How to Train a Puppy to Play Volleyball

It’s not that you’re biased, but you’ve got the cutest puppy in the entire world. The little bundle of fur bounds towards you as soon as you open the front door. Poppy then proceeds to follow you into every room in the house, including the bathroom. Now you quite liked her clingy nature to begin with, but now you’re realising that she's obviously got a lot of energy. Fortunately, you’re an active family and outside is a bouncy volleyball and plenty of space to play.

Training your puppy to play volleyball will almost definitely tire her out, ensuring she spends her evenings napping peacefully. The exercise is also good for her, helping her muscles to grow strong and lean, hopefully protecting her from ailments later on. But perhaps most importantly of all, training Poppy to play volleyball will make her social media famous all over the state! If those aren’t reasons enough, it may encourage you or other family members to get out and do some exercise.

Training a puppy to play volleyball is surprisingly easy. Admittedly, she probably isn't going to master all the rules. However, you can definitely train her to chase the ball and hit it to you, you simply need to find the right motivation. Treats and tasty food often works extremely well, but simply playing with her animated owners can also be motivation enough.

If Poppy is a fast learner and eager to please, then it could be just a week or two before you’ve got the latest edition to your volleyball team. But if your puppy spends most of her time napping and has a short attention span, then you may need a little while longer. It could be a couple of months before she's leaping into action and winning games. Training your puppy to play volleyball comes only with benefits, for both you and her. Exercise is good for both the body and mind!

Before you start playing, you’ll need to check that you have a few essentials. You will, of course, need a volleyball to play with. Try to use a relatively soft ball to start with, as you don’t want to scare Poppy. You will also need a large space to train in. This could be a yard, a beach or a local park. A friend or two will also be needed, as will a balloon.

Set aside around fifteen minutes each day for training. Make sure you have appropriate clothing and footwear to be running around in, as well. If you’re training in hot weather, a generous supply of water for both of you is also important.

Once you’ve got the above, put on your sneakers, grab your ball and puppy, then head for the door!