Just interested in others views in whether to use one of these with my pupster, Welly? He stayed with his breeder earlier in the year while we were away on holiday for a week and she had one. Welly loves playing ball but I'm trying to work on spotting in the air and the delivery in my retrieves and thought I'd read somewhere that these things were a 'bad' idea. On a related subject he's not very good at hand delivery with ball but so far seems to be better with a dummy....do you think they are able to differentiate between toys /games to be played? Again I thought I'd read somewhere that ball games were a bad idea if you were teaching a dog to retrieve but I wasn't sure why Thanks in advance Lisa
I think it depends how you use them. A lot of people I see with them don't ask their dogs to wait until the ball has hit the ground and stopped moving before sending them (in fact, ummm, I've never seen anyone do that!). If the dog is chasing after the ball in the air and jumping/twisting to catch it, there's quite a significant risk if injury. Also tennis balls in general, unless you're on a dry mown pitch of similar, tend to pick up grit which is bad for teeth (or, in the wet, just get really disgusting and smelly!). For these reasons I don't use them. I have a keen retriever and I leave a toy (usually something like a hexabumper) on the path as we walk, then send her back for it. That way I can control the distance, and where she's going, but she still gets a really good run, much longer than I could throw. On your other point, absolutely they can differentiate between 'play' items and 'retrieve' articles but I think in the early days with a pup, it's a safer route to encourage a lovely delivery with any thrown object, with heaps of praise and treats for a job well done, to avoid confusion
Thanks Merla. Yes we would really have to work on his steadiness around them but I think we could get there. This would avoid any injury risk. It's difficult to find something the kids can play with Welly so he has a good time esp if I'm not around but at the same time we can also have fun with the retrieving but in a much calmer, more thoughtful way, if you see what I mean.
I am not a fan of tennis ball launchers at all - but like Merla says, because of how they are used. I never see a tennis ball launcher used sensibly. I see unsteady dogs racing out for balls that are thrown far and at high speed with them, and usually I see the dogs do this again, and again, and again. This is bad for all sorts of reasons - bad for joints, and bad for steadiness. I definitely would not let kids play with a dog using a tennis ball launcher. Even if the dog waits until the ball has stopped, it would be too easy for kids to keep going throwing the ball. It's just not good for dogs to repeat the same action over and over. Charlie can tell the difference between a reward, a game and a retrieve. You have to be very consistent at first though - always throwing reward balls in the same way, different from for a cued retrieve and so on.
Both my dogs love launchers, my throwing skills are lacking However , its a once in a blue moon treat , usually on the beach , maybe twice a year . I see an awful lot of people using these as a short cut to proper structured exercise, which is a shame . Where I take my dogs most mornings, woodland and river , people often walk just a few minutes with their dogs and then repeatedly use the launcher as exercise, very sad .
We have one, but I only use it occasionally. It is only used when we are in fields and Max 10 times on an hours walk. I have had it a year and used it about 6 times. Harley carries her ball through woods, water etc. she does differentiate between a tennis ball and a dummy - she always brings the dummy back, but rarely brings a tennis ball back. My nieces and nephews like throwing the ball (I don't let them use the launcher) to her and I let them - their throw isn't very far but it is a good way for them to play in the garden.
I guess most people aren't worried about steadiness, impulse control etc like we are! My sister uses one with her cocker spaniel. Her walks just consist of her throwing the ball repeatedly. Sometimes for him to catch, sometimes to run after. When I was over, I had to put my two on the lead or walk separately to them because they don't have the impulse control to ignore a ball flying past them at the moment, and I don't want them to be focussing just on a bloomin' ball for an hour! Other than the reasons stated above, from a selfish point of view I find it incredibly boring to simply throw a ball over and over and over!
Charlie would honestly like nothing better than to fetch a ball thrown repeatedly from a tennis ball launcher. He'd love it, and I wouldn't have to train because he'd stick to me like glue. But I'd have a mad, obsessive dog (ok, more of a mad, obsessive dog...) that I couldn't control without a ball. Plus, it's terrible for joints and muscles to repeat, repeat, repeat fetches over and over.
I also come across many people using frisbies, especially on the beach . Just hate seeing a dog leaping up high, twisting around in an effort to catch a frisbie in mid air , mine would love it I`m sure, but aren't going to get the chance . Millie is a little ball obsessive , its not easy training an older dog and it was a great tool to use, but most of the time, it stays firmly in my pocket , she knows its there and does my bidding , just in case, bit of a gamble effect I suppose
Thanks all really really useful. I'll make it once in a bluemoon thing . Like Charlie I have a ball mad dog so I do need to be careful not to make this worse. We can't yet watch a cricket match on our local ground without him going mad so it's definitely something we are working on.
The leaping, twisting and landing on the back legs is very much to be avoided. If you scoot the ball along the ground it's much safer. As a reward for bringing the ball back try a tug game (maybe with a tennis ball on a rope).
LisaB if you do get one please , please consider other dogs in the vicinity. We have a football field and grassed area, it,s a great place usually for training. That is until the idiot with the dog stops at the other end of the field and starts launching the ball. Training over as one pup can now only see the ball flying past, that he must get. I've been on the beach and had balls whizz past me. I have one as I'm bad at throwing, I've also got a frisbee. I never use them now. I have a floating kong thing on a rope. Much better. I've hurt my foot, so unable to walk far ,so Cupar and I are going to play with his new flirt pole instead and get some training in.
Have the same problem...when I see a ball launcher in the distance, Benson has to go on his lead...big enough ask from his to ignore other off lead dogs, but one running towards us chasing a ball, right now is almost impossible!
It took absolutely ages to have Charlie steady to balls thrown by a ball launcher for other dogs. I hated tennis ball launchers for months for this reason. But, it is the same as anything else - the rest of the world consider themselves free to play football, use tennis ball launchers, play cricket - and they are....it's my problem that Charlie isn't steady to all of these things (although I do appreciate it if people oblige when I ask them to pause so I can walk away, for sure).
On the whole, I am ambivalent towards ball launchers, we don't have one, and I'm not trying to train my dogs to be anything other than good pets. But it makes me laugh to myself when someone chucks a ball, miles up the beach, for their dog and Scooby grabs it and runs. I get dirty looks and grumbles. And it's VERY difficult to get him to give it up. I've yet to find a treat/toy/bribe higher value than whatever he already has. Keep your launched ball within range - just a thought..
I love my short ball launcher as my throwing skills are rubbish. I use it with steadiness and it means I can put out 3 or 4 balls at a time and do a clock or split retrieves really easily. It certainly has its place in my kitbag
I can't throw for toffee, so launchers are good for me. I only really need to throw on the beach so it doesn't happen every day (I am glossing over tennis balls, sand, teeth......) I do get annoyed at ball obsessed, launcher-grabbing dogs that skin their carpal pads coz of their ball obsessivenes. Sorry.....got off track there....
