One Balloon One Cry

[F, Calla & Luca]

A friend of mine told me this. You see someone selling balloons and your child wants one. You have a decision to make. If you don't  buy the balloon your child will cry. If you do buy the balloon, you'll please your child. But soon the balloon will break and your child will cry. So do what you think is best in the circumstances.
So what does this have to do with doodles? Luca adores balls. He loves hiding them, trying to retrieve them from where he's wedged or lost them, barking for me to get them. He also likes to demand they be thrown. This gets to be very annoying. Last week he accidentally tore my couch while digging under it for a ball he had purposely, believe me, placed there. Needless to say I was not happy. Suddenly it dawned on me, I know I'm slow, that this ball obsession was not good for me and not, therefore,  for him either. I decided it was best for me to banish balls from the house. Outside we can play fetch and he can can have fun with his balls. He tries to sneak one in sometimes but he's getting the idea. Life is so much better!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Why do we realize that it is important to have rules when raising our children, but it is so easy to spoil our doodles?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I banished tennis balls from the house several years ago. Those are the ones Jack is most obsessed with, and the ones he most "demanded" I throw for him. (Also most likely kind to cause breakage due to bounceability.) He is not as obsessed with the soft stuffed ones.
Now tennis balls are "outside only" toys, and he understands and accepts this. I agree, it makes life much more pleasant!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Really, no toys or chews in the house seems more than a bit much.

[Donna K & Quincy]

Quincy is also obsessed with balls and pushes them under the couch and barks at me to get it. When I have had enough I just put them away. I keep them in the laundry room and whenever I go in that room he sneaks in behind me and tries to get a ball. He was usually successful till I finally clued in and put the basket on a higher shelf.

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

This sounds exactly like Gracie Doodle. When we allowed balls in the house she would do the same thing. Chew on them and then push them under the sofa. You would see her long arms reaching under but only pushing it further out of reach. Then a low moan would start with a quick little bark and all the time her tail is wagging and wagging. This damn ball makes her soooo happy! This went on and on until I took them away. We even stored "gripper tools" under the sofas so we could reach the ball. The balls live in a basket in an upper cupboard in the laundry room. If the door is open to it you will find Gracie standing in there staring at the cupboard. The latest now is...I keep her chuck it and ball in the back of my car. When we go outside she runs right to the back of my car and stares at it. Then she dances around and keeps pointing at the car with her nose. When my husband drives up she runs to say hi to him and then bolts straight to the back of my car and stares at it for him to know the ball is in there and it is time to play!!!

[Eva (Lilo and Rocky)]

my husband actually BUILT a plywood barrier around the perimeter of the corner sofa so balls and other dog toys wouldn't go missing underneath... this contraption required nailing wood to the floor, through the carpet. I like your idea better...

[F, Calla & Luca]

Don't feel bad. Before banishing balls I did have screening placed behind a radiator cover to keep Luca from pushing his ball under the radiator.

[Adina P]

Haha! That is hilarious...but I've been tempted to put up a barricade at times too!  We use a cane to sweep out balls and bones from under the couch.

[F, Calla & Luca]

And who knows what else if it's anything like my house. I may not be using them as much anymore but I highly recommend the grabbers you can buy at pharmacies or places that have "As Seen on TV" sections.

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Okay, I banished the balls from the house but my husband sneaks the clean new balls in and uses them to lure Gracie into our bed at night. Also, he insists that she has to have a tennis ball in her food bowl in order to eat. Then she picks it up and drops it in her water bowl...duh...what part of "NO BALLS IN THE HOUSE" doesn't he get. What's next...banish the DH along with the balls!!!!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

You could try but he would probably sneak back in - he has thumbs and can open doors!!!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Bonk him.