{"id":8286,"date":"2022-10-20T08:41:19","date_gmt":"2022-10-20T12:41:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/?p=8286"},"modified":"2025-01-14T18:14:47","modified_gmt":"2025-01-14T18:14:47","slug":"a-dog-who-plays-baseball-big-pupi-swings-for-the-fences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stage.tfd.engineering\/digest\/a-dog-who-plays-baseball-big-pupi-swings-for-the-fences\/","title":{"rendered":"A Dog Who Plays Baseball: &#8220;Big Pupi\u201d Swings for the Fences"},"content":{"rendered":"<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><p>The World Series starts on October 28. But while the matchup between the champions of the American and National Leagues will determine who gets to hoist the Commissioner&rsquo;s Trophy in 2022, it will be missing one of the year&rsquo;s breakout baseball stars: Pepper, a 6-year-old Australian cattle dog and accomplished slap hitter.<\/p><p>Pepper, who lives on Plum Island in Massachusetts, first attracted public notice in May. That&rsquo;s when Instagram user Melissa Lawrence posted a video of Pepper holding a Wiffle bat in her mouth and using it to strike a pitched ball.<\/p><blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tv\/CdxuXZ-Dynw\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px;\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;\"><a style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tv\/CdxuXZ-Dynw\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">A post shared by Melissa Lawrence (@melis_lawrence)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote><p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p><p>How did Pepper master this skill?<\/p><p>&ldquo;I hit [the ball] a few times,&rdquo; says Dave, Pepper&rsquo;s human. &ldquo;She saw me hit it.&rdquo; As simple as that sounds, dogs can learn new skills by watching others perform them. It&rsquo;s part of what some call <a href=\"https:\/\/www.patriciamcconnell.com\/theotherendoftheleash\/the-model-rival-method\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span >model-rival training<\/span><\/a>. Here&rsquo;s<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wbbePdbjePo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <span >another fun video<\/span><\/a> of model-rival training in action.<\/p><p>Pepper&mdash;who coincidentally shares her name with a popular <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UUdSMiBKUqY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span >batting and fielding exercise<\/span><\/a>&mdash;was a quick study. &ldquo;It took about a day &lsquo;til she figured it out,&rdquo; Dave says. &ldquo;Took about a few months &rsquo;til she was really hitting the ball like you see her now.&rdquo;<\/p><p>Dave knows that his coaching method might not lead a typical dog to success at the plate. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s pretty much good at everything I teach her,&rdquo; Dave says of Pepper. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s a bizarre dog.&rdquo;&nbsp; Her other tricks include playing dead, rolling over, and letting out a quiet &ldquo;indoor bark.&rdquo; But none has captured as much attention as her knack for the national pastime.<\/p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8291\" src=\"https:\/\/stage.tfd.engineering\/digestwp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/image1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"938\"><p>Dr. Alex Schechter, DVM&mdash;who characterizes Pepper&rsquo;s baseball prowess as &ldquo;awesome&rdquo;&mdash;says that, if you&rsquo;re considering this type of trick for your dog, you should be sure to use a light bat and ball, and avoid it altogether &ldquo;if your pup has any dental issues.&rdquo; Any time your dog&rsquo;s mouth is involved in exercise or a trick, you&rsquo;ll want to use caution. For example: While catching flying discs is a fun, popular activity for dogs, many vets would advise you to use one specifically designed for pups&mdash;one that&rsquo;s soft and flexible, preventing damage to both your dog&rsquo;s teeth and the disc itself.<\/p><p>Whatever you teach your dog, experts will tell you that it&rsquo;s a very good idea to spend time teaching them <em><span >something. <\/span><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/stage.tfd.engineering\/digestwhy-you-should-play-mind-games-with-your-dog\/\"><span >Mental exercise<\/span><\/a> is just as important to dogs as the physical kind, and can lead to a <a href=\"https:\/\/stage.tfd.engineering\/digestmake-dog-happy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span >happier<\/span><\/a> dog. Dogs are intelligent animals who often enjoy working and solving problems&mdash;as long as it&rsquo;s their choice&mdash;and can become bored and destructive if they don&rsquo;t get enough stimulation.&nbsp;<\/p><p>In addition to Pepper&rsquo;s intelligence, Dave attributes her success at batting and other novel tasks to a desire to please him. &ldquo;She does everything to make me happy,&rdquo; he says, confirming that his praise means enough to Pepper to drive these astounding achievements. And they are close. &ldquo;She never leaves my side, 24 hours a day,&rdquo; he says. Pepper rides with Dave on a platform he custom built on his motorcycle. They go to the pub and the beach together.&nbsp; And she hangs out all day at the machine shop where he works. Such a bond can yield training dividends no matter what your goals, and is a key to success in some <a href=\"https:\/\/stage.tfd.engineering\/digestwant-start-dog-agility\/\"><span >canine athletic endeavors<\/span><\/a>.<\/p><blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/Cjy0uNUtVHz\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px;\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;\"><a style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/Cjy0uNUtVHz\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">A post shared by Pepper The Dog &#9918;&#65039; (@therealbigpupi)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote><p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p><p>Mark Magdeleno is the manager and hitting coach for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.portlandpicklesbaseball.com\/\"><span >Portland Pickles<\/span><\/a>, a collegiate wood-bat team in Portland, Oregon. Reviewing footage of Pepper in action, he had positive feedback for her approach in the box. &ldquo;Pepper hits from the ground up,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s on time with her coil&hellip; She&rsquo;s short to the ball and stays in the hitting zone for a long time. She&rsquo;s creating backspin and has a great middle-of-the-field approach.&rdquo; If Pepper ever wants to try her hand at organized baseball, we know who she should call.<\/p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8293\" src=\"https:\/\/stage.tfd.engineering\/digestwp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/image4-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\">Even as you read this, Pepper is learning more sports. She can already sink baskets in the style of the original <em><span >Air Bud<\/span><\/em>, and has recently taken to pickleball; she and Dave are a doubles team. With Bruins season just getting under way, Dave has fashioned custom hockey sticks for his dog.<p>And what&rsquo;s Pepper&rsquo;s ceiling in her first sport, baseball?<\/p><p>No one knows the future, but we can tell you this much: In the closing scene of <em><span >Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch<\/span><\/em>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theringer.com\/2017\/8\/1\/16095326\/air-bud-movies-20th-anniversary-d22b34c82326#:~:text=was%20at%20basketball.-,This,-is%20an%20actual\"><span >Buddy wins Most Valuable Player of the World Series<\/span><\/a> as the first baseman for the then-Anaheim Angels.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pepper is a dog who knows how to hit a baseball. Here&#8217;s the story of how she learned this skill, a vet&#8217;s advice about safety, and a baseball coach&#8217;s take on her form.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":8290,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[178,198],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8286","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-training-behavior"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A Dog Who Plays Baseball: &quot;Big Pupi\u201d Swings for the Fences - The Farmer\u2019s Dog - Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Pepper is a dog who knows how to hit a baseball. 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