@pixeloriousspriteson That’s exactly how my boy is! He wants attention but doesn’t realize that his size and the loudness of his bark makes him very intimidating to people that don’t know that’s he’s just a big teddy bear. He barks when new people come to our house because he’s protective, but the second they give him loves he becomes their best friend
Is fetch bad for our dogs too? Ffs
- Thread starter pixeloriousspriteson
- Start date
-
- Tags
- question reactive dogs
pixeloriousspriteson
New member
@srepeehcs Yes! She’s 50-pounds and honestly I never imagined myself with a dog this big, but so much for making plans ay? The size makes all the difference. Her bark is loud too. I love her very much, even with her extra special ways of saying hi lol
imagebeastmarkbeast
New member
@pixeloriousspriteson I make her sit.. or lay down and wait for me to throw the ball after retrieving and dropping it. Because it really helps with her “wait” command.
I mean it’s her absolute favourite thing in the world to do! Is this bad?
I mean it’s her absolute favourite thing in the world to do! Is this bad?
pixeloriousspriteson
New member
@imagebeastmarkbeast A lot of ppl are commenting that they mix this in to fetch. We do too, we have her sit before she’ll throw it again. And make her bring it to us before we throw it, too. She actually throws it back which is my favorite thing ever.
@pixeloriousspriteson Fetch is fine as long as you don’t get them hyped into the cortisol-adrenaline loop of nonstop fetch, which is what you’re seeing when a dog gets more excited instead of more tired as the game goes on. A good way to avoid this is incorporate fetch into a long walk, throwing the ball once every few minutes instead of nonstop, throwing it into trees/brush for them to sniff out, doing obedience work (sit/down/stay, other tricks you’ve taught, etc) between throws, that kind of thing. The trick is to engage their mind not just their body. Basically the constant cortisol-adrenaline loop of nonstop fetch mimics nothing in nature for a dog, and for some dogs it’s like black tar heroin - they can’t handle that sweet sweet fix. I’m speaking based on my experience with my sweet & obedient BALL JUNKIE border heeler. My Pyr mix couldn’t care less, he’ll chase a ball a few times and lose interest. But the border heeler can go all night, getting more and more hyped instead of tired at all, so we slow it down and incorporate other stuff (treats, tricks, sniffs, all of it) between tosses. Good luck!
pixeloriousspriteson
New member
@pixeloriousspriteson Yup, same with my border heeler boy Marlin!
@pixeloriousspriteson I heard that fetch is bad for ALL dogs because they can potentially injure themselves by running after something. From a very popular (online) R+ trainer.
People say a lot of stuff on the internet without a lot of evidence. If you do it safely and their reactivity doesn't increase, I'm sure it's fine.
People say a lot of stuff on the internet without a lot of evidence. If you do it safely and their reactivity doesn't increase, I'm sure it's fine.
@pixeloriousspriteson Fetch is way too much for our Aussie. She gets way too excited and looks to start fights with any dog she sees afterwards. We stay far away from fetch with her. But our other 4 dogs are fine with it. I have two large dogs and try not to really do it much with them though.
I recently found out that scent work is amazing for my Aussie! (I actually literally just posted an updated about it a few hours ago lol)
But if your dog is easily too stimulated, I'd probably avoid fetch!
I was going to mention that a long walk works too but I saw that you said yours can't really do walks. So maybe something else mental would be better!
I recently found out that scent work is amazing for my Aussie! (I actually literally just posted an updated about it a few hours ago lol)
But if your dog is easily too stimulated, I'd probably avoid fetch!
I was going to mention that a long walk works too but I saw that you said yours can't really do walks. So maybe something else mental would be better!
pixeloriousspriteson
New member
@pixeloriousspriteson Honestly, that only, really depends on why and how the reactive dog is reactive. With certain types (terriers, bullies) it can be bad or even dangerous because those breeds, by selection, have kept the entirety of the predatory sequence, whereas in other breeds it's usually one or a few segments that were selected and encouraged depending on the breed's purpose and job.
There are many common games and sports that can be bad for a dog's body because many dogs are not 'functional' ie selection took only looks into account as opposed to how emphasizing certain traits would influence the dog's mobility and general health. Hence why you'll see that certain larger breeds won't sit 'properly' or go down in sphinx position if they can help it. People love heeling and love making their poor dog look at them the entire time but that's not good for the dog, or at least, it's particularly strenuous on certain dogs.
