A game of food ball, anyone?
September 5th 2008 03:53
You do what?
There's food in where?
The dogs have been digging holes in the back yard and my wife, who has a real job (ie, she's not a freelance writer and editor) barked instructions: go to the pet store and find something which will amuse them when we are out.
I went to the pet store and asked to see dog toys. I was shown a small, fluffy parrot which cost $13 and might have lasted five minutes; a medium-sized fluffy something which might have been a Martian, which cost $17 and might have lasted 15 minutes; and a large unfluffy octopus which cost $34 and might have lasted a day or two.
And then something - my look of doubt perhaps, or my air of dejection, or maybe the fact that I wasn't buying anything - led the sales assistant to try again.
"What about a food ball?" she asked.
"The game they play in Europe?"
"No, the ball you put food in and then dogs get the food out by playing with the ball. Have you seen them?"
Well, no, and neither have my dogs, but I bought a large one ($21) and a small one ($14), partly because the writing on the box promised a "fun and exercise toy for your dog" and partly because I was desperate.
The instructions on the box, printed next to a picture of two alert-looking collies, are:
Step 1. Put your dog's favourite treats into the ball
Step 2. Adjust the opening according to the size of the treats
Step 3. Watch your dog play, rolling the snacks out
We are up to Step 2 so far. These are greyhounds, not collies, and, calling upon 3,000 years of highly-developed breed instinct, they had to retire to the sofa to consider things. I'm not sure how long before we achieve Step 3. I'm hoping before the treats go mouldy.
Hey, Short Black, don't walk away. I need help here
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Comment by Lara M
Love Speaks
Food Slate
Comment by Chris Champion
LettersToNorm
Vyoos
Zoomies
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I know. And I keep laughing at the captions. Am I allowed to laugh at my own jokes?
Chris
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
I bought one of these for my pesky fluffer when my neighbour complained that he was barking. It did the trick for a while but now I don’t know where the ball is...and I’m slightly worried there’s manky food lurking in it encouraging opportunistic vermin. Ah well.
Will you tell us their reactions when they’ve used up all their thinking time?
Tracy
PS I’m a big fan of laughing at my own jokes, plus it’s one of the perks of having a blog. We are our own bosses; we can do what we want...
Comment by Chris Champion
LettersToNorm
Vyoos
Zoomies
Bloggercises
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Given the amount of progress made in their first effort, it might be a mistake to place any sort of limit on available thinking time. I suppose I just have to sit out the back for hour after hour (day after day), putting food into the ball and flicking it out again until, finally, hopefully somewhere this side of eternity, a light goes on as they see the food come out.
I'll probably miss all this year's football finals, and possibly next year's as well.
C