Is fetch good or bad for dogs?
Josue Terry
2025-05-21 11:07:31
Count answers: 3
Playing fetch often with your dog can actually be a detriment to their health. Playing fetch that often and for that long of a time can have a negative impact on my dog due to their cortisol levels spiking while they're playing. When an animal hunts in the wild, after that adrenaline rush, he sits down to eat his meal and lets the hormones wear off. But when we throw the ball, we throw several times each session. Imagine bungee jumping several times over. Imagine taking that many shots of steroids, every day.
Matilda Marquardt
2025-05-21 10:40:52
Count answers: 2
Its a totally unnatural thing for a dog to do… especially the handbrake turns, the cartwheels, the skids and the lunging round at full gallop. More ripped pads, pulled muscles, frayed tendons and repetitive strain injuries occur from doing this than any other form of exercise. They are fatal and it is genuinely INSANE to throw sticks for a dog, they take their mouth down on them from above as they bounce and they are lodged in throats, stuck through cheeks, knocking teeth out, going into eyes…. the list is endless. Terrible, lifechanging injury can easily occur when throwing sticks, on water OR land. Tennis balls come apart in half and many’s the dog that has choked to death on them, and they get so covered in slobber and foam the owner can do nothing about it as they are wedged in and too slippery to catch hold of. I see SO many pet dogs obsessed with balls and chasing, its hugely harmful to the owners walk. A walk should be that. A walk. Steady gentle exercise for both of you…. sniffing, trotting about, walking together, dog off doing a bit of hunting etc etc.
Nelda Windler
2025-05-21 07:36:43
Count answers: 3
Fetch isn't inherently good or bad. It's a game that seems to encapsulate the essence of play for many dogs, drawing on their natural instincts. Dogs, with their diverse backgrounds of breeding and purposes, from hunting to herding, find a part of their genetic coding lit up during the chase. However, this constant state of arousal doesn't allow for the natural resolution of the chase—capture, calm, and the endorphin-releasing act of chewing and dissecting prey. The result is dogs can end up in a perpetual state of excitement without the subsequent relaxation, leading to difficulty in settling down and potential behavioral issues. The key, as with many things, lies in moderation. Fetch can indeed be a part of a healthy, active lifestyle for dogs, provided it's not the only form of interaction and exercise they receive. By varying activities and focusing on the mental and physical well-being of our dogs, fetch can remain a fun part of a larger, more comprehensive approach to play and exercise. It's not about discarding fetch entirely but about integrating it thoughtfully into our dogs' lives.
Bradley Kertzmann
2025-05-21 06:27:52
Count answers: 2
We often think of arthritis as an issue for older dogs, but a whopping 80% of dogs show signs of early-onset arthritis by the age of eight years old. Genetics play a part in this, but injury to joints and strenuous or high impact activities can also do a lot of damage. When you choose a ball launcher you are throwing the ball a huge distance at a super fast speed. As your dog goes running out with enthusiasm to fetch and retrieve the ball, you may see your dog twisting, turning, and braking suddenly. All of this high impact exercise without a sufficient warm up can put a lot of strain on your dog’s joints and may even cause injury. We recommend ditching the ball launcher and instead opting for a low-impact game of fetch. A warm up will increase your dog’s blood flow to their muscles, slowly increase their heart rate, and reduce the risk of injury. Enjoy a gentle walk together before you play fetch to get your dog’s body moving. Before you start the game, you can kick off with a game of tug which will get your dog’s body moving around and limbered up. Asking your dog to stay and wait for a release cue before they chase to retrieve the ball is another great way to prevent your dog from twisting and braking suddenly.
Read also
- Is fetch mentally stimulating for a dog?
- Can dogs play fetch every day?
- Why do dogs enjoy fetch?
- Is playing with toys an exercise for dogs?
- Is 20 minutes of fetch enough?
- Can a dog be too obsessed with fetch?
- What is the best mental stimulation for dogs?
- What not to do when playing with your dog?
- How do I know when to stop playing fetch with my dog?