Dogs were chasing this round thingy with a smile. I didn’t get it. We didn’t know what was it, what it did, how fast if could go or how it could hurt us. But they didn’t seem to care.
Missy did though, and she seemed to think I should join in. So she got one with no dog smell on it. It made it even scarier, the no-place plastic smell that didn’t belong anywhere I knew.
She rolled it on the floor.
I jumped away.
“C’mon Mia, it’s not gonna hurt you, I promise!” she said and rolled it again.
I hid.
Sure, Missy never hurt me, nor did things around her but still, to trust her? It was too much to ask for.
***
A couple days later we were on our field. Missy rolled the ball. I watched it covering the distance from her to the bush, and I felt nothing. It wasn’t scary out here but it wasn’t particularly interesting either. The grass smelled of dogs, and rabbits and foxes, wild oars even. That was much more exciting than the plastic ball.
Missy tried it every now and again for the next few weeks but I didn’t get the appeal. I let it roll, smelled it, but it just wasn’t right.
***
The weeks passed, the ball was pretty much forgotten. One day we met a pal and his human on the field, and he ran with me a little but he was more interested in the little round subject he was chasing. So I went after it instead. I just wanted to get it so he could focus on running with me but it was different, soft and hard, bouncy, full of my friend’s smell and I caught it.
“Well done, Mia! Bring it here!” Missy said, practically jumping up and down with happiness.
So I did. I really liked her smell of joy, and the ball was actually fun. I let my friend chase after my stick, and he didn’t mind me playing with the ball. Missy threw it, I caught, brought it back, got my treat – I mean this was quite easy way of earning my food.
From then on, I got used to my own ball. It got better smell every day, more grass, more Missy, more me, and it was more and more fun. Today, I’m totally one of those dogs with the ball!
Life with Mia 
Dogs and balls. I suppose any creature would initially get scared of something coming at them…. I know babies ( and dogs too) are terrified of balloons till they realise that they aren’t going to bite.
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Really? Didn’t know about balloons, I’m now gonna have to see what my little nephew and Mia will think about it 🙂
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Love this – I’ve always thought they should create a dog form of cat nip so that they will play with the toys we buy them, but I guess like us they have a right to be fussy and do it in their own time.
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Thank you, funny thing is, the catnip doesn’t even work on my cat 🙂
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Such a sweet tale! I’m so glad Mia enjoyed the ball eventually.
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Thank you Astrid, I was just about to accept the fact the she’s not gonna be running about for a ball, saving me some energy on our walks, but then she probably had mercy on me 🙂
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Oh, my goodness, some dogs are TOO fond of balls! Watch you don’t get too obsessed and have to carry one everywhere.
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Haha that’s true, we have some in the neighbourhood who keeps begging everyone to give him a ball when we meet him! Even if he already has one in his mouth, he wants more! 😄
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What a delight seeing Mia have fun!
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Thank you, she’s becoming more and more the happy dog she’s supposed to be!
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I love the way you tell the story through smells 🙂
@JazzFeathers
The Old Shelter – The Great War
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Thank you for noticing, I wanted to emphasize it more for Mia, as I imagine it’s important to them, I even read somewhere that smells mean more to dogs than sight!
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Such a great story! Mia is one lucky pup. Mine is simultaneously scared of the frisbee and drawn to it.
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We all have that thing, even humans! 😉
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I think we’ve all been there with a new toy at some time or other. Another good one.
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