How to Train Your Dog to Herd a Ball

There is a new doggy game sweeping the nation called Triebball (pronounced as Try – Ball). This is a great way for you and your dog to play together and consists of your dog learning to herd a number of large inflatable balls into a soccer-style net. Virtually any dog can be taught to herd one or more balls, some such as Border Collies, corgis, and German shepherds have a natural instinct to herd animals, but most can be taught to herd a ball, as they love to play games.

Triebball is not just a fun game for you and your pup, it is also a highly competitive sport that can be played by dogs of all sizes and ages. This sport started out in Germany as a way to keep herding dogs busy during downtime. Once a few videos of this surfaced on YouTube, the concept swept the canine world. This can be a great way for you and your pup to bond and, at the same time, master a new set of skills he can have fun with. 

The basis of this game is that you will be training your dog to move a number of large balls into a goal using his nose to push the ball. Your role is to stand in the goal area and, using a series of commands, have your pup push the ball into the net. In the competitive version, the handler and dog are timed, and he cannot use his teeth or paws to move the ball. You earn points based on how well your dog listens-- how quickly he gets the balls into the goal.

The good news is that you can play this game with your dog anywhere you have enough room to spread the balls out and set up a net. You will need to adjust the size of the balls to the size of your dog. Be sure to use balls your pup is capable of moving easily in any direction. 

To play this particular game, you need a small number of supplies and plenty of time to go outside and play with your pup. These include:

• Treats: You will always need treats to reward your dog for getting things right.
  
• A large space:  This game takes plenty of space to play in.
  
• A goal:  You can use a soccer goal or simply use two poles set in the ground or in a stand.
  
• Ball:  You can't train him to move balls around if you don't have any to work with!
  
• Patience: You can never have too much of this.
  
• Time: Teaching your pup to heard balls is going to take a fair amount of time, as you need to practice regularly.
  

The good news is that you can teach your dog to play this game virtually anywhere there is enough room for you to play. Even better, this is a very fun game for you and your dog to play. Once he has mastered it, you can let others play the game with him too, as long as they use the same commands.