We’ve all seen them, and what an invention they were when they first came out! Ball throwers or ball launchers are long plastic tools used to throw a tennis ball or similar further, and faster, than your average human arm. They’ve been on the market for years, and become a staple of play for many dog owners across the globe.

However, in recent years, research into areas such as canine musculoskeletal health and our resulting understanding of the negative impact that certain activities and tools can have on our dogs has been growing. So, in light of this, here are 4 things you need to know if you’re using a ball thrower.

1: They are now widely regarded as damaging to your dog’s musculoskeletal health AND behavioural wellbeing

This is probably not what you want to hear, but it’s true.

“chasing a ball combines sharp acceleration, high speeds, rapid and uncontrolled deceleration that includes rotatory forces on fundamentally unstable joints. In addition, this activity is usually repeated over and over again.” [1]

The quoted article takes testimony from a canine Physiotherapist, Myotherapist, and Veterinary Behaviourist, who all agree that use of a ball thrower is overall damaging to a dog’s physical and mental health. [1].

Physically, this is due to the extreme strain put on the dog’s joints and muscles during this activity. Let’s face it, the ball thrower allows us to get that ball across great distances at high speeds, and we’re encouraging our dog to sprint explosively, twist, skid, brake, jump, and land all within a short space of time. It’s not that it’s impossible - it’s just that repeated strain of this type can cause issues that can become progressively more severe;

“We also know that repeated micro-trauma to muscles and cartilage is the cause of long-term damage” [1].

In addition to the physical issues, there are behavioural considerations also in play. You most likely will have met at some point a dog who is described by their owner as ‘ball crazy’ or ‘ball obsessed’. This is very common, and part of the reason for this is that when we throw a ball for a dog to chase, we’re tapping into a predatory motor response that in turn triggers chemicals that can be quite addictive.

“Many dogs get very excited during games of fetch. This increased arousal can involve increased heart rate and adrenaline levels, causing an increase in cortisol levels, and can lead to ‘frantic’ behaviours as a result of reduced impulse control and frustration tolerance. Adrenaline and cortisol both play a role in the expression and regulation of behaviour. Living with increased levels over a long period of time can be responsible for a number of problematic and dangerous behaviors, including your dog’s inability to ‘switch off’, cope with challenging situations and even show more aggressive behaviour.’ [1]

I don’t expect everybody who comes across this article to immediately bin their ball thrower for good, or stop playing chase altogether, but with that knowledge of how your dog may be physically and mentally affected by this type of play, here are some suggestions as to how you can minimise the negative impact of use of a ball thrower going forward.

2: If you’re going to use a ball thrower, you need to incorporate a warm-up

A major contributing factor to the physical concerns raised above is that it’s very uncommon for dogs to be given a warmup prior to use of a ball thrower. How many people do you know that would be happy to run a series of 100m sprints without any warmup whatsoever? Hopefully none, because as humans with the benefit of plenty of study and shared knowledge, we know that it’s crucial to warmup and stretch our bodies before engaging in intense physical activity. Failure to do so can easily lead to injury, and this is a lesson I’m sure many of us have learned the hard way.

So, why don’t we provide this same opportunity to our dogs? As their caretakers, it’s our responsibility to help them with this, as they don’t have our same understanding of why this is so important. They just want to play with that ball!

Here’s what my warmup routine would look like if I were to use a ball thrower:

Get a nice stretch going - to encourage a good stretch, you can teach your dog a ‘Bow’, which essentially gets them into that nice, stretched out play pose you might see them do when engaging with other dogs. This promotes a good stretch across the forelegs, chest, and back, and often when you get this going one way, dogs will even it out with a similar stretch of the rear.
Start with a 10-15 minute walk - this is to get the muscles slowly warmed up and loose, and also gets things like toileting out of the way prior to play.
Practice some dynamic actions - start with Spin and Twist, which gets your dog turning in tight circles in both directions. Then, play some ‘Ping-Pong’ with your dog, which gets them diving back and forth over a short distance, getting those joints prepared for that same explosive movement on a larger scale.
Start with a few hand-thrown balls - again, this just helps things to begin more gradually. Our throwing abilities all vary, but most people (aside from professional sportspeople!) won’t be able to throw anywhere close to the distance or speed a thrower can achieve, so this starts things off on an easier level.
Begin with the thrower, and cap reps at 4-5 throws MAX. I wouldn’t want to do any more than this, and even this may be too many for a lot of dogs. Pay attention to your dog’s movement, arousal level, and tiredness - after a few good throws with the launcher, you can wind things down with a couple of smaller hand throws again, and then end the game.
Following the game, walk at a gentle pace for another 5-10 minutes - this is to help with cooldown. Make sure to offer your dog water if needed, and use this time to monitor their movement for injuries: compare their gait to the warmup walk, has it changed? Can you spot any irregularities in the way they move, are they holding themselves differently? Watch out for warning signs of injury, and allow this to inform your decisions about further exercise and play in the coming days.

