Whilst it may be fun to constantly play fetch on a walk and you may think this is the best way to wear out your dog, there is actually a lot of research out there that suggests the opposite. Physically it’s very strenuous and can involve a lot of twisting and landing awkwardly when your dog plays fetch (for example by using a ball launcher) but also mentally it doesn’t do them much good. Such activities have been found to release surges of adrenaline, which can mean dogs struggle to relax after their walk. Could you have a nap after riding a rollercoaster?
If you need to tire out a hyper dog often the best thing to do is stimulate them mentally. Do some training with them with food or play some scent games in the garden. You could offer them a kong stuffed with frozen food, give them an interactive feeding bowl with food in or simply scatter their food in the garden for them to find. Utilise your dog’s meal for such activities to help tire them.
Do not throw sticks for them or encourage them to play with sticks.
Ensure balls are the right size for your dog and if they are rubber and have a hole on one side, ensure there is a hole on the opposite side. Balls on ropes are safer than balls on their own.
It’s very easy to over exercise a puppy, which can affect their long-term health. A good rule of thumb is 5 minutes of exercise per month of age, twice a day. If your pup shows signs of being tired, go at their pace.
Activities such as jogging and agility shouldn’t be started until your pup is finished growing and at that point should be built up slowly. Please also remember that if you go jogging with your dog you should never make them run for long periods on concrete as it isn’t good for their joints or pads
