Rehab Horror Story

Why yes hello it’s spooky season and this is our version of a horror story… Repetitive ball throwing…

We’ve all seen that person at the oval with their dog. They turn up with a phone in one hand and a ball launcher in the other. The dog is wildly excited for their ball and the owner winds up and throws the ball, all whilst doom scrolling their chosen social media. The dog rockets away at full speed, manages to grab the ball with some stumbles, turns around and rockets back to the owner and drops the ball at their feet. The cycle continues for 30min until the dog is completely exhausted laying down panting and the owner clips their leash on and plods back to the car.

We’re not here to demonise fetch, because it is fun and can be enjoyable for some dogs. But much like most activities, there are limits. The scenario I just described is a common one and for many dogs it’s the only form of exercise they get. It can also be really harmful physically.

If someone asked the average Aussie to turn up at an oval and then run sprints non-stop for 30min, everyday with no warm up, I can guarantee that injuries are likely to occur.

So why do we expect differently from our dogs.

This kind of activity may result in:

- Muscle tears and strains.

- Ligament and tendon tears, especially CCLs

- Broken bones

- Heat stroke

- Early onset arthritis

There are lots of other options for outdoor exercise with our dogs that is exciting and enriching. Some examples are:

- Tug games

- Retrieving games (the object is at a stop before sending the dog to fetch)

- Free running

- Canicross

- Herding games

For those who love to chase and fetch, you can still enjoy this activity. You need be warming up your dog prior to any intense exercise and learn to read when your dog is starting to tire. This is the point that the game should finish. Just remember that ball throwing doesn’t necessarily improve the bond with your dog, it may just improve your dog’s relationship with their ball…

So, this spooky season, put your phone in your pocket, be present and play with your dog.