anybody want to talk about the "ball thing" - Page 2

I think Dexter's message is rather nifty. It would be nice if mine did that. We have a poop area where the dogs are sent after playing and running around a lot which loosens their bowels. They will carry the ball into the poop area but because it is used by all three of my dogs, (though not at the same time, one at a time) they usually but not always become more interested in the vegetation and drop the ball. Unfortunately, on a couple of occasions, they have dropped the ball as they are pooping and it has rolled into it...I leave the rest to your imagination.

This next paragraph is off topic but it should interest Rik and others like him who have an inquiring mind. For all of the time I have had GSDs, (30+ years) I have noticed that they rarely will do their business without taking several minutes searching for just the right spot even though they have to go. No this area is not right, no not this one either and so forth and so on...God help you if you are in a hurry. I wonder why that is and whether other breeds do it as well...

I learned from an old timer (which now applies to me) to repeat a mantra over and over like 'do it' or 'let's poop' and this often works to speed things up or to get them to focus on the job...

I use "Be clean" if I feel I need to hurry him to go, for any reason; but don't need it much. Actually he is one dog who is fairly prompt about finding his spot. Have known much longer waits. Sod's Law applies of course, it's the days when you need them to get on with it quickly because you need to be somewhere else that they take longest ! :-) :-)

OOOoooohhh, eeewww, - know what you mean about putting balls down in the wrong place, have had a few messy ropes as well, to clean over the years.

From experiencing many different breeds in my Dog-Walking days, as far as I can remember they are, as in most things: individuals vary. Cannot think one breed stood out from the others for longer or shorter times taken, and I had several different 'clients' where the dog was same breed (about 4 Wiemaraners, for example). Compared with multiple GSDs, about the same range. I think it just depends on how interesting the local doggy 'press' is that day :-).

Siberian Huskies will look "forever," especially when there's snow and ice. Most especially on a frozen lake or river. It might really take forever if fish swimming under the ice because a nutty high drive Sibe will chase anything LOL If there's a hole or open water, some will go in after, too, or stick their heads in and grab one. Or try to dig through the ice to get to what's under it. Or if the dog's an alpha and someone else has been in his/her territory. Or if there are squirrels, bunnies, birds, wolves, coyotes, deer, etc., etc., etc. out and about. Sometimes, but not always, an actual blizzard or super cold temperatures will speed things up, but not always.

I've sung a couple of songs for my GSD since she was a puppy while she pees and poos so there's an association between the songs and doing her business. If I'm in a hurry, I sing faster. One song is reserved for hurried occasions or if she's being stubborn. I've added a couple of different melodies over the last couple years for when she's being especially hard-headed, but the original two still work the best. Knowing her dental treat or a pig ear is waiting inside for after helps, but sometimes she's excited enough that she wants to skip poo to get her reward (sigh). So more singing, encouragement, commands (big sigh) If she isn't sniffing by this point, she simply will not poo outside on that trip (grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr)

The GSD doesn't like to poo anywhere outside except in her area in the yard, although every once in awhile, if we walk far enough and she hasn't pooed that day, she will.  In these cases, it's usually a 2 or 3-bagger LOL She's more likely to not wait if she's in heat, and I think it has something to do with her bloating (swelling) during heat, so not able to wait as long.