By Hilary Lane, Guest Author
Since we’ve been talking about fun activities you can do with your dog this spring, have you heard about the new sport called Treibball?
It’s fun for dogs of all ages and sizes—from Papillons, Pugs, Terriers, Labrador Retreivers, Poodles, Mastiffs to, of course, all herding dogs! Treibball is a positive communication sport that builds communication between you and your dog!
Treiball is pronounced “try-ball.” Developed in Germany in 2006 by Dutch dog trainer Jan Nijboer, it made its way to the United States when the first Treibball video, “Hund mit 8 Ballen” appeared on YouTube and went viral.
In 2010, the American Treibball Association, a nonprofit membership organization, was formed by three trainers, Diana Stearns, Hilary Lane, and Mary Manka, to establish the sport in the United States. They encourage individuals, trainers and clubs to join the association, form classes and start competitions and training. They sponsor Treibball trainer certification programs as well. As the sport gains wider acceptance, more people and their dogs will enjoy this new kind of teamwork!
Playing Treibball uses a combination of classic obedience and herding cues. Some say that in this herding-related sport, sheep are replaced with balls. Your dog uses his nose or shoulders to drive eight balls into a goal within 10 minutes. Treibball takes thinking, communication and coordination of the team to get the driving done, and all those balls in the goal. The game stops when all eight balls are in the net/goal and the dog lies down in front of the goal, just like penning sheep!
Many Treibball trainers require a prerequisite of passing a Canine Good Citizen test before beginning Treibball, as control and almost all of the test items come into play as the dog learns the sport.Treibball–a great new activity you can do with your dog. Trei it,you’ll like it!So you can see Treibball in action, here’s a video of American Treibball Association member Debbie Benitez-Henley with her dog, BleuMoon, showing how the game is played.
AKC's Canine Good Citizen and S.T.A.R. Puppy Director, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist
