PUMEPY GAMES
Six ways to play with your Herding Ball and Bungee Tug Toy Set
FREE HERD
Inflate the bladder, fit the Oxford cover and close it. Stop short of rock hard, because a slightly soft ball rolls better and is easier to nose.
Roll the ball slowly away from you and let your dog chase and push it. Do not throw it.
Move around the space so the ball keeps changing direction. Let the dog do the driving.
Goal
A tired dog and an intact ball.
Extra Rules
Not a chew toy
• The ball is for herding, pushing and chasing, and never for biting.
• If your dog starts to bite the cover, stop and switch to a cotton rope.
Surface matters
• Grass, sand and packed dirt are ideal.
• Avoid gravel, asphalt and anything with thorns or sharp edges.
Inflation
• Under-inflate slightly for the first few sessions so the ball is easier for the dog to control.
• Always fit the cover before play.
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TETHER CHASE
Wrap the tree strap around a solid branch and clip the bungee to it with the carabiner.
Attach the ball by the bite handle and set the height so the ball hangs at your dog's chest.
Start the ball swinging once, then step back and let your dog work it.
Goal
Your dog keeps the ball moving without any help from you.
Extra Rules
Height and clearance
• Chest height keeps the dog pushing rather than jumping.
• Leave at least two body lengths of clear space in every direction.
Supervise the rebound
• A loaded bungee stores energy. Stay out of the swing path and keep other dogs and people clear.
• Check the strap and carabiner before every session.
Pick the branch carefully
• Choose a thick, living branch well above head height. Avoid dead wood.
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TUG DUEL
Offer one end of the cotton rope low and to the side. Keep it below your dog's head.
Pull side to side rather than upward to protect the neck and the teeth.
End every round on your cue, with the rope handed back to you.
Goal
The rope comes back to you on cue at the end of every round.
Extra Rules
Teach a release
• Go still, wait, and reward the moment the dog lets go.
Inspect the rope
• Cotton frays with use. Retire a rope once strands come loose.
• The set includes two ropes so you can rotate them.
Never with the ball
• Tug belongs to the ropes. Do not play tug against the ball or its handle.
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BUNGEE TETHER TUG
Rig the tree strap and bungee as in Tether Chase, then clip a cotton rope in place of the ball.
Set the rope so it hangs just below your dog's shoulder height.
Start the rope moving and let the bungee do the pulling back.
Goal
Your dog works while you supervise, and everything comes down at the end.
Extra Rules
Keep sets short
• Two or three minutes of work, then a break.
• Self-play against a bungee is high intensity, and most dogs will not pace themselves.
Never unattended
• Stay present for the whole session and unclip the rope when you finish.
• Nothing hanging is left set up between sessions.
Check the clip
• Confirm the carabiner is closed and the strap has not slipped down the branch.
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HERD & RECALL
Let your dog start pushing the ball, then step in and calmly stop it with your foot.
Call your dog. The instant they come to you, release the ball and let them drive it again.
Repeat, increasing the distance you call from as the dog gets it.
Goal
Recall works even with the ball still rolling.
Extra Rules
The ball is the reward
• Never call your dog only to end the game, because that teaches them not to come when called.
• Coming back should always restart the fun.
Make it easier after a miss
• Two failed recalls in a row means you are too far away or too distracting. Halve the distance.
Finish on a success
• End the session on a recall the dog got right.
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ZIG-ZAG DRIVE
Set two markers about ten paces apart on open ground.
Position yourself so the dog has to push the ball around the first marker to reach you, then reward with more play.
Add the second marker once the first is reliable, so the ball travels a zig-zag.
Goal
The ball travels around both markers, steered by where you stand rather than by your voice.
Extra Rules
Build it in pieces
• Stay with one marker until it is easy, add the second, and only then widen the distance.
• Expect most dogs to need several sessions.
Watch the joints
• Tight turns at speed are hard on young and heavy dogs.
• Keep the angles wide and the sessions short.
Steer with your body
• Steer with where you stand and where you face. Save the words for the recall.
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Before You Play
- Always supervise your dog. The ball is for herding and pushing, not a chew toy.
- Let your dog chew the two cotton ropes instead, and swap them out when they fray.
- Inflate the bladder first, then fit the 1680D cover. Do not over-inflate.
- Anchor the bungee to a solid branch or post and check the knot before each session.
- Play on open ground away from traffic, and stop when your dog is tired.