# Crystal, get your ball!



## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

Crystal and I like to play a game where I put her tennis ball in different places and tell her to get it. She enjoys the challenges I come up with! Most of these are under 30 seconds long (more about that after the videos):

First -- she's not allowed up on the coffee table, so she has to use her paws!






Next, she has to get her ball out from under a mixing bowl:






After that, I put it under a yellow cup. This one is too easy for Crystal, so I let Casper try. Crystal gets impatient, though...






Next, I put it on a high windowsill!






And then in a shoe (we had to film this one twice because the first time, Casper stole the shoe):






Next, I put it under a towel (I call this one "Teamwork"):






And then, I put... wait, that's not a ball!






Finally, I put it under a clear bowl with a much smaller rim, which was more of a challenge for Crystal. This one took her a few minutes! You can hear her whining in frustration a couple of times, too.






Anyway, as you can see, she's quick at getting the ball from almost all of these places, and I'd like to challenge her more. A cereal box could be fun... can anyone think of other places I could put the ball? 

Thanks for watching!


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## melaka (Mar 31, 2010)

They're all very cute. How about maybe an empty tissue box?


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

That looks like so much fun! With Basil's we've tried in a watering can, in a large crumpled paper grocery bag (The noise is just as much of an obstacle because it sounds weird and startles him!), under a laundry basket... I'll try to think of some more! I love playing games like this with Basil, but he works for treats, not tennis balls!


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

Ooh, I like the empty tissue box and crumpled paper bag suggestions! I'll try those soon. I put her ball under a laundry basket before, but she wasn't strong enough to flip it. I turned the basket right-side-up and taught her to jump in and out of it instead.  I've put the ball up on a marble run (she had to push the tower and make the ball fall off) and in a large cardboard box before.

I like playing games like this, too! Crystal seems to enjoy them and she's always nice and tired afterwards with all that mental (and physical) exercise.


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

I love these videos! I do the same with Mia. It keeps her occupied a lot longer than most things (cause if I hide the ball once, she'll usually put it back and re-do the puzzle a few times herself afterwards). Crystal bounces the tennis ball for herself just like Mia too!

The best one for Mia is to put it in an empty box of some sort, but I'll warn you that the box usually doesn't survive the game.


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## lucidity (Nov 10, 2009)

Haha, I love how Casper pulled the blanket off and doesn't even care about the ball under it!!  Crystal is such a smart pup! When I try this with Cadence, he sits beside the container and stares at me. He seriously BORES holes through my body so that I'll get up and help him out. -__- Silly dog has never ever been able to get anything out of under containers before. Or blankets... or... anything.


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

What a great idea! I tried this with Sydney this morning and she had a ball, but we used treats instead because she will only play with ropes and stuffies. We used a large mixing bowl first, and she owned that up, lol. Then we used a small glass jar that used to have garlic in it. Finally I got out a shot glass and that was by far the hardest one. She got frustrated and walked away then returned like four times for that one. Fun game. 

Btw, Casper is beyond cute! (they both are really)


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

Two more!

We did the tissue box:






And the crumpled paper bag. She kind of cheated with this one:


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## melaka (Mar 31, 2010)

Heh, I like how Casper ran off with the box.


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## mrslloyd09 (Jul 12, 2009)

I've done something like this with the girls kongs. I used an empty pop can box and just dropped the kong in. Melodie loved it; Mandie just punted it around the living room. She refused to stick her nose in it even though the kong was peanut butter filled.


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

melaka said:


> Heh, I like how Casper ran off with the box.


He runs off with everything! Tonight Mom brought in some groceries and we put them all away except for one tomato -- we couldn't find it anywhere. Mom thought it had rolled out of the bag in the car, so she went to look... but I found it half-chewed on the couch. I didn't even see him grab it!


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

We started this with Sydney's favorite toy. Here's the toughest hide--inside the leg of a pair of pajamas, lol.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/user/kafkabeatle?feature=mhum[/video]


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

Aww, cute! Sydney's determined, just like Crystal. It's such a fun game.

Your resurrection of this thread inspired me to try some more today... although I had a couple of troublemakers interfering! Watch as Crystal tries to get her ball out of a paper towel roll:






And an envelope:






And here are her successful attempts, haha.


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## Indigo (Mar 31, 2011)

Bumping, because I never saw this thread before and I think it's very entertaining!
One of my fav parts is when Casper runs off with the tissue box. "Act cool... act cool--RUN AWAY!"


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

I had forgotten about this thread! I'll have to try more of these with Crystal sometime. I'm living in an apartment now and I think this would make a lot of noise and annoy the neighbors, but I'll be back in a house in a few weeks.

Cas might be better at these now that it's been a couple of years, too.


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## kcomstoc (Mar 9, 2013)

she's so cute and smart  and she's spunky


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## mashlee08 (Feb 24, 2012)

Casper is the best part, running off with the glass and the tissue box haha. So random.


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## KodiBarracuda (Jul 4, 2011)

Wow, I'm glad this thread was revived. Casper running off with the tissue box was hilarious! And the look Crystal had looking where he went when you panned the camera back over was priceless.


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## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

Ooh this looks like fun, I have to try this with my girls 

EDIT: I gave it a shot and Roxie thought it was great and got it right away.. Faxon was confused and bored lol but figured it out after I showed her a bunch of times. It seemed to not register that there was a treat under the tupperware even though it was clear.


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

You guys made me want to do some more of these, and it has been too hot outside today to go for a nice walk (yet), so we played more of this game instead!

I needed to help her out with this first one because I wedged the ball in there too hard.






This one (ball inside Casper's crate) was very easy for her.






This one was even easier. I like the way she looks in the top and then just smacks the jug.






This one was too hard, so I helped a bit at the end. I am sure she could have gotten it with time, but she would have chewed a hole in my dish! Also, Casper makes an appearance.






I can't think of much else to try in this little apartment!


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## kcomstoc (Mar 9, 2013)

So you know I don't usually like small dogs but you're really starting to get me to like papillons....they are spunky and tenacious and I like that in dogs ....I just I don't know I'm really kinda liking them >.> this is your fault


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

Laurelin and I both started out liking big dogs.


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## kcomstoc (Mar 9, 2013)

Crantastic said:


> Laurelin and I both started out liking big dogs.


 lol I see, now I know I'm doomed and will probably one day own a papillon


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