06/03/2026
Ball obsession causes very big problems!
They love it.
They chase it.
They can’t stop.
So what’s the big deal?
It’s their favourite game and they really, really enjoy it.
They can’t take their eyes off the ball once they spot it and it looks like pure fun from the outside.
But something else has changed.
They don’t sniff and explore like they used to and now fetch has started to replace everything else.
When the ball is put away, they stare at the top of the fridge where it lives and the whining slowly starts. So five minutes before you finally sit down with a cuppa, the ball comes down again and the second they see it, their focus locks on completely.
They need more now.
Have you noticed that need slowly increasing?
They can’t settle at night unless you throw the ball for another 15 minutes and what used to be five minutes outside has turned into several five minute sessions, even indoors.
At the park today they needed 20 minutes with the ball thrower. A few months ago, five minutes was enough.
So what's changed?
Your dog hasn’t just found a favourite game. They're stuck in a powerful "loop" of adrenaline that keeps their arousal high (very high). It makes switching off harder and that drives the constant need for more and more.
That “fun” is doing more than we think.
Enough has started to become never enough.
