Is Fetch a Four Letter Word?

For decades, responsible owners dutifully grabbed their chuck it and took their high-energy dogs to their backyard, a public dog park or a rolling field. We were told that ‘a tired dog is a happy dog’ and throw after throw after throw (eventually) did the job. But, today, we’ve started to think about the long-time favorite activity and ask some important questions ..

Is it safe?

Debatable. Single direction (forward), repetitive (throw after throw after throw) movement is not generally the best use of our fitness time. Many dogs develop overuse injuries that may never fully surface to their owners, but that they have to compensate for in the way the move.

Is it natural?

Nope. There’s no natural behavior that would require the number of reps that we simulate in fetch.

Is it appropriate?

Fetch can have a place in your activity toolbox - but at the end of the day, you’re helping your dog develop a relationship with something that isn’t you. We’re not advocates of the old ‘every good thing a dog experiences should come form you’ mantra, but if you’re playing with your dog - why not be the best part of it?

And, in some dogs, fetch can lead to absolutely no issue - they never get injured (that you know of) and they never develop a fixation or obsession with their fetching tool. But even in those dogs, there are better options to tire them out that don’t carry the inherent fetch risks:

U-Turns: Teach your dog to make a U-turn around an object (we use ‘out’ as our command) and when they get back to you throw a celebration - give them great treats, a toy to tug on, anything that is going to make coming back to you the highlight of the game! Once they figure that out from a close distance, send them from further and further away - and watch them race back to you for their party!

Stay: Ask your dog to stay and move away from them, holding their toy out at their nose height. Release them to come and grab their toy. Extend your distance or start running as soon as they’re released to really make the game fun!

Be the game: Grab a toy and get your dog to chase you! See if you can out wit them by hiding, moving sporadically or working on high-arousal/low-arousal switching.

All of these options involve YOU as the best part of the game and ask the dog to move intentionally and with a little less chaos than a game of fetch.

Happy fitness!