I met a large old boy Boxer last week - called Lennox! Really! And it got me thinking. I have watched my crazy Boxers run, jump and box, the little one even does roly-poly's. But just try to get them to jump over a pile of logs or run through a hoop and they become very suspicious indeed. No way. Tempt them with a treat, the big one won't even look at me. Now, their basic commands are very good - sit, stay, wait, NO! They also know drop, down and walkies, but agility is not their thing. And to make things more difficult, they are so easily bored with repeat tasks. Some may say this is because they have small brains. I think they can't be bothered wasting good brainpower on entertaining me.
You see, they are very inventive dogs. The little one amuses himself with his own ball games. He uses the slopes and natural unevenness of the lawn to watch the ball run away from him, then pounces on it. The ball shoots out from under his paw, into a bush. He chases it, I can see his tail wagging and then his backside reverses out, triumphant dog with ball. Of course, it's not so good when he digs a hole in the lawn to drop the ball into, but on the bright side, it does mean that patch of lawn is well-aerated!
The big one is most concerned with the neighbours' deliveries. He keeps a keen eye on who comes and goes and with what. And at this time of year, it's very busy round here.
That's why I suggested an afternoon nap. I've packed the toys back into the kennel, put the inside toys in and the outside toys out. The fire is lit, there is stereo-snoring. Boxer agility? Yes, but only in between naps!