Ball drive?

[BlackJack]

My puppy is 9 weeks old and we have had him a week now. Right now he has shown zero interest in playing a with ball or chasing anything thrown. He does love playing tug though, I mean so much we can't go outside without him trying pull vines off the wall, anything hanging loose he will focus on it and try to take it.

Though he will chase the cat and tackle him, and enjoys that.

Though the lack of interest in the ball has me a little concerned. Its been long time since I have had a puppy and I don't remember them not loving to chasing a ball. Is this something he will develop in the next few weeks or do I need to start working on it with him?

[Cassidy's Mom]

I've had dogs that were retrieving at 9 weeks old, and I've had dogs that were late bloomers and took awhile to develop a ball obsession. I've never had to do much to teach them to like balls or how to bring the ball back, mostly all I really needed to do was to teach them to give the ball up on cue so I could throw it again, they've all been pretty natural retrievers.

Have you tried just rolling the ball a couple of feet and encouraging him to chase it? He's very young, so I would start slowly and work up to actually throwing it. You can also backchain it (teaching the end of the behavior first and working backwards) by giving him a ball and having him give it back to you, either in your hand or dropping it. From there you'd give him the ball and then run backwards a couple of steps, encouraging him to come to you with it still in his mouth and then drop it.

[Stosh]

You could try dragging a toy along the floor and see if he'll chase it, then switch to a ball. Stosh has never been that interested in balls but he loves chasing frisbees.

[Stella's Mom]

Stella is now totally ball obsessed and that started at about 6 months of age. She is now 8 months and her total focus in retrieving the balls at the park. She puts them in close proximity to each other and picks them up one by one and drops them so that she knows that I see where she put them so as to have a constant flow of balls being thrown for her. She is very funny.

[Lucy Dog]

Like Stella's mom, it took lucy a good 6 months to develop her ball drive. She really could care less for those for 6 months and then a switch just kind of went off and now she goes nuts for the ball.

I actually just got back from the park for a 30 minute non-stop ball retrieval run with her. It's an every day thing now. I even train with the ball instead of using treats because it's a higher reward than food to her now.

My advice is to just give it time. Don't push it and eventually she may turn into a ball nut.

[hps]

Ritz will chase a ball twice and thats it. She doesn't have any desire to do any more than this. I'm hoping this will change,she seem happy just roaming the back yard looking for lil bugs to eat. She's 4.5 months

[onyx'girl]

Get a flirtpole and tie a rag or a toy at the end of it. That is usually too much temptation for most pups to ignore.

[Stella's Mom]

Originally Posted by Lucy Dog

Like Stella's mom, it took lucy a good 6 months to develop her ball drive. She really could care less for those for 6 months and then a switch just kind of went off and now she goes nuts for the ball.

I actually just got back from the park for a 30 minute non-stop ball retrieval run with her. It's an every day thing now. I even train with the ball instead of using treats because it's a higher reward than food to her now.

My advice is to just give it time. Don't push it and eventually she may turn into a ball nut.

That's funny, the same for Stella, the ball is everything now. When it is time to leave the park, I show her the "take home ball" walk to the gate and she comes over easily to get collared to go back home.

She is like a laser with the balls, totally obsessed.

[Lucy Dog]

Originally Posted by onyx'girl

Get a flirtpole and tie a rag or a toy at the end of it. That is usually too much temptation for most pups to ignore.

I'll have to second the flirt pole idea. It's probably the only thing in the world she'd pick over a ball.

[cassadee7]

Flirt pole all the way. Saber LOVED the flirt pole for the first few months of her life.

She never wanted anything to do with a ball until she was over 6 months old. I don't care what I did with a ball she would not fetch or chase one. but by 8 months she suddenly started being interested and now she loves balls!