Haven't posted here much since Marley was a puppy, but he's grown up into fine looking 70lb chunk of pure muscle. Very athletic and lives for ball retrieving. For Christmas, I got him one of those tennis ball launcher gizmos and he absolutely loves it, I think he would play this game until he drops. So I'm wondering how much of this game is healthy for him. I've been limiting him to 10-15 minutes of fetch followed by another 20 minutes of walking to wind down, sometimes twice a day. Does this seem like a reasonable amount for a 14 month old pup? I know he could go for hours at this game but I don't want to over stress his young joints. Here's a link to a short cell phone clip of a typical run. He's running full tilt on the way out, cantering back in. https://photos.app.goo.gl/pF0Rh6VyERFnUU2O2
I have a ball chucker for Coco (age 3.5 years) too. I restrict him to 10 straight throws in a field or on the beach after a walk. If we're in the wood he gets more, but they are interspersed with walking and other games and they are less of a flat out chase-down, he often has to search for the ball. He loves it, but it's a bit repetitive and I appreciate it could put a strain on his joints.
yea I'm probably doing more like 20-30 reps, but I like to combine throws with some sits and stays so he gets a break in between. but taking the throwing stick and combining it with a walk sounds like a great idea, thanks!
The problem with ball chasing like this is the amount of pressure it puts on the joints as they come to a stop; it’s a huge amount of strain. I don’t do 20 a day even with my adult dogs. I think 10 is a more sensible number or, as Sue suggests, do some that he has to search for. This works the brain, too - just chasing a ball thrown from a chucker is rather mindless and doesn’t give a lot of benefit if you weigh up the associated problems. Dogs love them, for sure, but they can become obsessed which isn’t healthy. The vet at the physio and rehab centre I took my foster to absolutely despises them - they are the root of all evil in her view It’s less damaging, and more mentally stimulating, if you can train your dog not to run until after the ball has stopped, but you will still get the huge pressure on the elbows as he stops, unless he has to search.
I only use our ball chucker on the beach on holiday and we do no more than 5 or 6 and have to wait to be sent away to find it so the ball is stationary to pick up. Any more than 5 or 6 throws and we end up going to pick up the ball ourselves The only reason I use a chucker is so the balls go more than 6 feet, and my throws with a chucker aren't always much better
My throwing is absolute pants , and so yes , I did use a ball wanger for Sam , like @Jojo83 mainly on the beach but I did restrict it severely . I don't think I ever did more than 8 or ten before firmly putting the ball away and a " Game over " told to the big boy ! Nelly isn't remotely interested in balls or retrieving in general , I`ve tried it and am rewarded with a blank stare !
thanks for all the replies...sounds like i'm overdoing it with Marley and I think I'll cut back and try using it combined with walks.
My boy is obsessed with the ball. So I do some throws then we will walk and he carries his ball around happily then a few throws and walk again. He will often drop the as he goes to sniff something so I keep walking and then he chases after me (without the ball) which then I turn it into a game of ‘find your ball’ and off he goes using his nose. I love find it way more than ball chasing as he’s using his nose and brain. I find it tires him much more than just chasing the ball.
You could also practice some "go backs" with your boy - let him see you drop the tennis ball, then walk him away at heel, and then send him back to get it. Once he gets used to this game you can increase the complexity of the retrieve - change directions, grow through or over obstacles (ditches, streams, logs etc), and the distance can be increased greatly. I do this with both my dogs and they love it. It does several things at once - teaches them patience and gives a chance to practice your heel walking, trains their concentration and memory, and gives them a good run with a retrieve reward, without the dreadful pressure on their joints of the 'pounce'.
Harley is ball obsessed to a degree, but we don't do that much ball throwing. On a walk (1-1.5 hours) I would say I throw it about 10 times max, but only 2 or 3 does she run at the same time, usually she waits until the ball has stopped then I send her to find. When she's getting the ball I hide another and keep walking then tell her to go look. She loves this game. I also drop balls and send her back for them. She likes to carry a ball whilst she's sniffing around. I find it more mentally stimulating for them to have to find rather than just chasing a ball.
Took the chuck-it out on a woods walk with him today. A couple of throws he spent a good 5 minutes looking for the ball. He was so proud when he finally brought it back!!
That’s my favourite part, the absolute pure joy they have when they find the item. Axel gallops around, tail going a million miles a second. I’m sure they all do this
We will only be retrieving from the water from now on. We used to do about 10 controlled retrieves a day but Duggan is just to big, strong and too full on to continue on land anymore. He would overshoot and do power turns to get back to the ball/dummy etc. Extremely hard on the joints as my last vet bill will attest to. Lol.
