Broken Jolly Ball

Bodie loves his Jolly Ball.  It didn't even matter when it lost its rope.

 

 

How Much Energy Does a German Shepherd Has?

A lot!!  Bodie has so much energy that he could power up a small town!  The trails behind the house keep him energized.  The puppy has made a real race track in the backyard from the middle of the yard around to the back fence, and he runs it all day long.  He goes out in the morning and chases birds and squirrels.  As the trails get busy, Bodie takes to the racetrack.  We bring the puppy in for lunch and keep him in the house for a couple of hours.  Then he goes back outside and runs until dinner time.  Sometimes, we can get his attention for a little time with one of his Jolly Balls, but he takes off as soon as he hears a bike or a horse.  Dinner is around 7 to 8 o'clock, and finally, Bodie crashes for the night.  Of course with it being Memorial Day weekend, the trails are getting a lot of use despite the rain so he has been especially active.  It can be difficult to get a picture of the puppy, so this is the best we could get...

Action Shot!

 

Sharing Jolly Ball Update

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about Bodie sharing his favorite toy with a neighborhood dog, Jack.  Well, I have a sad update to the story.  Just a couple of days after we gifted Jack with his very own Jolly Ball, Jack's owner passes away.  I am a bit surprised at how hard this has hit me.

 

Jack's owner is someone I have know for quite a while.  He was a good guy, but troubled.  He spent years trying to rid himself of his addiction to drugs and alcohol.  After many attempts, he finally broke free and had been clean and sober for more than a year.  He reconnected with his son and was planning a visit to see him for the first time in years.

 

When we gave him the Romp-N-Roll for Jack, he actually cried.  He said it was the first gift he had received in years.  He hugged the toy and told us how much it meant to him.  Two days later, the day before he was flying to California to reconnect with his son, he passed away from a heart attack.  It breaks my heart.  The only positive I can take away is we had an opportunity to bring a smile to his face.

German Shepherd Sharing a Jolly Ball?

Bodie has a friend in the neighborhood who lives just a couple of doors down.  Jack is  another big dog that is misunderstood by most people. He is a mixed breed with a lot of Rottweiler.  A noisy and rambunctious puppy that people tend to assume is aggressive, but he is a very sweet boy.  Recently, Jack had to go to the vet for some emergency surgery.  Poor puppy!  He had to have some rocks removed from his digestive system.  Oh, the things dogs decide to eat!  So, Bodie decided to share his favorite toy, his Jolly Ball Romp-n-Roll.  Except Bodie cannot quite let go so Jack is getting his very own! :D

Mine, mine mine!

Beautiful Bodie Showing off his Jolly Ball Collection

I have been on the fringes of the dog show world enough to know that I am not suited for it!  I appreciate  a well-bred dog, but I get highly offended if anyone criticizes my baby.  But here is Bodie pretending to be a show dog, stacking naturally. :)  With some of his Jolly Balls!

Another Jolly Ball Success for our German Shepherd!

Have I mentioned how quickly Bodie can destroy things?  For most toys, we have to closely supervise him.  As soon as he gets too interested, we have learned that we need to lock the toy up unless we want pieces.  Not only is that expensive, but I worry about the puppy eating something he shouldn't.  So, I was so happy to discover Jolly balls!  They are extremely puncture resistant and he hasn't destroyed any yet. 

There has only been one problem - they are large toys; much more suited for outdoor play.  We have needed a toy Bodie can play with inside.  So we tried the Jolly Pets Bounce-n-Play!  Bodie was sooo excited, even before we got it out of the package and he could hardly wait until we threw it.  I was unsure of the 6 inch size but it is working out great!  Another success!

Jolly Ball and the German Shepherd!

It has been difficult finding good toys for our German Shepherd puppy.  Bodie is really rough on his toys.  He is a master chewer!  Any label is like a neon sign saying "Start Here!"  He definitely can't have any soft or plush toys.  He tears them apart too easily. We get him chew things like antlers and cow bones and knuckles, but we also want toys he can play with.  Being just a puppy, Bodie also has a short attention span.  Some toys capture his interest for a short period and that is it.

We found a new toy that meets all these criteria - the Jolly Ball!  We got the ten inch ball and I am amazed that he managed to bite the ball.  Thank goodness Jolly Balls are puncture resistant.  The handle makes it easy for us to throw for him.  It makes a good ball to play fetch with because Bodie can't keep an easy hold on it.