Greys and Balls

[heather68]

Hi everyone, I wondered whether you could help my confusion, I have recently been advised that it is wrong to give hounds a football to play with and that we should not throw balls for hounds because this encourages them to chase and this would not be conducive to a newly homed hound, in fact the use of balls and footballs have been forbidden in all paddock areas of some rescue centres, no names no pack drill, I would value your opinions on this matter, I am sure there are many rehomed hounds that love to play ball without any problems, thank you.

[Nettie]

Never heard that before, I can't see anything wrong with greyhounds playing with balls.

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[samburns]

Five out of six of the greys I have had have shown zero interest in chasing balls but given the chance would chase pretty much anything else!  We don't offlead them anywhere where they will generally come across wildlife though.

I have had one grey who was totally obsessed with balls, chasing after a ball was his most favourite thing in the world.  He wasn't terribly reliable offlead - if he saw dogs or people he had to go over to them - but most of the time he could be distracted back to us with a thrown ball (although he did also join in a few cricket and football games uninvited )


I volunteer at one greyhound rehoming kennels where the greys are paddocked in adjoining paddocks at the same time and we wouldn't go throwing balls or toys or generally exciting them when they are out because the arousal could get them all kicking off and that's when accidents are likely to happen.  Play time is very much one on one. 

[vickyb]

All ours do with big balls is start a mission to burst them! then they love to kill them as they go soggy - but I've had non sighthounds do exactly the same.

Two of our greys absolutely love to chase a tennis or rubber ball but they only do it one at a time at home as they get too excited and want to steal it from each other - even the ones who won't chase it want it then, just competition

On walks we rarely let them play ball as we loose so many and 2 are muzzled and I obviously would have to take them off and I won't take the risk of a dog suddenly appearing. The main place they play ball is on holiday on the beach as we go places that are very quiet. One of us is lookout and the other throws the ball but again only one off lead at once or we get too much jealousy and nips.

We have balls in the toybox at home and 2 will play with them in the house throwing them about and dropping them down the stairs then chasing after them!

They have distinct preferences, Bod and Gracie like the squeaky tennis balls but Maddie has no interest in them, she prefers the slightly squashy solid rubber ones, not he really hard solid ones. She does occasionally destroy them!
I've never felt balls or toys have had any effect on prey drive and they prefer furry squeaky toys to rubber ones.

[heather68]

Thank you all for your very valuable advice xx

[sharonhigh45]

My two love balls, yes one is an old staffieX but Moss is a lurcher and he loves his tennis ball retrieving and throwing it back to me, my other lurcher loved her tennis ball as well.

[alfiemoon]

Some dogs needs something to channel their chase instinct into something fun and safe...like my Alfie (staffie x collie x grey), other wise the chase gets channelled where it's not wanted (i.e. other dogs). We stopped playing ball with Alfie out on walks for a while once (can't remember why) , and saw and increase in his mis-behaviour with chasing and pinning down of other dogs. It took us a bit of time to make the connection though.

We found this very interesting...

www.dog-secrets.co.uk/how-do-i-stop-my-dog-chasing/