So I started Treibball about one year ago. I had heard a bit about the sport, saw my friends in Missoula getting started with it, and decided to give it a go.

Exercise balls are easy and cheap enough to purchase, so that was a selling point for starting this new sport too. After 10 years in agility with expensive and heavy equipment, it seemed dreamy to have fun colored equipment that you can literally kick into place.

I have started nearly thirty teams now in Montana, and frankly, I’m having a blast.

Today we did blind finds, meaning

• sending them out to a place where they cannot see me
• I cannot see them
• then allowing them to get to the ball
• pick it up and direct it back through obstacles
• around a corner to me
• working with about 100 feet of distance

Just last year –

My dogs weren’t sold in the beginning, in fact I’m pretty sure they thought I had finally lost it. What do you even mean, run away from me, find a ball, and push it back, really?

Ocean who was nine years old when she learned this new sport was not thrilled. She is terrified by balloons and when she walked into the yard the first day and saw all of the big balls, she ran for the hills. I was a traitor for sure in her eyes. I just let her play fetch int he yard with the balls as yard ornaments, and let her watch the others get acquainted with the game. When she was ready and offering to be close we started working. At almost ten now, this Grandma rocks the treibball! I am so proud of her.

$eeker is freakishly good, he gets this game, the nuances and all. And the bonus, his stay at a distance has improved by leaps and bounds.

Story, my honest and true steam train of a dog thought this was stupid and awkward. But as he does with all sports, he watch’s, takes his time learning the game, and then becomes amazing. His ability to direct with his chest makes me smile each time.

I have an arsenal of videos from the stirring the oatmeal stage (it isn’t very pretty or exciting, but int he end it’s imperative for a healthy foundation), to where we are now – VIDEOS

Have FUN, Nancy