Why Playing Fetch with your Dog is More Dangerous than you Think!

Shades (Photo: K Elizabeth)

One of your dog’s favorite activities to do with you is also why I see a lot of dogs in my clinic. I’m talking about fetch and it’s not all it’s cracked up to be! Playing fetch with your dog can place a lot of stain on their body and is also a leading cause of many of the injuries I see walk or, more accurately, limp through my doors.  
In this week’s blog I take a look at the game of fetch and explain why it’s something you should think twice about before doing it with your dog. ​

The Demands of a Game of Fetch 

Often when playing fetch, owners will go and go and go. I've noticed that many owners feel this strong NEED to continuously throw a ball for their dog, have them retrieve it, and repeat until the dog almost drops from exhaustion. The truth is the more fatigued our dog becomes, the less control they have over body movement. The way our dogs react to a game of fetch may be drastically different – some dogs will self-regulate well while others may continue to retrieve until they reach the point of exhaustion. Remember, fetch is not always going to be appropriate for all dogs so it’s important to know your dog! 
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Playing fetch requires A LOT of mental and physical work! 

• Once we throw the ball our dogs use explosive movement to take off. The hind end and the core muscles engage to propel the dog forward. This is an intense physical challenge that will require a good range of motion in their hind end (hips/knees), hind end strengthening and core strength. Without these assets, the dog is more likely to pull from their front end, which is not desired.  
• To retrieve the ball our dogs will have to slow down (collect) as they approach the thrown object and engage their “braking” system. The muscles in the shoulder need to be strong to brace the slow down while the core muscles activate.  When our dog’s slow down, the muscles will need to contract eccentrically (meaning the muscles will lengthen while doing the activity) which is a harder task for the body. Often if our dogs aren't fit enough to do this and lack the necessary muscle strength for proper deceleration, we see them "wipeout."  
• If the object you're throwing has any bounce to it, this can certainly add an additional physical challenge to the game of fetch. As the ball bounces erratically our dogs will track its movement with fierce focus! Our dogs often have “tunnel vision” when retrieving a ball – all their focus is placed on the trajectory of the ball and not on moving in a safe way. When our dogs are hyper aroused, they’ll be less mindful of their bodies or other potential dangers (i.e. roadways, collisions etc) which can increase their risk of injury. The lack of self-preservation and body focus can result in excessive bends/contortions/slide out's/summersaults and movements that fall outside of how the dog's body should move. Heightened body awareness and strength to effectively control the dog's body in these moments is critical and can help to limit an array of injuries.    
• Our dog's weight can shift significantly depending on the object they're carrying!  When a toy is heavier our dog's shift their weight into the front end. In a study conducted on working Labrador Retrievers researchers found that when carrying a toy weighing around 1 lb., the weight distribution dogs carried on their front end increased to 66%. Remember dogs are naturally front loaded (60/40 split) but the more weight they carry in the front end the greater the risk of injury! The researchers also found that when the object was larger, such as a large branch weighing around 8lbs. The weight distribution increased to 75%! As owners, we should take into consideration the toys and objects we use for a game of fetch. Bigger and heavier objects place an increased demand. Toys like balls and other lightweight toys are preferred. (Bockstahler,2016) 

Common Injuries from Fetch

(Photo by Heather Grant)

A simple game of fetch can lead to an injury that sidelines our dogs from their normal activities. There are a number of injuries that can occur ranging from minor to severe. 

• Repetitive strain injuries- Fetch can be a  very repetitive activity so playing fetch too often can result in an repetitive strain injury. These injuries are a result of the gradual buildup of damage to muscles, tendons, and nerves from performing repetitive tasks, overloading specific muscle groups and traumas from slips. Strain injuries can occur when fatigued muscles are asked to perform beyond their ability for a prolonged period. ​
• Heat Stroke - It's important to remember that while dogs do have a few sweat glands located in their paws they mostly rely on their respiratory system to stay cool! In warm weather it won’t take a lot of reps before your dog starts to feel the heat. Ensuring your dog stays hydrated and limiting activity when it’s hot is key.  ​