Other ways to play safely include throwing the ball low and straight across the ground, and teaching your dog to Wait before running to retrieve a thrown ball or toy. Throwing low and straight prevents the dog from straining their neck or back when running to watch the ball, and avoids jumping and heavy landing. Teaching a Wait and sending your dog to retrieve a toy after it has been thrown avoids these same issues, plus it removes the risk of twisting, skidding, and hard braking [4].

3: Separate ball-time from normal walks

This addresses some of the negative mental impacts of ball-throwing - ie. the issues created by having a ball-obsessed dog! Dogs who are totally fixated on their ball / the opportunity to have it thrown when out end up missing out on toileting, socialising, sniffing, exploring, basically all of the things that a walk should be giving them a chance to do. This is where you can also run into issues with negative interactions with other dogs, when your dog is feeling a bit protective of their toy for instance, and this is something we don’t really want to run into an issue with either.

“Some dogs become obsessed with fetching a ball, which can lead to behavioural problems. They may become aggressive or anxious when they are not playing with the ball launcher, making it difficult to enjoy time with your dog. It's important to recognise the signs of obsession and to limit your dog's use of the ball launcher
Some of the signs to look out for include:
- Constantly dropping a ball at your feet.
- Barking or whining when you don't play fetch.
- Refusing to engage in any other activities.
-Being obsessed with your pockets and hands on walks.” [2]

To avoid this, I would always suggest having ball-time be a separate outing to a walk. Ball time of course should include some elements of walking to get that warmup in, but to avoid complete distraction and fixation, I would want to be having walks as normal, and then a separate trip to go and play with the ball at a different time completely.

I would also suggest limiting play with the ball thrower to a couple of times per week.

If you have a dog who is already totally fixated, and goes beserk the moment you so much as look at a ball or thrower, you may need to consider methods of management such as carrying these items inside a bag or hidden in your clothing, or perhaps circling back to your car to collect them after your warmup.

Tug-e-nuff have some other good ideas for dealing with a ball-obsessed dog in the article linked below, including teaching your dog a clear cue that means the game is over, and teaching your dog how to drop a toy on command [5].

4: Never play this game in hot weather

“nearly three quarters of heatstroke cases develop while playing and exercising,”

— [3]

I talk about the dangers of heatstroke all the time, and this is very relevant to that discussion. Throwing a ball for a dog in hot weather is one of the fastest ways to put that dog at extreme risk of developing heatstroke, which can be fatal in minutes.

According to the PDSA, “nearly three quarters of heatstroke cases develop while playing and exercising” [3], and as this is one of the most intensive forms of exercise you can engage in, it stands to reason that playing ball carries a high risk when the weather is warmer.

It’s important to keep that in mind when deciding to play this game - when temperatures are in the 20s and higher, I would recommend avoiding this game in favour of something calmer, like a game of tug and retrieve over a short distance, or some scentwork. You could also consider playing this game at earlier or later times of day to avoid peak temperatures during the warmer months of the year.

So, there you have it. This information isn’t designed to put you off playing with your dog altogether, or to take away things that bring you both joy and bonding. It doesn’t mean that you HAVE to stop playing in this way, I just feel that it’s important to share this information so that you can make informed choices for your dog, and what you do choose to do, you can do as safely as possible.

When considering what type of play is appropriate for your dog, you may want to consider their breed and age - if your dog is older and has existing mobility issues such as arthritis or other joint weakness or pain, then it’s advised that you seek alternate forms of play [1]. If your dog’s breed makes them particularly susceptible to injury, eg. dogs with a longer back and shorter legs being at higher risk of spinal injury, you may also want to consider carefully how you play, and whether this is a game you want to make use of or if you’d rather stick to alternate methods of play.

If you have a very high-energy dog and are looking for a way to tire them out, why not give Scentwork a go? Scentwork is so mentally stimulating that it can be as tiring as physical exercise, and it’s a great method of enrichment that is easy for us to provide. To get started with Scentwork, check out my video on how to teach your dog what ‘Find it!’ means below. Scentwork could involve search games, use of a snuffle mat, mantrailing (ie. tracking!), and can be as easy or complicated as you want to make it.

Got any thoughts or questions on this topic? Leave a comment below, otherwise I hope you found this article helpful!