Althouse: Where's the ball?

December 20, 2012

Where's the ball?

22 comments:

Amartel said...: Doggies. That look of slight embarrassment (for themselves? for you?) when they can't immediately produce results. So endearing.; 12/20/12, 5:14 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "can't immediately"

They never found it!; 12/20/12, 5:15 PM
rhhardin said...: Vicki can lose an entire frisbee in snow.

The first thing you do is pounce on the frisbee, burying it completely.

Then you hunt for it, not usually successfully.

old video

The problem is that frisbees don't breathe.

A dog can detect and find a mouse or bird under the snow very quickly, owing to telltale breath.; 12/20/12, 5:29 PM
Aridog said...: "Never found it?"....no tracking discipline in their futures I'd say....or...they're yanking Meade's cord to get him to dig the ball out for them.

If I ask our pups to "find the ball" ...actually I use "Bring the toy" they both root up every ball and kong and jolly-ball that was ever in the yard and some I've not seen before.

Dandy. The barking by Dera ala' Joey starts if I don't play with each and every one they find. Ari actually herds you away from any door or fence gate...no escape, big guy says so.

Lesson: Be careful what you ask for...at least with our crew.

Only worse pandimonium is when I bring out a jute bite tube or sleeve.; 12/20/12, 5:32 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Meade couldn't find it either.; 12/20/12, 5:33 PM
ndspinelli said...: A real dog would find it. The duty is not for Meade, but for the dog. They needs to get out of the city and hear the "call of the wild." Living in Madison stifles animals and people.; 12/20/12, 5:47 PM
Sydney said...: Glad to see Joey was included. I can see why you don't invite him over as much, though. He seems overly excitable.; 12/20/12, 5:49 PM
Amartel said...: Milling and barking are means of distracting humans from doggy fail.; 12/20/12, 6:05 PM
edutcher said...: Joey barks and the Yorks start tearing up the house looking for him.

I hope Santa Dog is going to bring your fur children some nice things.; 12/20/12, 6:11 PM
Lewke said...: My old english sheepdog gave them many woofs of encouragement as they searched!; 12/20/12, 6:44 PM
kentuckyliz said...: Bet the neighbors love all the barking.

But bark they must...because it sounds different in the snow.; 12/20/12, 6:51 PM
Tim said...: Dogs and their balls, lol!; 12/20/12, 7:39 PM
Tim said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 12/20/12, 7:43 PM
Tim said...: My Welsh Terrier finds all the balls.

We don't have snow, of course - my father was smart enough to move to California, as were my mother's parents - so he only needs to worry about vegetation, and, of course, other balls.

Because I'm a bastard, I throw more than one ball.

My Welshie is easily distracted - but he plays the game back - he refuses to surrender the ball once I've thrown all the balls.

So, we have a stand-off.

Him, with a ball his mouth, and me, wanting to throw more balls - but he won't let me.

So, who's smarter, lol?!; 12/20/12, 7:44 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: You know what's as much fun as finding a ball in the snow?

A bald eagle snatching a little kid in the park and dropping it, that's what.

You put the little kid out there and go, "heeere eagle-eagle-eagle, heeere eagle-eagle-eagle."; 12/20/12, 9:09 PM
k said...: I have to say my favorite dog posts right now are Zeus. You can see (sometimes) the neighbor's door open, so you know Zeus is on the Leus. And then, in a couple seconds, there he is between the outbuildings, tearing toward the Meadhouse. I laugh every time. And then, Hey There, he's in the house. I love it.; 12/20/12, 9:12 PM
Ann Althouse said...: That eagle thing was declared fake by the time I noticed it or I might have posted about it.; 12/20/12, 9:13 PM
Ann Althouse said...: K, In today's run to the house, I edited out the opening door because there was a delay, but I do like the subtle door thing. Thanks for noticing.; 12/20/12, 9:15 PM
Wince said...: Reminds me of an old joke...

Do you know why dogs lick their balls?

-- Because they can.

But why is that funny? I think it's because, if the question is taken at face value, many people would try to intellectualize some evolutionary reason for a behavior that seems specific to the lower species.

Instead, the joke reveals it's only to be an issue of physical ability to reach, otherwise we'd all be licking our own balls right now, given the opportunity.

Ladies, feel free to participate.; 12/20/12, 10:42 PM
Wince said...: "Reminds me of a funny story my dad used to tell me, Harry..."; 12/20/12, 11:03 PM
Dante said...: Michelle Obama knows so much about what's wrong with the country's obesity problem, she has embarked on a nation wide, one size fits all solution.

Chris Christie doesn't know why he is fat. It's a shrewd question, why are people fat, and I for one don't think anyone knows.

What's worse? Chris Christie saying he doesn't know why he is fat? Or Michelle Obama saying she knows why the country is fat, and forcing the entire country on a one size fits all diet, too much for some, but starvation for others?; 12/20/12, 11:44 PM
Greybeard said...: About the "telltale breath" comment...
The head or our K-9 dept. used to take off his wedding ring and fling it far into an open field, holding his dog in "sit-stay", then release him to find it.
I saw this Deputy do this many, many times to display the dog's abilities, and the dog never failed to bring the ring back.
(But admittedly, he never threw the ring into a snow-covered field.); 12/22/12, 2:15 AM