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• Water intoxication – While retrieving from a body of water may lessen the risk of injury from bad landings that doesn’t mean retrieving in water doesn't carry any risk.  When holding a ball your dog’s mouth is open and they can swallow large amounts of water. This can lead to a condition know as water intoxication.  If left untreated or unnoticed,  can be fatal in our canine companions. 
• CCL Tears – One of the most common injuries I see as a result of fetch are Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL) tears. CCL tears can be a result of long-term degradation (something fetch can play a role in) or from something more acute. Sudden directional changes at speed and hyperextension are two areas that can result in CCL tears and is a common occurrence in a game of fetch.  
• Toe injuries – jammed toes, broken toes, ripped toenails or pads can all be a consequence of fetch. These injuries can be quite painful, take several weeks/months to heal and often require veterinary care.   
• Impact injuries - When playing fetch our dogs often become hyper-focused on the ball and stop paying attention to the environment around them. This can result in our dogs running into another object or colliding with other dogs.  A client’s border collie of mine managed to break her upper canine at the root during a game of fetch when she collided with another dog. This resulted in expensive emergency dental surgery!​

Boomer, post-op (Liz Twaddle)

• Impaling -Games played in heavily forested areas or with sticks can have dangerous consequences! Thrown sticks and branches can often land oddly and a dog could impale themselves on the branch. This type of freak accident can cause serious trauma to your dog!  

• Splinters – Chewing sticks into kindling can also result in splinter to the mouth (I've seen small twigs jammed between the teeth of the jaw) and can be distressing for both you and your dog. Watch for pawing at the muzzle as this could signify something is bothering your dog! If your dog is a big chewer also watch to make sure they’re not ingesting any wood as this can cause damage to their digestive system.  
• Broken bones – It may be hard to believe but it has happened! A recent client of mine called me in a panic after a round of fetch. Their dog, a three-year-old Labrador named Boomer, was at the emergency vet after they heard a load snap when he jumped up to grab a ball. The snap was his femur bone breaking and his owners were calling me to ask about recommendations for an orthopedic surgeon. These types of freak accidents are rare but they do happen! As a result of his injury Boomer had metal pins and a plate put into his leg and is currently undergoing extensive rehab.

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Preparing your Dog for the Demands of Fetch

(Photo submitted by Vania Richardson Boulet)

If you absolutely have to play fetch with your dog there are several ways to make it safer for your dog and that you can do NOW to help prepare them for the physical demands of fetch.  

• Warm up your dog before you play! Warming up will help prepare your dog’s muscles for physical activity and will get their cardiovascular system primed. Research shows that warming up is a key (and often neglected)  injury prevention strategy!  
• Start slow and gradually increase distance. Once your dog is properly warmed up, you want to start with shorter fetching distances and reps. As they start to build up endurance for this activity, you can gradually increase reps (e.g. number of throws)  and distance covered.  
• Learn the signs of fatigue – Injury is often a result of overworked muscles and in a game of fetch I’ve often seen owners push their dogs beyond their limits. By learning the signs of fatigue, you can reduce the risk of injury by stopping the game of fetch before it become a game of risk.  Has your dog ever returned from fetch but rather than bring the ball directly back to you they’ve laid a short distance away? Your dog is trying to tell you something and it’s “they’re tired!” Don’t fall into a “just one more” mentality with fetch. If your dog is showing and telling you they’re tired then it’s time to stop.  
• Pick your environment carefully! Avoid playing fetch on hard or slippery surfaces and be aware of the environment around you. Is there dew on the grass, snow on the ground, or uneven terrain? The environmental conditions can play a huge role to the risk of injury. Set your dog up for success and choose where you play fetch wisely. Consider the dangers your environment presents – is there other dogs, or objects that your dog could run into, is there hazards like ice or roadways?  
• If your dog is a puppy or a senior, you’ll also have to take special consideration for their physical ability and not overwork them. Old and young dogs will tire more easily and will need to have less repetitions. They’ll also be less coordinated so make sure the toy your using is thrown low to the ground and avoid having it bounce erratically.  

• You know your dog best and if your dog is likely to be a bit intense from a game of fetch you may want to think of strategies to reduce their high arousal. Perhaps you want to consider using a “dead toy” so they will fetch the toy more appropriately.  Another strategy is to place a ball on top of a cone as this will limit poor retrieves and reduce your dog’s high arousal - preventing crash and burn retrieves.  
• A safer way to play fetch is to slow down your dog's speed! Having your dog fetching on an incline like a hill is one way to accomplish this. If you’re doing this make sure to take in consideration the number of reps!  
• Choose your toy wisely! Smaller, lightweight toys are less burdensome for our dogs to carry and will prevent increased loading to the front end.  ​

Alternative Games to Fetch

Fifty

If playing fetch with your dog is your primary way of tiring them out it may be time to reconsider! There are more effective and safer ways to physically and mentally tire your dog.  While fetch is a common game for dogs and owners to play it’s not the only game out there!  It may come as a surprise but mental games can be just as fatiguing as physical ones! 
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Some fun games to play with your dog are.. 
 

