07/10/2025
Why “Find it!” trumps “Fetch!” every time
Fetch looks innocent enough: a ball flying through the air, a dog sprinting flat-out, tail high, adrenaline pumping. But scratch beneath the surface and it’s not harmless fun — it’s a recipe for obsession, injury, and exhaustion. The repeated, jarring stops tear at joints and ligaments. The endless chasing whips the body into a frenzy, flooding it with stress hormones. And all the while, the dog is being sent further and further away from you, learning nothing except how to spiral into fixation.
It doesn’t end when the ball drops, either. Fetch leaves many dogs restless, wired, and agitated — desperate for the next throw, unable to switch off. That manic glint in the eye? That’s not joy. It’s the addictive pull of a game that never satisfies. Over time, what started as “fun” can look a lot like compulsion, with owners left holding the launcher while their dog hurtles towards burnout.
Now compare that with the simple magic of “find it.” Instead of pounding joints into the ground, the nose takes the lead. Searching is low impact, deeply rewarding, and neurologically calming. Every successful find releases dopamine and endorphins — nature’s own antidote to stress. Problem-solving builds resilience, sniffing builds confidence, and best of all, the game keeps your dog close to you, not disappearing into the distance.
Where fetch frays the body and winds up the brain, “find it” restores balance. It leaves dogs satisfied, fulfilled, and ready to rest. It nurtures calm focus rather than frantic chaos, and it strengthens your connection instead of pushing it away with every throw.
And of course… “find it!” isn’t just a game. It’s the bedrock of scent detection training — the path to something far more rewarding than any game of fetch could ever offer. 😉
