Is Playing Fetch Bad For Your Dog?

The first time someone asked me if fetch was bad for their dog, I was amused. It struck me as a random bit of oddball advice delivered by an errant neighbor who tends to yap about their extensive (nonexistent) dog knowledge.

The second time a client asked this question, it struck me as coincidental, and I chuckled at the happenstance.

By the time several people asked about the dangers of fetch, I realized that there was a trend emerging. Soon, my fellow trainers were coming to me, “Have you seen this post on social media? So-and-so trainer is advising their clients to avoid playing fetch with their dog. They say it causes repetitive motion injuries, creates hyper-arousal, and is bad for dogs.” 

I think…let me check…yes, that’s right, my head exploded.

Stop playing fetch with your dog!?! Should I stop taking my kid to the playground too? You know that kids can fall down, right? They can get repetitive motion injuries from those monkey bars, my friend. Someone pass me the bubble wrap.

Fetch is one of the best games out there for fostering healthy communication between dog and human, providing physical and mental stimulation for dogs, and for training a dog with real life rewards (instead of just treats). Once I’ve taught you how to play fetch with your dog, you won’t need many other games to keep their training strong and fluent. Trust me. I’ve been doing this a long time.

Let me dismantle the arguments against fetch one piece at a time, so we can explore the reasons that a smart, well-intentioned dog trainer might contradict my expertise.

The principal problem with many of the posts in question lies in a failure to define the term “fetch.” Failure to define a term is a cardinal sin in professional dog circles, because it causes massive misunderstandings. Social media has limited space, and no one is click-baited by boring definitions, but you’ve gotta state it plainly, or folks will be confused.

Let me illustrate what I mean by offering two potential definitions for “fetch:”

1. Fetch - A game in which a distracted human tosses a ball as far as possible as often as possible until their dog collapses from exhaustion. The human does this every day to tire out their dog and prevent them from chewing up their couch.

2. Fetch - A training game during which the human rewards their dog for awesome behaviors by throwing a favorite toy that rewards their dog by activating their natural impulse to chase and retrieve. The dog is taught to drop and back off on cue or automatically, and the game begins again. The human does this when they and the dog are in the mood to play and engage with one another. It provides the dog with physical and mental stimulation while improving their training.

Clearly, the first definition of fetch is problematic, because the human is working their dog into states of arousal that the dog may have difficulty regulating when it is necessary in other contexts. It is also doing very little to enhance the connection and communication between dog and handler.

The second definition is what I call “fetch,” and that is what I’m talking about here. Let’s take a look at the main arguments that people have been making against playing fetch with your dog:

1. Fetch makes dogs over-excited. This increases hyperactive behaviors, decreases impulse control, and makes it impossible for dogs to regulate their states of arousal in other contexts.

   Au contraire, my friend. Au contraire! In reality, fetch is one of the principal ways we teach impulse control, calm behavior in the presence of exciting distractions, and a whole host of other behaviors using practical rewards that dogs love (e.g. games of chase). Dogs who are never given an outlet for their normal, doggy behaviors of happiness and excitement in combination with games that teach them when it is acceptable to show that excitement and how they can turn it on and off again, often grow up to be completely out of control.

2. The repetitive motion that dogs engage in during fetch causes them injury and bodily stress.

   This is only a concern with dogs who have injuries or other body maladies, or for dogs who are working out so intensely (as with many competition dogs) that there are actual repetitive motion injuries being caused by the activity. I’ve never seen this happen to a companion dog, and I’ve known my fair share of ball-obsessed labradors (I use the word obsessed in the casual, not clinical sense here). Has a dog ever been injured at the dog park or while playing? OF COURSE. Does that mean we should shut down dog parks and avoid risk altogether? Do I really need to answer that? 

3. Fetch creates CCD (Canine Compulsive Disorder) in dogs that will cause them suffering and require expensive long term care and strife.

   CCD is a serious condition in dogs that has not been shown in any research I have seen to be caused by games like fetch. A dog who is highly stimulated by a ball, is probably not a dog with CCD. Any trainer who makes this claim does so unethically, unless they collaborated with a certified veterinary behaviorist (not to be confused with that dude at the dog run who claims to be a behaviorist but never went to school for it).

Finally, for many retrieving breeds, denying them the opportunity to channel their innate need to retrieve objects is contrary to basic welfare standards of care. All animals should be provided with appropriate outlets for their instinctual behaviors. 

And I’ll leave you with a less tangible, but equally important fact. Playing with your dog is fun for both of you. You must play together. Listen to each other. Enjoy each other. After all, isn’t that why you found each other to begin with?

Be Present. PLAY WITH YOUR DOG.