However, how many times a day and how long would a healthy dog with no joint issues have to play fetch to get issues from just that? It is recommendable though to throw the toy so that it won't make the dog execute... risky maneuvers for their back or legs, like throwing it behind them while they're already rushing towards you.
Destroying toys is perfectly healthy for a dog, as it satisfies a natural instinct much like picking up and carrying a stick or, yes, fetching.
If your reactive dog doesn't choose to chase after the trigger (ex, a dog that's triggered by children or small dogs and wants to catch them) I would say don't worry and keep playing!
There are many common games and sports that can be bad for a dog's body because many dogs are not 'functional' ie selection took only looks into account as opposed to how emphasizing certain traits would influence the dog's mobility and general health. Hence why you'll see that certain larger breeds won't sit 'properly' or go down in sphinx position if they can help it. People love heeling and love making their poor dog look at them the entire time but that's not good for the dog, or at least, it's particularly strenuous on certain dogs.
However, how many times a day and how long would a healthy dog with no joint issues have to play fetch to get issues from just that? It is recommendable though to throw the toy so that it won't make the dog execute... risky maneuvers for their back or legs, like throwing it behind them while they're already rushing towards you.
Destroying toys is perfectly healthy for a dog, as it satisfies a natural instinct much like picking up and carrying a stick or, yes, fetching.
If your reactive dog doesn't choose to chase after the trigger (ex, a dog that's triggered by children or small dogs and wants to catch them) I would say don't worry and keep playing!
lovehopejoypeace
New member
@pixeloriousspriteson I play fetch with my dog in a controlled environment, but because of her very high prey drive and resource guarding she isn’t allowed sticks or balls on public trails/parks. If she sees another dog with a ball she will follow it around doing that collie slouch. She will still occasionally drop a stick for a stranger and I have to yell “don’t throw it!”. Over the past 6 or so months doing this she has become less reactive on trail walks, so it actually has had an impact for me! Moreso because of the resource guarding and her need to “work” as a herding breed, and less so because of any type of “practicing” reactivity.
kjbbeliever
New member
@pixeloriousspriteson My border collies are obsessed with their balls. Girl 2 yrs, boy 1 yr.
My older girl loves her regular normal tennis type ball. The younger one loves and is obsessed with his boomer ball. Medium size boomer ball. I hate carrying this fucking thing around, but he loves it. If i dont bring it he will just try to steal hers instead of playing with his own tennis type ball.
We play ball in the field by our house. Thats it. They know thats the only time we are playing with their obsession. Other than that we go for forest walks, off leash. They know the difference.
Other than that, they are calm, relaxed, easy going dogs. They follow me around, they have other toys we play with, and they also nap a lot while im not engaged with them.
I think that delineation between their obsession and the rest of their life helps.
Unfortunately I also think i got lucky with their line. They are just way more laid back than other border collies ive met. They have the same parents, different litters.
One caveat. I use the ball with my girl to do things she doesn’t like. She doesn’t like getting her paws wiped, for example. I will give her a ball to hold on to while i do that.
My older girl loves her regular normal tennis type ball. The younger one loves and is obsessed with his boomer ball. Medium size boomer ball. I hate carrying this fucking thing around, but he loves it. If i dont bring it he will just try to steal hers instead of playing with his own tennis type ball.
We play ball in the field by our house. Thats it. They know thats the only time we are playing with their obsession. Other than that we go for forest walks, off leash. They know the difference.
Other than that, they are calm, relaxed, easy going dogs. They follow me around, they have other toys we play with, and they also nap a lot while im not engaged with them.
I think that delineation between their obsession and the rest of their life helps.
Unfortunately I also think i got lucky with their line. They are just way more laid back than other border collies ive met. They have the same parents, different litters.
