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If Stanley the border collie has a personal motto, it’s definitely “ball is life!” This wonderful character went viral recently for an epic slow-motion ball catch, then went viral again for stealing the foam ball off the microphone during a television interview. And that takes, well, balls.
Ball dog ballet
Stanley is that dog. He has no time for food rewards at training time. His mom Alicia says if you want Stanley to do something, you gotta hold his tennis ball hostage.
YOLO, that’s the motto
Stanley is deeply in love with his PetSafe Ball Launcher. This is one of the few ball throwers that uses full-size tennis balls, which is great news for larger dogs.
A fan recreated this epic moment in sketch form
Stanley was born into a litter of seven pups but enjoys all the extra attention of the proverbial only child now. His grandmas love to spoil him with his favorite treats— kangaroo jerky and bones.
Gotta love all the paw prints
Besides ballin’ in the backyard, Stanley enjoys trips to the dog park, where he has lots of good friends, and excursions to the beach. Stanley doesn’t much care for swimming (and gets concerned when his friends are in the water!) but loves running alongside the waves and spray.
Epic slo-mo
Stanley is also a tug o’ war enthusiast, and can easily best up to four other dogs at the park (or any single grandma, oops!)
Eyes on the prize
We asked Stanley’s mom Alicia what Stanley’s perfect day looked like, and it’s no surprise that it’s basically all ball from dawn till dusk.
“Honestly, if he had his way we would wake up at the crack of dawn and throw ball until bed, with occasional water and jerky breaks.”
“Stanley is an early riser and begins sighing if we’re not ready to get up with him, which turns into aroo-ing when he believes we have slept plenty long enough. When we stir, he sprints outside, because that means it’s ball-catching time.”
Stanley’s high-flyin’ puppy throwback!
Thanks for sharing your story with us, Stanley. We love your dedication to the game! Give Stanley the Collie a follow on Instagram for more backyard ballin’ action.
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Hat tip: 10 Perth News