Looking for a recreational activity that will challenge your dog’s mind, strengthen your teamwork, and improve your training skills?
Treibball is often described as “herding exercise balls,” but it is so much more than that.
This comprehensive self-paced online course teaches every step — from introducing your dog to the first ball through advanced skills and competition if you choose to pursue it. Whether you simply want an enjoyable activity to share with your dog, a mentally enriching game for days when long walks aren’t possible, or hope to compete one day, you’ll develop skills that transfer to every aspect of dog training.
More importantly, you’ll learn how dogs learn.
Rather than simply showing you what to teach, this course explains the principles behind successful dog training. You’ll learn how to build complex behaviours through small achievable steps, use reinforcement effectively, recognize subtle signs of stress or frustration, help your dog regulate arousal levels, and know when to make training easier — or when it’s time to level up.
One of the most valuable concepts you’ll learn is how to train in parallel rather than strictly in sequence. Instead of waiting until one skill is “perfect” before beginning the next, you’ll discover how to build multiple foundation skills together so training stays engaging, efficient, and successful.
These are skills you can apply to virtually anything you teach your dog — not just Treibball.
Why Treibball is Such an Effective Training Game
- Provides excellent mental stimulation and problem solving.
- Builds focus, confidence, impulse control, body awareness, targeting, and distance skills.
- Helps your dog develop arousal regulation skills — learning when to be excited, when to focus, and how to return to calm thinking and problem solving.
- Gives dogs a meaningful job where they do most of the work once the game is learned.
- Can easily be adapted for handlers who train standing, sitting, or using mobility equipment.
- Ideal for days when the handler has limited energy or mobility.
- Requires only a modest training space for most exercises.
- Uses inexpensive, easy-to-find equipment.
- Strengthens teamwork and communication between dog and handler.
Perfect For…
- Pet dog owners looking for a recreational activity that provides mental enrichment and strengthens their relationship with their dog.
- Professional trainers looking for another effective way to teach training foundations.
- Sport dog enthusiasts wanting to improve teamwork, precision, and handling skills.
- Service dog handlers and owner-trainers — many of the skills developed through Treibball are the same foundation skills needed for successful service work, providing a fun and engaging way to build these abilities while strengthening teamwork.
Treibball Skills That Strengthen Service Work
Many Treibball foundation skills map directly onto service dog tasks. Here’s how:
| Treibball Skill | Service Task It Strengthens |
|---|---|
| Nose & body targeting | Deep pressure therapy, medical alerts, button pressing |
| Distance work | Retrieve, fetch, room-clearing, going for help |
| Impulse control under arousal | Public access stays, crowd blocking, self-regulation |
| Problem solving and persistence | Working through novel situations without frustration |
Designed for Real-Life Learning
Lessons are presented in bite-sized videos — most under five minutes long — so you can easily fit training into your day. Each video breaks the training into clear steps, with each step representing a specific training criterion. This allows you to focus on one piece at a time, understand where you are in the training process, and know what your dog is ready to learn next.
Every lesson demonstrates the exercises with a real dog while explaining not only what to do, but why it works, common mistakes to avoid, how to troubleshoot challenges, and practical tips for success.
Learn at Your Own Pace — With Support
Your enrollment includes:
- A complete program covering everything from beginner foundations through advanced Treibball skills.
- More than 30 structured lessons and over two hours of video instruction.
- Theory lessons that teach you principles you can apply to any dog training behaviour or task.
- Downloadable resources and training guides for each lesson.
- Access to our private student discussion forum where members ask questions, share videos, celebrate successes, and encourage one another 24/7.
- Two full years of access so you can revisit lessons whenever you like.
When to Enroll
New students are encouraged to enroll at the beginning of each month. While you can start anytime, joining with the monthly group means you’ll have other students working through the same lessons — making it easier to share progress, ask questions, and learn together.