Urban Herding (also known as Treibball) is the newest sport for the Zoom Room – think of it as herding without the sheep. Instead, dogs herd large exercise balls into a goal, using their noses to push the balls in the right direction. Any dog can do it and it’s tons of fun! We’ll teach the basics of Urban Herding including distance control commands to get you started in this fabulous new dog sport.

What is Treibball?

Treibball (pronounced “Try Ball”) has nothing to do with Tribbles of Star Trek fame nor with a dog “trying” to get the ball into the goal. Rather, it is German (the sport originated in Germany) for “drive ball” or, in this sense, herding ball.

The sport uses only positive reinforcement training – the only dog training method we use at the Zoom Room. Although the goals used are very similar to soccer goals, don’t picture a bunch of dogs in jerseys running around in formation on a field. It’s a fun image, but it leaves out the critical element of the human handler! As with all Zoom Room activities, it’s all about the bond between you and your dog, and in Urban Herding or Treibball, the human handler is a critical component, guiding the dog in close cooperation, and thereby improving communication between you and your pup.

High energy dogs are great for the sport – you do NOT have to have a “herding” breed. If your dog takes direction well (i.e. if the two of you have tried your hand at agility training with success), then the two of you will love Urban Herding.

It combines problem-solving, fetching, chasing, and elements of tricks, agility and retrieving. It’s a blast – and a great way to engage your dog’s body and mind while deepening the bonds of communication to improve your everyday enjoyment of one another.