I’ve always wanted a dog that I could play ball with out in the yard for hours–when it comes to Casper, I’m just happy when I throw a ball and he just sort of acts like he’s gonna chase it.

In a dramatic turn of events, after three years of being dormant, the ball-playing sensors in Casper’s brain have suddenly clicked on. He’s completely bonkers for his yellow Planet Dog ball…between the hours of 10 p.m. and midnight.

Right around that time, he starts egging me on to throw the ball for him. When I do, he grabs it, acts like he’s gonna bring it back, then veers off and waits for me to chase him.

Once I finally wrestle the ball out of his mouth, I throw it again and the cycle repeats (often, the game promptly ends when the ball accidentally hits a cat).

Here’s his slightly insane look of anticipation right before I throw the ball: