Riley rarely goes anywhere in his kennel without the tennis ball.

The four-year-old Australian Shepherd mix arrived at the shelter extremely shy.

When footsteps approach, his body lowers.

When someone stops near the gate, he often retreats toward the back of the kennel.

But the faded tennis ball is different.

Riley carries it to his bed.

He places it between his paws when he lies down.

Sometimes he falls asleep with his muzzle resting beside it.

Then he does something nobody initially understands.

Riley walks to the kennel door.

He places the ball against the bottom of the bars.

And very deliberately, he pushes it through with his nose.

The ball rolls into the hallway.

For several seconds, Riley watches it.

Then he seems to panic.

He whines.

He scratches at the floor.

He pushes his muzzle between the bars.

One front leg slides through as far as it can go, paw stretching desperately toward the ball.

When someone finally rolls it back, Riley grabs it immediately.

He carries it away.

Everything becomes quiet again.

Then, sometimes only minutes later, Riley returns to the gate.

He lowers his nose.

And pushes the ball outside all over again.

At First, It Looks Like an Accident

A tennis ball can easily roll through kennel bars.

Perhaps Riley simply loses control of it while playing.

That explanation makes sense the first time.

Then it happens again.

And again.

The pattern becomes difficult to dismiss.

Riley approaches the gate with the ball already in his mouth.

He drops it close to the opening.

Then he uses his nose to move it forward.

A few inches.

Another push.

The ball crosses the threshold.

Riley watches it roll beyond his reach.

Only then does the frantic behavior begin.

He Immediately Wants Back What He Just Gave Away

That is the part that makes the behavior so unusual.

Riley is causing the exact situation that upsets him.

Nobody takes the ball.

Another dog does not steal it.

It does not accidentally bounce away during play.

Riley pushes it outside himself.

Then appears distressed by the separation.

His Paw Reaches Farther Than It Safely Should

Riley lies low against the gate.

One shoulder presses against the bars.

He turns his front leg sideways and threads it through.

His toes spread.

His paw scrapes across the hallway floor.

Sometimes the tennis ball is only a few inches beyond them.

Riley stretches farther.

The shoulder follows.

His nails scratch at the concrete.

He still cannot reach it.

Then the Whining Starts

Riley's vocalization is usually quiet at first.

A small whine.

Then another.

His movements become faster.

He switches paws.

His nose presses through the bars.

Sometimes he paws repeatedly at the same empty patch of floor as though another inch of effort might somehow bring the ball closer.

The shy dog who normally tries to disappear when someone approaches is suddenly willing to put half his face and one leg toward the hallway.

All for an object he pushed there himself.

Returning the Ball Changes Him Immediately

The ball rolls back beneath the gate.