I have reached that point in my life where I need to do a proper warm-up before I can throw the ball for the dog. And the dog is not happy about it.
We actually have two dogs, but one is pretty laid back and is perfectly content if my first few throws are just some soft tosses that only go 10 or 15 yards. She’ll go chase the ball a few times, then is perfectly happy to go sniff some flowers or roll in the grass or snow. Hopefully, that’s all she rolls in.
The other dog, however, is what you would refer to as “high energy.” We’ve done 10-mile hikes with him, where it seems like he’s run at least double that, and still not tired him out.
When we go somewhere to play ball, he’ll whine in anticipation all the way there, like he’s a little kid going to Disneyland for the first time — nevermind that going to play ball is something we do almost daily.
When we get there, he’ll check to make sure I have a ball. (We actually can’t say “ball” out loud in our house as both dogs know that means play time. Instead, we say “orb” or “sphere.” They haven’t caught on yet.)
Once he sees a ball in my hand, he’s off like DK Metcalf going deep. Unfortunately, I am no Russell Wilson. (My apologies to Seahawks fans; I know that one hurts.)
When the dog is about 50 yards away, he’ll start looking around for the ball to land. He’ll start bouncing like Tigger from “Winnie the Pooh,” then turn around, and give me a look of disappointment when he realizes the ball is 35 yards behind him.
All I can say is that there must be something to all that “pliability” that Tom Brady keeps talking about. I remember, when I was younger, why it always seemed to take so long for relief pitchers to get loose. Warming up was never a priority, to the point that at my first college track meet, I got chewed out by my coach for not cooling down and warming up properly between events.
As it turns out, muscles really do work better when they’re warm and loose. It just took me a few extra years to figure it out.
In any case, it usually takes me about a dozen soft throws to get warmed up. By that time, the dog has gauged my distance, and adjusted his route accordingly. His favorite thing seems to be to jump and catch the ball in the air after a bounce, so a nice, high throw works for both of us. He gets the big bounce, and it’s a little easier on my shoulder than trying to throw a fastball down the middle.
I suppose I could start using one of those ball launchers, so I could go deep right out of the gate. We have a couple, and in fact, they come in pretty handy when the dogs drop their balls somewhere hard to reach, like a storm drain or a mini-crevasse between snow berms.
But, as long as it takes me to warm up, whether it’s throwing the ball, or cross-country skiing, and riding a bike, once I do get warmed up, I feel pretty good. So I’m not ready to give up on that just yet.
There’s probably some other things I should do to stay looser throughout the day, like stretching, maybe some yoga. Maybe I could even use one of those big rubber bands, so I’m ready throw before we even leave.
I’m sure it would be good for me — but even better for the dog.
Will Morrow lives in Kenai. Email him at willmorrow2015@gmail.com.
