With team captain Cricket out on the PUP list, I’m having a tough time pulling the rest of the team together for a good game of ball. This is how Luke and Sheba play without her. There is no interest in bringing me the ball to throw.
They are so used to Cricket doing all of the work!
Come on, you two, even the Patriots could win without Brady and Gronk.
Couldn’t you even try?
Guess that’s what they think of that.
You never realize your dogs have a clear cut pack leader until someone is on the DL.
Hope Cricket is feeling better!
If Cricket goes outside with a ball in her mouth, the other two get so excited! They miss her out there too.
She is feeling better, though I doubt she’ll ever be back to where she was. But as long as she seems happy, I feel OK. She’s been spending a lot more time outside just smelling around, and she’s playing with toys in the house a lot.
The only time we struggle is when someone hears/sees/smells something outside, and they all go tearing to the door to run out after it. That is the one time she can’t remember she needs to slow down!
This is pretty much what ball looks like in our house too – we have pretty good luck with Walter as he’ll bring back a handful times but then gets distracted by smells and we have to go grab, and the other two could care less. So much so that Sherm actually gets “jealous” when we throw ball with Walter as it takes attention away from “playing with Walter”…. it takes a village. 🙂
It certainly does! I can get Sheba to bring the ball to me sometimes….with a lot of encouragement. Then she wants me to try to wrestle it out of her mouth, which I have to explain to her does not go well for my hand sometimes. LOL
Hopefully, Cricket will feel better soon. Bear Cat used to play fetch. Now, if I throw one of his toy micey, he’ll chase it but not bring it back. And so, in the name of giving him exercise since he chases the mousie, I play fetch with myself 🙂
Yup, that’s exactly what I’m doing with these two now, and I’m pretty sure I’m the one getting the most exercise (I’ve taken over Cricket’s job, basically)! 🙂
Haha they probably think you should fetch the ball for them.
Oh yes, that’s exactly what they think, and just what I’ve had to start doing – LOL!
What a funny series of photos! I am smiling 🙂 I sure hope that Cricket is back in action soon. It looks like your team needs her!
Thank you, we’re glad to make you smile! The team definitely needs Cricket, they are lost without her. But it’s not looking good for her to get back in action. Her arthritis is pretty bad. 🙁
That’s some really lazy dogs! I would be no help as you would have to chase me to get the ball. Love Dolly
That’s what Luke wants sometimes too. But I don’t always have the energy to chase him! LOL
Sometimes ya just gotta let the good time roll!!!
You guys are too cute, Luke you make me laugh with being a boy!
He is such a nut! For a dog that refused to let me train him to “roll over”, he spends a lot of time on his back! LOL
2 of my dogs don’t like playing with balls at all but one, Buddy walks around all the time with a ball in his mouth wanting me to throw it for him. Which I would gladly do but he wants me to chase him down first and get it from him.
Your pups are so cute!
Cricket is the only one that actually knows how to play fetch properly. Sometimes I can get Sheba to bring me the ball, but not too often. Luke just mostly prefers to chew on it!
Thank you!
That’s how Barley prefers to play ball, too. She’ll chase it 3 or 4 times, but after that she just flops down beside it and looks at it if I throw it again. Hope Cricket’s back to her team captain role soon!
I feel pretty foolish when I throw the ball and no one chases it. LOL. Truth is I’m probably the one that misses Cricket the most….we’ve spent a lot of years playing ball and I’m kind of at loose ends without it! I don’t know if Cricket will be back or not, her arthritis is pretty bad and her ball playing days may be over. 🙁
Hey – I love a good roll in the grass, too.
They look more content enjoying the grass and the shade. 😉
They do not have the energy level that their beagle sister does (or used to anyway)!
Neither of the boys play fetch. They play take the toy and see if mom can catch us! BOL!
Apparently, I need to learn the rules of the new game. 🙂
We totally understand as we don’t return balls either. I won’t even touch a ball. Bailie prefers to play keep away with the ball, as did Katie.
The biggest adjustment seems to be for me….I’ve been playing fetch with Cricket for 12 years now, and before that our Lab mix Maggie was also a ball player. I’m a little lost without it! 🙂
BOL looks like the team has other plans
Lily & Edward
Very good Jan, on the football analogy and the comparison to Brady and Gronk. Luke reminds me so much of Jack, just a bigger version. Jack’s favorite position is on his back, legs in the air, whether he is sleeping or playing. That’s how I trim his nails also.
I sure hope Cricket is off the PUP list soon, her and Gronk. 🙂
The nutty boys! Oh, I so wish Luke would let me trim his nails when he was in that position!
Cricket’s not showing much improvement, so I think she’ll probably be going to see the vet next week. It’s probably just the arthritis, but I want to be sure, and I also want to see if there’s anything else we can do for her since the Rimadyl doesn’t seem to be doing the trick this time.
Silly pups!! I guess their favorite game with Momz and each other is “keep away” – like it is with Ducky. We can throw her ball (or Kong Bounzer outside) once and then she says “oh no you don’t! It’s mine!” and takes off. Shadow and Callie used to love chasing the ball – and trying to get it away from each other – and then bringing it back to almost within my reach before running off with it. As Callie’s arthritis got worse and she couldn’t run as much, I used to hold Shadow back every other time so Callie could retrieve the ball without Shadow getting to it first. Even now, more than a year since Callie got her angel wings, I still hold Shadow back once in a while before letting her go get the ball. Ducky is so obsessed over the Kong toy that she doesn’t even bother going after the ball when I throw it for Shadow. Which is good cuz it keeps her from starting arguments with Shadow over the ball.
I hope poor Cricket comes off the PUP list SOON!! Poor girl must really miss playing her favorite game! I know Shadow certainly did for those 8 weeks she was on leash restriction out in the yard. She is so happy now that she practically bounces around the yard like she did as a puppy. And I know it breaks your heart for her, just as it breaks my heart for Shadow (and Callie) every time.
The worst thing with Cricket is that she doesn’t even want to play ball, and that worries me, because she’s always lived for that. But she seems pretty fine otherwise. She’s been resting for a few days though, and we haven’t seen any improvement so we’ll probably end up at the vet next week. Usually the Rimadyl does the trick but I don’t feel like it’s working this time.
On the good side though, I have been getting Sheba to chase the ball some, and even bring it back to me once in a while! Luke though, all he wants to do is chew, chew, chew on the ball and it’s tough to get him moving!
Bottom line seems to be that they want me to do Cricket’s job, and I’m not sure I have the energy. 🙂
hahaha nice statement Luke :o) to lay relaxed on your back is a good strategy, maybe one of the opposite team will stumble over you and you win that way :o)
LOL! And here I thought he was just lazy….apparently he had a strategy all along!