11/02/2023
This is an ongoing battle I face on a daily basis when treating dogs. And unfortunately I see no end to this. But i continue to try to educate owners on this issue 😅
Repeatedly throwing a ball for a dog to chase will burn off energy and wear it out right??
WRONG , to much hard physical exercise does more harm than good.
Apart from the obvious physical issues and injuries it causes in the joints, there are many other issues associated with repetitive ball chasing.
Dogs can get over aroused, their heartrate and respiration will rapidly increase, and they will have very poor impulse control.
They may jump around or on you, have dilated pupils, chattering teeth, be mouthy, spin, pace or circle, or be very vocal.
When a dog gets in this hyper aroused state the body releases adrenaline, then with the repeated exposure to this adrenaline from continued ball chasing, cortisol gets released into the body.
These hormones can hang around for hours even days or weeks.
Therefore if your dog is engaging in these activities daily, the body never has time to recover so dogs are over excitable or reactive.
“But my dog loves the ball, it's his favourite thing’. Is what I hear all the time
They love it because that is what they know, it's addictive and that is what they associate with your walks.
There are other more mentally stimulating and enriching ways to exercise your dog's.
A walk to gather scents and go exploring,
Try a "your choice" walk and let your dog decide which way to go.
Go "seek seek" find the toy games.
My boys love training walks because of the fun interaction with them.
You can still sometimes play ball games with your dog, but try a ball on a rope and bring the game back to you.
Your dog won't miss the ball as they will be enjoying a much more balanced walk
https://www.pawandorderdogtraining.co.uk/
Do more and have fun with your dog 😊