• Hide and Seek - Put your dog in a sit-stay, and hide a treat or favorite toy somewhere obvious. Then, give the release cue to go find the toy. This a fun workout for brain and body. 
• Canine conditioning – Conditioning work can also be both mentally and physical challenging - try out some core workouts, like the sit-to-stand, to burn off some extra energy in your dog!  
• Cardio activities – Cavaletti’s training, cone wrapping, figure eights, ladder work, and playing chase are a great way to get your dog’s heart pumping!  
• Tug – A game of tug is a fantastic and interactive activity to do with your dog.  

• Scent work – This is a great thinking game that can be easily done with high reward treats. Hiding food and having your dog search really engages the mind and can tire out an active dog. 
• Free running – There's nothing wrong with letting your dog be a dog and run around. Take your dog for a walk and find a place where they can roam and run freely.  ​

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Fifty running free!

Bad Throws VS. Good Throws

Chances are, you’re not a pro softball player and your ball throwing is not always going to be perfect. In a game of fetch there is such a thing as a bad throw and a good throw.  

Have you ever thrown a ball and boinked your dog on the head? That's a bad throw! A bad throw may cause the ball to bounce erratically, have your dog run into other objects, or even hits your dog! If you’re using a ball launcher like a ChuckIt your ball may land a significant distance away making your dog run far to retrieve the ball and return. This is a lot of work! Did you know a ball thrown from a ChuckIt can reach 140 feet!? If I asked you to sprint 140 feet without a warm up and then to sprint back to me, you’re not only going to be tired but there’s a good chance you may hurt yourself!  
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A good throw in a game of fetch is when I've thrown the ball only a short distance, low to the ground, and at an easy speed. This ensures my dog is building up to the physical demands of fetch progressively. A few slow, low to the ground, throws can gradually become a couple longer distance throws. 
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A great alternative to playing fetch is to have them catch a ball in front of you! However, even this game must be done carefully by throwing the ball appropriately. In the pictures below can you tell which is a bad throw and which is a good throw?  ​

If you guess the left photo was a bad throw then you guessed correctly! We want to avoid throwing a ball high into the air or having it bounce erratically before the dog catches it. If the dog leaps from the ground to catch a ball there is an increased chance of an awkward landing. A bad throw can result in injury and lead to excessive force in the hips, knees, and back feet. Biomechanically, your dog shouldn’t jump straight up and straight down – this is the best way to cause a blown their CCL! Our dog’s body isn’t designed to withstand the force of this type of jump.  

In the photo on the right you can see a proper catching form with the back legs remaining on the ground and the dog jumping forward to catch the toy. When playing fetch we want to keep the throw as controlled as possible to ensure the dog retrieves it in a safe fashion.  

Chances are, this isn’t the type of fetch you’re playing with you dog but are rather playing a game of retrieve where you throw the ball and you dog runs to retrieve. When playing retrieve, you want to throw the ball low to the ground and avoid having the ball bounce erratically. You also want to limit the amount of hard running you dog will do when retrieving. Remember, playing fetch is hard work and it can be easy for us to fall into a repetitive loop that can push our dogs to exhaustion.

A final thought....

Remember, fetch doesn’t have to be the only game you play! There are much safer options out there and I encourage you to give them a try. Whenever our dogs are playing or being active, we want to make sure they’re doing so in a safe manner. As a canine physio, my preferred way to treat injuries is to avoid them in the first place! Fetch, as a game, has a lot of inherent risks and I would caution owners to limit or avoid playing fetch with their dog.  ​

Sources

Bockstahler, B., Tichy, A. & Aigner, P. Compensatory load redistribution in Labrador retrievers when carrying different weights – a non-randomized prospective trial. BMC Vet Res 12, 92 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-016-0715-7 

Gams, Jana. “Repetitive ball throwing: the facts and the alternatives.” Dogs4Motion (2020), https://www.dogs4motion.com/en/blog/535-repetitive-ball-throwing 

Gross Torraca, Debbie. “TBT - Think Before Throwing,” TotoFit (2017) http://totofit.com/tbt-think-before-throwing 
 
 
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