.png)
We’ve all seen a dog that lives for a ball and loves nothing more than waiting for that throw to chase but when does it go too far?
Too often our dogs become obsessed, unable to engage with their surroundings as every move to that pocket of your coat could be the ball. They finish their walk extremely highly aroused with tight smiles and heavy pants.
When we throw the ball, it’s a a dopamine hit, addictive even. You’d do anything for the next throw. Some breeds are hard wired to fulfil the chase, grab and retrieve part of their completely natural and internal predatory sequence and so are more likely to find balls extremely motivating.
However, repetitive exercise with sudden halts and twists and turns can be damaging to joints long term and dogs in heightened states of arousal can spill over to other animals in a negative way.
There’s of course nothing wrong with a bit of ball throwing but how can we encourage other natural behaviours such as sniffing, exploring and playing?
To help with those that can’t switch off, always cue the ball before you reach for it e.g. “Ball” and then take it out your pocket.
Add a “finished” word or hand signal, I like to show empty hands and cross these after playing that the ball game has ended
Sprinkle tasty treats into some long grass on a “find it” to encourage head down and sniffing
Encourage your dog to start searching for the ball and retrieving instead of chasing for it. This will mental stimulate your dog, make great use of their nose and encourage patience around the ball and a more positive and calmer interaction.
If you do throw a ball, after cueing it, throw it only when your dog is facing the same direction to avoid a sudden twist, don’t use a ball thrower and make sure your dog has enough straight ground to chase and retrieve without twisting too much!
*picture of the gorgeous Cleo after a mix of ball throwing in an open space and searching for the ball