prefer to have him under my nose, stalking me for the next ball opportunity.

Blimey - that Labrador really WAS obsessed Zak loves his ball, but is nowhere near as bad as that

I am glad there was a happy ending.