06/07/2022
NOW that we’ve got your attention, ball size is very important! One ball doesn’t fit all dogs. The last thing you want is an chocking accident occurring because of a wrong size ball. 🎾🏀⚽️🥎
Balls!
The size, texture, shape and the amount of time playing with them matters!
They can be the most exciting thing to play with and most dogs love them, but ......
Please be aware of the dangers
Size - Choking is a big hazard so please make sure the ball is too big to go down the throat
It should be just big enough to hold in the mouth, but to big to go down the throat
Texture- tennis balls are very abrasive so gradually wear the dog’s teeth down
This gradual wearing down of the tooth enamel is referred to as “blunting.” its irreversible damage
Shape - balls with no holes in (especially solid rubber ones that get slimy) can be a real choking hazard. I would recommend a "breathe easy" ball (pic in comments) as if it does get stuck the dog can still breathe, or a rope ball
And Time- you may think repeatedly throwing a ball for a dog to chase will burn off energy and wear it out right??
WRONG , to much hard physical exercise does more harm than good.
Apart from the obvious physical issues and injuries it causes in the joints, there are many other issues associated with repetitive ball chasing.
When dogs can get over aroused, their heartrate and respiration will rapidly increase, and they will have very poor impulse control.
They may jump around or on you, could have dilated pupils, chattering teeth, be mouthy, spin, pace or circle, or be very vocal. (Accidents happen very easily at this stage)
When a dog gets in a hyper aroused state the body releases adrenaline, then with the repeated exposure to this adrenaline from continued ball chasing, cortisol gets released into the body.
These hormones can hang around for hours even days or weeks.
Therefore if your dog is engaging in these activities daily, the body never has time to recover so dogs are over excitable or reactive.
All things should be done in moderation
Have fun but stay safe
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