Would you be concerned?

[Laurelin]

I took the dogs to the park on Friday, Sunday, and today.

Sunday Mia was a little less zippy than usual. I always bring 2 tennis balls with me and I threw them for her. The first two throws she went all out for them like usual but the third throw she didn't even chase at all. I thought that was weird. Later on I tried again. Same thing, threw them a couple times but this time the third time I kicked it and it pegged her pretty hard in the back end. She completely stopped being interested and I didn't try it again.

Now this is WEIRD behavior for her. I know this will sound awful but she's been pegged with the ball many times before and she's usually an instant later tearing after it like nothing's happened. She's fallen after the ball and slammed into things and never has she come out of it not wanting to play. However, I will say that she yelped this time but she was also acting 'off' before that even happened.

Anyways since then at home and in the yard, she's been normal and loving the ball. Today we went to the park again and I threw it a few times and she went all out after it then stopped cold again. I gave up a while then tried again. NOTHING from her. I bent down and called her to me and loved on her a little bit and she jumped away after that and crouched down waiting for the ball. So I ended up throwing it long about 6 times and tossing it to her about 10 times after that. She went all out for it like usual then with no signs of slowing down. But I pocketed the ball to try to end on a good note.

I got home and emptied my pockets and tossed the two balls down. They both bounced and she caught them like usual. But I'm a bit concerned. It's just not like her to act this way at all. She'll usually play ball pretty much as long as I throw it. She hasn't acted sick or anything and at home she's been as crazy as ever. I'm just a little put out to be honest because I know something's going on with her but I just don't know what it is.

 

[Ridgeback Guy]

Maybe she's just starting to get older and lazier :dunno:

Bruno hasn't reached three yet, and he plays significantly less then he did even a year ago.

 

[Michiyo-Fir]

Hmm I had that with Nia for a while too and I was really concerned. Usually even if I hit Nia really hard with the ball by accident, she doesn't care at all and goes after it. Sometimes she'll run so hard she runs into the ball and it bounces off her face but she goes after it anyways.

I'm thinking watch her for a few more days if she's still eating/drinking/acting normally and see?

With Nia I found that if they've recently fertilized the field, she has a little more interest in the field and the stuff that are in there but the few times she didn't want to play ball, I never did figure out what it was. It hasn't happened in the last year or so though, she's been consistent about the ball.

On second thought, have you tried a different ball or a few different ones?? I know if Nia's ball rolls in something gross like pee or poop she won't touch it.

 

[stardogs]

I'm having Kes see a chiro for very similar reasons - his jumping was just "off" at our first event of the season and he seems to be a bit less enthusiastic about giving me high fives, so I think something is out of alignment.

 

[aivzdog]

Maybe she is finding more interests in life...

 

[Sweet72947]

If she were my dog I might feel her over and see if anything seems to hurt. Maybe she twisted something?

 

[Linds]

On second thought, have you tried a different ball or a few different ones?? I know if Nia's ball rolls in something gross like pee or poop she won't touch it.

Traveler does the same thing.

But anyways, it could be she just isn't feeling great and needs a few days off. I know that Traveler has had a couple days where he just wasn't "right". Not lethargic because he doesn't do that but just not as crazy as normal and I just kept him in for a couple days and soon everything was back to normal.

Maybe give her a few days and then try again?

 

[Shai]

I dunno I mean if Mira did that I would be in a panic. Something would have to be seriously wrong...she's both stoic and a retrieving nut so it would have to be bad...

But Mia's quirkier than Mira tbh and it's interesting that she's only doing this at the park, not home, so maybe she has some odd idea in her head?

But my first thought would be some sort of injury, especially something in the back that twinges when she moves a certain way but doesn't always bother her.

 

[Laurelin]

Mia's calmed down a lot since being a puppy (she's almost 3) However, her enthusiasm for playing ball hasn't lessened, if anything it's gotten stronger. She's just got more self control and an off switch these days.

I don't think if it were just because she was getting older it would be so sudden nor would it only be happening at the park. She's fine at home and still as enthusiastic as ever. She wasn't really sniffing anything or doing anything else that would make her distracted either. She would just stand there and look at me. A couple times she would trot after the ball and go bring it back. But that's just not like her at all.

I've felt her over a few times and looked her back legs over too and got nothing from it.

 

[Laurelin]

Traveler does the same thing.

But anyways, it could be she just isn't feeling great and needs a few days off. I know that Traveler has had a couple days where he just wasn't "right". Not lethargic because he doesn't do that but just not as crazy as normal and I just kept him in for a couple days and soon everything was back to normal.

Maybe give her a few days and then try again?

I thought it was just an 'off' day so I pretty much dismissed the first day. But now that it's 3 days later and still happening I'm a bit concerned.

I dunno I mean if Mira did that I would be in a panic. Something would have to be seriously wrong...she's both stoic and a retrieving nut so it would have to be bad...

But Mia's quirkier than Mira tbh and it's interesting that she's only doing this at the park, not home, so maybe she has some odd idea in her head?

But my first thought would be some sort of injury, especially something in the back that twinges when she moves a certain way but doesn't always bother her.

I never know what goes on in her head. But it's very very odd behavior for her. I wouldn't think anything of it if it were any other dog we've owned but this is Mia we're talking about. Ball isn't something she ever is ho hum about.

Mia's a retrieving nut but not stoic at all. She's really a wimp. And yeah, she's quirky so no telling.

Since going to the park, she's already brought me her ball twice and I've thrown it for her and she seems normal here. This morning we played and did stays and threw the ball and she was fine and normal. She also was fine in class last week and enthusiastic as ever even with all the distractions there.

 

[-bogart-]

maybe she is just growing to associate going out to the park with training and wants to learn a new trick? i dont know just grasping. like she has drawn the conclusion that park play = training time and home play = wild child time.

 

[Laurelin]

At the park I usually just train recalls and nothing else. It's the dogs' chance to go sniff and pee on things and it's also the place we go to play ball since my yard is so tiny. It lets me use the chuckit and get Mia running a good distance. But I usually reward Mia's recalls with the ball. Sometimes food but mostly the ball.

It's times like these I wish she could talk and tell me what's going on.

 

[SpringerLover]

Does she do any hopping with a rear leg?

(My first thought was luxating patella as it mostly fits, second was cruciate but that doesn't fit the whole thing, third was misalignment=chiro.)

 

[Laurelin]

Nope, she's never hopped on her back end at all.

Here she is NOW:

http://youtu.be/n_6zKDFAOQM

Very confusing that she goes from being disinterested at the park to THAT.

 

[Beanie]

I also think it might be worth a visit to a chiro, can't remember if you found one locally or not. Yeah, it is odd that it's just at the park, but maybe she torqued it AT the park and so the park has a stronger association with the pain, so at home she's more likely to not respond to the pain when faced with a ball?