Quite some time back, a friend gave Donna a hand-me-down rubber chicken. It made a ridiculous squawk when squeezed and got Donna so excited she started barking at it in the flat. The chicken was condemned to storage since we didn’t exactly want Donna barking in the flat.
I had limited success trying to get Donna to play fetch outside before, simply because she was usually too distracted inspecting the grass. So I thought I would take the rubber chicken down, and perhaps it’s squawk will excite Donna to be interested in fetching it.
Looks interested in the rubber chicken, no?
Took her a while to figure out how to fetch it, at first she’d chase after it, reach it, and then just stood there looking at me. Come on, you’ve fetched before!
And then she did fetch.
Donna and the funky rubber chicken
Launching after the rubber chicken after sitting and waiting on the low wall. In the next sessions, I could get her to jump and down the wall going after the tennis ball that was thrown across it.
After a few rounds, she got up to her usual antics.
You want the rubber chicken? Come and get it.
Gimme, gimme that rubber chicken!
What rubber chicken? I don’t know what you’re talking about.
That was the one and only time she played with the rubber chicken actually. The tennis ball worked a little better in the days after. :P I try to do this during our the mornings when we can’t walk/run for a full hour, gives her a work out before returning home to snooze for the rest of the day.
If you liked this post, you may also like my older post – Playing Fetch with a Crafty Dog :)
SlimDoggy (@MySlimDoggy)
Funny – I had one of those rubber chickens ages ago for our Sally. Neither of our LABS like to play fetch – I’ve given up.
weliveinaflat
Strange, have heard that labs are retrievers. I think the rubber chicken probably was not to dogs’ taste much. I know I would prefer the real thing! :P
Kyla
We serve rubber chickens to politicians for dinner here.
weliveinaflat
Do they like them? Can throw them mine. :) Don’t really use it much. Has a hilarious death scream though… ;)
FireBonnet
some of your captions are priceless…. ‘what rubber chicken?’ Very fun post…
weliveinaflat
Glad you find it so, Meghan :)
Nature by Dawn
Good girl, Donna for playing fetch. Neither of my dogs are very good at it either. Both my dogs like toys, but it’s funny how they will find more interest in a plain old stick or ball. After all, yellow chickens don’t bounce as well as a ball, right?
weliveinaflat
No, don’t bounce very well at all. She has a definite preference for rope toys though :) Wonder if its due to genetics. I assume Maya and Pierson differ in some of their play habits too?
scarlybobs
Ahahaha Kasper had one of those once too (I say once because it was quickly beheaded and torn into a zillion pieces :P )!! I LOVE the noise they make! :D
weliveinaflat
Oops! I’m glad Donna doesn’t kill off her toys permanently. But yes, the noise they make is quite over the top :D
Linda Trunell
Love the pics and captions – Donna is so funny. Max (St. Bernard/Lab cross) prefers tug to fetch. He will only fetch a ball once or twice then grabs a toy and wants to play tug. So much for the Labrador Retriever half. lol
weliveinaflat
Donna is like Max, Linda! Guess Max’s St Bernard nature came out stronger, though I have no idea what St Bernard’s are supposed to be like!! Have a great week and glad you enjoyed the post!
Ruckus the Eskie
I want some chicken. Is it tender?
weliveinaflat
Nope, it’s rubbery. But it makes a satisfying death squawk when you paw or bite it. You still want it? :P