Fetch - Frisbee, Why? - Fun!

I am back from visiting my mother in Florida - where I am known as the Rain Queen. Seems it hadn't rained in 7 weeks and then I show up and it rained for 7 days straight. Good thing I didn't bring Kanji with me - rain and wet are not his favorite things. His stay at "summer camp" was great - good food (I think he gained weight - but so did I so I can not point that out to him) and lots of outdoor fun ( a lot more then was available to me). As with most dogs - Fetch - is his favorite game. Not sure the point of it but that doesn't seem to stop Kanji and his pal Woodie from wanting to be outside doing it 24/7. Which then brings up the question - What's the best thing to use for Fetching?

Most dogs do fine playing fetch with tennis balls. But, like all things in life, tennis balls have risks. Some dogs may actually swallow tennis balls whole, leading to intestinal obstruction. And, although tennis balls are generally durable, they occasionally come unravelled. Some dogs have a knack for breaking apart tennis balls and swallowing the pieces–leading to intestinal obstruction. Another common problem with tennis balls is possible damage to the teeth. Tennis balls are highly abrasive. Dogs that chew or grind excessively on tennis balls may suffer severe dental wear. The wear most often occurs on the canine teeth (fangs) and the teeth directly behind them. Neither Kanji or his pal Woody appear to be excessive chewers while they play fetch but a less abrasive option is a rubber ball. A warning about rubber balls, they may be less durable than tennis balls and some can deflate and dogs may swallow them and suffer intestinal obstructions.

Other Fetchable items include Frisbees and sticks (real or rubber). But is playing Frisbee safe? Although acrobatic leaps for frisbees may lead to injured knees, the running involved in fetching and frisbee catching helps to keep dogs fit, muscular and lean. And don’t forget that playing fetch or frisbee is fun. Having fun is part of the reason why people have dogs. Intense physical activity carries certain risks for dogs. But we all face risks every day. In most cases, the benefits of activities such as fetching or catching frisbees outweigh the risks.


Nothing in life is without risks so make sure you know your dogs habits and likes/dislikes.

At Cause to Paws we carry a variety of options in terms of balls, sticks and frisbees - soft, hard, rubber, fabric, floatable, recycled/recyclable, with and without squeakers - to make sure we have your dog covered.