One caveat. I use the ball with my girl to do things she doesn’t like. She doesn’t like getting her paws wiped, for example. I will give her a ball to hold on to while i do that.
pixeloriousspriteson
New member
@kjbbeliever I’m wondering if she has any collie in her. Waiting on DNA results. She’s 11 but she is high energy with toys and balls!
kjbbeliever
New member
@pixeloriousspriteson I just think. Speaking as a border collie mom, if you can get your dogs attention onto one thing, and then use that one thing sparingly, to your advantage, you’ll always be more important than the addiction
@pixeloriousspriteson My reactive dog was my terror puppy and fetch was the only thing that made her manageable and kept her attention long enough to get that energy out. Getting that energy out meant that when we did encounter situations where she would react, it was easier to redirect as she was less wound-up in general. I try to make her work for it though and we mix in training with it. She knows I won't throw a toy if she doesn't place it in my hand and I won't tug if we're playing fetch.
Now that she's older, she's good at both initiating play when she's bored (instead of getting into things) and not becoming hyper-aroused when playing. She's a herding breed though so if anything, I think she needs that type of stimulation in addition to working her brain. There's a very clear relationship between not letting her play fetch and her resorting to other less-desirable behaviors like stealing socks. She actually did it last night, I told her I couldn't play (was working) and after nudging me with the ball a few times, she went and got a sock instead to make her displeasure known.
That said, in public, she generally only wants to play fetch with her frisbee and she has a tendency to resource guard frisbees so she only gets to play with those if we're in an empty area with no other people or dogs. Otherwise, we tend to work on obedience when other people/dogs are around and she enjoys training a ton too.
Now that she's older, she's good at both initiating play when she's bored (instead of getting into things) and not becoming hyper-aroused when playing. She's a herding breed though so if anything, I think she needs that type of stimulation in addition to working her brain. There's a very clear relationship between not letting her play fetch and her resorting to other less-desirable behaviors like stealing socks. She actually did it last night, I told her I couldn't play (was working) and after nudging me with the ball a few times, she went and got a sock instead to make her displeasure known.
That said, in public, she generally only wants to play fetch with her frisbee and she has a tendency to resource guard frisbees so she only gets to play with those if we're in an empty area with no other people or dogs. Otherwise, we tend to work on obedience when other people/dogs are around and she enjoys training a ton too.
@pixeloriousspriteson Fetch releases all types of chemicals the brain. If you play fetch everyday a lot, your dog can become a 'addict' to the release of those chemicals.
About the predaroty sequence, it can be part true. The sequence is chase-kill-eat/chew-relax with fetch we miss the eat/chew part which makes the dog calm down. That constistent going after a prey (ball) can increase stress which can lead to lower threshold in reactive behaviour.
If you know what you're doing it can help immense with impulse control. I also use fetch to learn an emergency down.
Fetch is a grey area, some swear by it some hate it. I believe it should be more then just throw ball get ball repeat. I use a ball on string let the dog bring the ball, play together with it. A part of the reward is me instead of only the item (ball, tug, frisbee).
About the predaroty sequence, it can be part true. The sequence is chase-kill-eat/chew-relax with fetch we miss the eat/chew part which makes the dog calm down. That constistent going after a prey (ball) can increase stress which can lead to lower threshold in reactive behaviour.
If you know what you're doing it can help immense with impulse control. I also use fetch to learn an emergency down.
Fetch is a grey area, some swear by it some hate it. I believe it should be more then just throw ball get ball repeat. I use a ball on string let the dog bring the ball, play together with it. A part of the reward is me instead of only the item (ball, tug, frisbee).
imagebeastmarkbeast
New member
@pixeloriousspriteson I changed it around with my dog to reduce the frustration of chasing the ball and reduce impact on her joints. I signal her to run away, then when she turns back to face me, I throw the ball towards her. It means she's controlling the direction and speed of running. She decides when she's ready, and hopefully she'll only have a short distance to run, if any, before she gets the ball. It's also rewarding her for turning to focus on me, instead of rewarding her for running away from me. She's still reactive though, so it hasn't changed that 
fandre1992
New member
@pixeloriousspriteson Nah you’re fine. Not providing outlets for dogs with high prey drive will just result in that behavioral need being met/ overflow in other areas. Ensure that there are rules to the game and that both you and the dog must respect those rules in order to participate. Similar to a human game like basketball, if one player is not following the rules there are consequences or the game is stopped. It is not only great exercise but a way to connect on a different level with your dog. The fun is not stored in the object which they are fetching, but within the mutual agreement on the rules and the necessary presence of both you and the dog that allow you each to play the game.
pixeloriousspriteson
New member
@fandre1992 Love that! The fun is within the mutual agreement and necessary presence of you both 