my middle "child" has started a very strange quirk lately

[NMDemDist2]

my kids are three herders, an aussie, a border and a sheltie. the oldest and youngest females, the border a male

most herders need a "job" and his is tennis ball

it has been a major addiction his whole life, but lately he won't eat until he does his "job" for a while. I mean he will wait for hours til one of us throws the ball a few times in spite of encouraging him to eat and sitting there watching the "girls" chow down. He'll look at them, look at his bowl, bring us the ball and wait, and wait and wait

is he playing us or what?

[Kota]

1. My dog used to drop his ball near his bowl until it was just

right so he could eat and look at. It would take him 15 minutes sizing it up. One day he accidently dropped it in his bowl and just ate around it. He never had problems after that. Maybe try putting it in his bowl.

[NMDemDist2]

2. well that has happened also, but this is a new behavior

who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? either that or he's just gone round the bend....

[superconnected]

6. oh that is so cute!

[wildeyed]

3. BCs are weird.

Is he eating well after his retrieval session?

Ruby, my recently departed BC, was never a good eater but it was related to her chronic health issues. My new dog, Sammy, is a good eater, but I am still neurotic and overfeed him a bit. He is looking slightly rotund. I need to cut back on his chow.

[NMDemDist2]

4. ohhhh Bubba isn't missing any meals from the look of him

but i've done every thing i can think of to get some weight off him to ease the pressure on his hips and no luck, he "HUGH!!!!11!" :rofl:

yeah he eats ok once "his work is complete"

i'm half a mind he's just got DH convinced so he gets a good game of ball every day :evilgrin:

BC's are just too damn smart LOL

[wildeyed]

5. He probably knows he needs more exercise.

He is just trying to be a good boy and train you to give it to him :crazy:

Like I said, BCs are just weird and way too smart to boot.

Did you ever read Jon Katz's book A Dog Year : Twelve Months, Four Dogs, and Me? It is about his experience adopting a very intelligent, quirky and troubled BC. Great read for any BC owner.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812966902/ref=pd_sim_b_1/104-3191258-0015949?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155

[ernstbass]

7. Those dogs are so damn smart

I think he's playing you!!

[NMDemDist2]

8. he's a good boy, but last night he waited almost two hours til DH

came in from an errand

he was obviously hungry once the "work" was done

:shrug: