To FETCH OR NOT TO FETCH!?

 

Is your dog ball obsessed and fetch seems to be the best way to control them and tire them out?

Fetch is usually a quite stressful game for our dogs. There are tons of better ways to mentally and physically stimulate our dogs. We should always ask ourselves what were they actually bred to do and how can we satisfy that drive? The best example of ball-obsessed dogs is the Border Collie. They were bred to herd sheep. Can we replace this in real life without having sheep? Yes! :)

 

Read the following article to find out what the trouble with playing fetch is: Click Here!

If you have a Border Collie and you would like to learn more about your particular breed of dog and get more ideas of what drives them and how we can prevent lots of problem behaviours from occurring? Watch this free Webinar from Epic Dog: Click Here!

What are some other suggestions for our dogs' mental and physical stimulation?

  1. Playing tug! There are lots of rumours on the internet that you shouldn't play tug with your dog. This is not true! As long as there are some rules and boundaries in place and your dog doesn't snatch things out of your hand, jumps on you and nips/bites you and knows the "Drop" or "Out" cue, tug is a great game!
  2. Tracking! Letting our dogs use their nose is the best thing we can do. Whether that's on walks or even better through setup tracks where they find hidden toys or even people. What great fun!
  3. Nose Work! Teaching our dogs to indicate a certain smell (maybe garlic or marmite (not vegemite ;p) or cinnamon). They search areas and bags and sit down once they found the smell. Just like a real drug detection dog at the airport!
  4. Sheep Ball herding! Using our collies' herding instincts without having sheep. We teach them the same cues as if we were real shepherds, but all they herd is balls!
  5. Multi Fetch! Teaching our dogs to retrieve more than one toy at a time. This is more mind challenging and lots less stressful than the common fetch: Watch here!
  6. Hill Walks! Choose areas that your dog doesn't normally get to explore and take them for a bit of a hike in the hills. Just be careful around sheep and rabbits if your dog is a hunter!
  7. Bike Rides! Did you know that Sit Happens imports the amazing Walky Dog Plus® Bike Attachment that allows you to safely bike your dogs even around streets? Watch here!
  8. Beach Walks! Do you normally go to the beach? Then choose some alternative locations for a change? Do you never go to the beach? Well, you should! Your dog will absolutely love it!