A Playful Attempt at Treibball!

   This isn't really a review of anything in particular, more a reminder that even regular household items can also be a lot of fun for our dogs!  For those of you who don't know, and I'm guess that's lots of you, Treibball is a new dog sport out of Germany that involves teaching your dog to herd large balls.

How it should look

   It's designed to work herding dogs (or any dogs really) that don't have a flock of their own to tend.  That pretty much sounds like us!  We tried to get into the class at a local training facility (not our usual one), but it filled up so fast!  Instead we had a go in our basement with an exercise ball my husband bought for $10 at Target.   Chris must have found a deal because I can't find it on the Target website for that price anymore.  Cassie loved it!  She even scored a goal...sort of.  
   This was a cheap and easy way to work on her herding instincts, (attempt) to teach her not to bite things that move and to get some fun indoor exercise on a day when the backyard looked like a mud hole.  Can't wait to get better at it!  Maybe someday she will start taking direction...though I doubt it!  Give it a try and let me know what you think!  Are there any other household items that work as dog toys?? Let me know!

Our 1st Attempt

Time Has Come to Name and Shame

   In contrast to my list of wonderful everyday dog products that I can't live without, there are a few items off the bat that I want to point out as having a number of fatal flaws.  These were items I was excited about at the time of purchase, but that upon use were clearly not up to the job and some were even dangerous.


1. The Premier Eco Line
    Now a days, everyone wants to believe that they are doing their part for the enviornment and like most people I subscribe to the 3 R's (reduce, reuse, recycle).  In theory, Premier has done a good thing by attempting to source materials from recycled sources for their Eco line.  I have to admit what drew me to this selection of products originally were the bright colors (especially the granny smith green) as opposed to the more muted shades of the traditional line.   I was to be disappointed on many fronts.
   Firstly, a cursory look at any of the Amazon comments will lead you to see that many people are upset with the quality and durability of the product.  It is very light weight, but not strong enough to stand up to any pulling dog.  It also stretches to a degree that makes it useless for traditional Obedience training (stick with leather on this front).  It won't withstand even the lightest chewing.  Worst of all, I took it to an agility class (because it was light enough for a puppy to drag) and before we got in the door a squirrel sent Cassie on a tear and ended up costing me several bandaids worth of cut fingers and blisters.  The leash sliced right through my skin and basically ruined our evening before it had begun.  I know that some pain may have been caused by any leash when a dog takes off full sprint, but the thinness of the leash mixed with the material acted almost like a knife.  This has never happened with any other leash I've owned (even the cheap ones from Walmart).  I wouldn't by the Eco line from Premier in any form or for any function.  It just isn't worth the money (or the pain).


2. Target's Fold 2 Go Travel Pet Bowls 

I bought these to take to class and to take hiking so that I would have something easy to pack and then fold up when we were done. The first time I used the water bowl was on a hiking trip.  I filled it, the dog drank out of it, I zipped it and put it back in my bag and an hour later all of my field books were soaked.  I thought this might just be a problem I was having, but other reviewers have commented on the same problem.  The food bowl, I never used so I can't comment. Both bowls ended up in the trash a few weeks later.  A cheap and useless product that causes more harm than good.