A two-year-old pooch with a natural flair for tennis might even put your sporting skills to shame.
Leo the cocker spaniel loves to play tennis with his owner, by gripping the handle between his teeth.
Incredible footage shows the canine enjoying a game as he leaps to hit the ball back.
Leo’s owner Emily Anderson explains that she was stunned by her dog’s ‘hidden talent’ for the game – and she’s even bought her four-legged friend his own racket.
The 31-year-old says: ‘He’s a natural. This [inside the house] was his first ever try. I ordered the tennis racket with a short handle. It arrived, I unpacked it and gave the racket to him.
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‘I was round at a friend’s house and we were speaking about what else we can do with Leo. She said “tennis” I didn’t think he’d manage as the ball is so heavy.
‘I asked him to back away, showed him the ball, threw it at him and he hit it for the first time.
‘He just knew what he was doing, it really surprised me.
‘I sat there for five minutes like “what the hell just happened?”
Emily says tennis falls on the long list of Leo’s talents – which also include painting, playing ping pong and even performing CPR.Make Your Own DIY Dog Friendly Carpet Deodorizer. Do you have some dog odors you want to get rid of? If you don’t have any special products on hand don’t worry – you can make your own simple dog friendly carpet deodorizer with items you’ve got around the house.
Now the best buddies play tennis multiple times a day.
‘He’s got a hidden talent I didn’t know about,’ continues Emily.
‘From the early days of teaching him tricks, he just picks up stuff really quickly.
‘He might not quite give Andy Murray or Rafael Nadal a run for his money but it’s fun. It makes people smile.’
Their tennis video on Instagram has now been viewed more than 19,800 times and received more than 1,300 likes – and Emily says people constantly message her for dog-training tips.
Keep a pet-friendly home. Your dog or cat is a part of the family. If she’s a kitty, she needs her own litter box in a quiet, out-of-the way corner, a scratching post or tree, her own toys, and a nice cozy spot for napping.
Emily adds: ‘I’ve had quite a few messages asking how I trained it but I didn’t really, I just handed him the racket.
‘We normally train three times a day for roughly 10 minutes. If he’s had a big walk, we do skip it, but normally it’s three times a day.’
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