'Ball-Obsessed' Doodle Lights Up with Excitement Over Ultimate Birthday Surprise

I am not very good at remembering my pets’ birthdays. Actually, my one rescue cat, we have no idea what day her birthday is, so we celebrate her “gotcha” day instead. But with all the hustle and bustle of modern life, what usually ends up happening is that my kids say, “Hey, wasn’t it the cat’s birthday this month?” And I say oops and give them a few extra treats.

There was one time I celebrated my dog’s birthday, making her a cake made out of canned dog food and frosted with mashed potatoes. She ate the whole thing and then was later sick on the lawn. Oops.

This present for a ball-obsessed doodle, seems to have been far more successful.

In the video, a dog dad comes home with a giant, tennis ball-shaped piñata for his doodle puppy. Since balls are basically his favorite thing — he even owns a doggie ball pit—the shape and the prizes inside seemed like a no-brainer.

Related: Doodle's Adorable Game of Peek-a-Boo Is Capturing People's Hearts

But there are challenges when it comes to designing a piñata meant for a dog. Mainly—how does he break it open?

A Piñata Meant For a Dog

Traditionally, piñatas are broken open in a game where people are blindfolded and must swing at the object with a stick. It never seemed like a fun game to me, because the person who broke it open was always last to get the candy, due to their blindfold.

In more recent years, folks have made the game easier for very young children to play by installing strings along the bottom, only one of which manages to pull the piñata open. Then, children pick a string and pull until the piñata opens.

To make this doggie piñata, the same principle was used. A long string was attached to yet another tennis ball. When the piñata was hung up, this ball swings around, enticing the dog to leap to catch it and release all the other tennis balls hidden inside.

But Does It Work?

In the video, when the balls first fall in a cascade around the pup, he looks uncertain. No stranger to dozens of flying balls—Sampson does own a doggie ball pit after all—he’s not as scared as some canines might be in his position, but he’s certainly paralyzed with choice. You can see him pick up one ball, then drop it and go after another.

One wonders, watching this video, if another dog might be scared when the piñata breaks open, so do take your own pup’s temperament into account before springing this surprise on them.

After all the balls fell, Sampson the doodle settled down with his choice, looking happy and content.

Is a Doodle Right For You?

Poodle mixes—most often called “Doodles” after the original hybrid of Labrador Retriever and Poodle—are among the most popular breeds of dogs. They are prized for their adorable appearances as well as rumored hypoallergenic properties. Poodles have a different type of fur and are not prone to shedding, which some believe make them superior pets.

There are all kinds of doodles on the market these days, with mini-golden doodles (Golden Retrievers and Miniature Poodles), maltipoos (Maltese Terriers and Poodles), and cockapoos (Poodles and Cocker Spaniels) being popular choices for people who want a smaller dog that is still (hopefully) hypoallergenic. The idea behind the mix is that the dog will have the personality of the friendlier (but furrier) breed and the hair of the poodle.

Of course, genetics can be a funny thing.

Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos.

Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips.