“Should I play fetch with my dog every day? He absolutely loves it!”, “Playing fetch with my German Shepherd is a good thing, right?”
As a dog trainer in Mesa, AZ, I hear these kinds of questions constantly. And my answer, especially when dealing with working breeds like the Belgian Malinois, German Shepherd, Dutch Shepherd, or any dog with a high prey drive – think herding breeds, agility dogs, and even many terriers – is almost always: No.
I understand the surprise and maybe even a bit of resistance to that. I hear it from my pet parents all the time at my training and agility classes here at East Valley K9. It seems so simple. Your dog is enthusiastic, bringing you the ball, practically begging to play. It feels like exercise and a good way to bond. But let’s look at this from a behavioral and neurological perspective – because playing fetch daily might be doing more harm than good.
Let’s dive into why playing fetch every day might not be the best choice, especially for working dogs.
The Problem: Playing Fetch and the Artificial Prey Drive
Working dog breeds have been carefully selected over generations for traits like intensity, stamina, and a strong drive linked to the prey sequence: orient, stalk, chase, grab, bite, and kill. These dogs, whether in police work, protection, herding, or military roles, have those instincts honed, but directed into specific tasks.
Playing fetch is, in essence, an artificial, incomplete version of this prey sequence.
- The Ball = Symbolic Prey
- The Throw = Simulated Movement Cue
- The Chase = Reinforcement of the Drive
- The Return = An Attempt at Closure, but it falls short
With each throw, you’re tapping into a deeply ingrained pattern that evolutionarily is meant to culminate in a “kill.” However, that final, satisfying bite never happens. This lack of completion leaves the dog in a state of neurological arousal.
The Neurological Rollercoaster: Dopamine and Stress Hormones
The sight of the ball triggers a surge of dopamine in your dog’s brain – anticipation, motivation, the urge to chase. When you throw, adrenaline kicks in. It’s a potent mix of high arousal and primal intensity.
Dopamine isn’t about the reward itself, it’s about the pursuit. It fuels the drive to repeat the behavior. Adrenaline and cortisol, both stress hormones, spike during the chase. And even though the dog retrieves the ball, the inherent biological satisfaction is never truly achieved because the cycle restarts immediately.*
Imagine this happening every day. The dog’s brain starts to adapt, constantly expecting this cycle of arousal and stimulation. This can lead to chronic stress.
Remember the Autonomic Nervous System? It has two main branches:
- Sympathetic Nervous System: The “fight, flight, or chase” response.
- Parasympathetic Nervous System: The “rest and digest” system.
Fetch predominantly activates the sympathetic system. The problem is, many dogs don’t get help switching gears. There’s no proper decompression or activation of the parasympathetic system to facilitate relaxation.
Consistent sympathetic dominance can manifest as:
- Excessive panting, pacing, and difficulty settling down
- Destructive behaviors out of frustration
- Hypervigilance and being easily startled
- Increased reactivity to movement
- Obsession with balls, toys, or other moving objects
- Disturbed sleep patterns
- Digestive upsets
- A compromised immune system over time
- Burnout and exhaustion
Contact East Valley K9 Today
Does this all sound familiar? Essentially, by thinking you’re doing the right thing and playing fetch with your working dog, you can accidently create a dog who is neurologically stuck in that primal, hunting mindset, struggling to truly relax. If you recognize that in your working dog, we can help with that.
Contact the East Valley K9 team today and ask about our Behavior Modification private training programs. In part 2 of this blog, we explore different ways to fulfill that prey drive, some alternatives to playing fetch that are better for your working dog.
* For more on canine neurology, resources like appliedanimalbehaviour.com offer insightful research.
Author: Brandy Girot, CPDT-KA
