Fetch

"The team at Canine Arthritis Management (CAM) can often be heard telling owners that ball throwing is not an ideal activity for their arthritic dog. In fact, CAM would go as far as to say that it is not an ideal activity for any dog, whatever their age or condition."

caninearthritis.org

From the Canine Arthritis Management Team: On Throwing Balls | Canine Arthritis Resources and Education

Guest article from the team at Canine Arthritis Management: Hannah Capon, MA Vet MB MRCVS Danielle Pountain, RVN dip AVN dip HE CVN Cert SA hydro Lynsey Tindall, RVN dip AVN Rebecca Barr, BVMS MSc Behaviour MRCVS Melanie Bruder, DipCOT, […]
caninearthritis.org caninearthritis.org
 
We do some fetch, but the sessions are few and far between.

We used to do 2x 15 minute ball sessions a week.

As we are now doing more agility training, the ball sessions have been switched out for hind end and core exercises. We do cavalettis, sit to down repetitions, 'sit pretty' for core etc.

We perhaps have a short fetch game maybe once every 2 weeks now.
 
Jenko109 said:
'sit pretty' for core etc.
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Until recently I too thought this was a good exercise for core strength and in fact recommended it on here, the big girl struggled with it so I stopped including it in her routine, and then I learnt that it can be detrimental.

Here is a link to a pdf document which explains why it is not recommended and gives alternative exercises.

 
That’s interesting re Sit pretty, not something mine have ever done . Ziggy has monthly physio which involves a lot of those recommended exercises , including work on a wobble cushion and peanut. His pre agility run warm up includes walking backwards , carrot stretches ,bows, front leg extensions and down to stand .
 
MurphysMinder said:
That’s interesting re Sit pretty, not something mine have ever done . Ziggy has monthly physio which involves a lot of those recommended exercises , including work on a wobble cushion and peanut. His pre agility run warm up includes walking backwards , carrot stretches ,bows, front leg extensions and down to stand .
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I just do stuff with the big girl to improve her general fitness. When I got her, age approx 2, not only had she been fed a crappy diet, she was also physically unfit with poor musculature. She is in better shape now at 6 ½ years than she was at 2.

She doesn't have great conformation, slightly bum high and hind limbs have little angulation at the stifle. I saw a Supervet programme with a Mastiff with cruciate rupture with the same conformation and Noel said cruciate disease was something they were predisposed to due to conformation. It's obviously something I am keen to avoid.
 
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paisley said:
I stopped throwing balls for the mostly whippet when he was about 2 years old. The speed/stop impact looked so similar to polo and all the injuries that it causes. We switched to ‘find it’, usually ten minutes of searching for a ball hidden in my pocket 😁
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We do this too. It's been really good for helping her impulse control too as we get her to sit and look another direction while we throw the ball.

I will throw it to her to catch on the odd occasion though, as a quick win if she's done something spectacular (like the time she recalled perfectly off a hare 😂)
 
I don't use a ball thrower for my dogs - cruciate ligament destruction devices. Balls are for distraction training or I hide them and get the dogs to hunt for them. Retrieves are done with dummies or game and emphisis is on steadiness rather than tearing around
 
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