30/03/2025
We are moving forward when we reflect on our previous perceptions.
There is a question I get asked constantly:
โBart, should I play fetch with my dog every day? He LOVES it!โ
And my answer is always the same:
No. Especially not with working breeds like the Malinois, German Shepherd, Dutch Shepherd, or any other high-prey-drive dog, like hunting dogs, Agility dogs, etc.
This answer is often met with surprise, sometimes with resistance. I get itโyour dog brings you the ball, eyes bright, body full of energy, practically begging you to throw it. It feels like bonding. It feels like exercise. It feels like the right thing to do.
But from a scientific, behavioral, and neurobiological perspectiveโitโs not. In fact, it may be one of the most harmful daily habits for your dogโs mental health and nervous system regulation that no one is warning you about.
Let me break it down for you in detail. This will be long, but if you have a working dog, you need to understand this.
Working dogs like the Malinois and German Shepherd were selected over generations for their intensity, persistence, and drive to engage in behaviors tied to the prey sequence: orient, stalk, chase, grab, bite, kill. In their role as police, protection, herding, or military dogs, these genetically encoded motor patterns are partially utilizedโbut directed toward human-defined tasks.
Fetch is an artificial mimicry of this prey sequence.
โข Ball = prey
โข Throwing = movement stimulus
โข Chase = reinforcement
โข Grab and return = closure and Reward - Reinforecment again.
Every time you throw that ball, youโre not just giving your dog โexercise.โ You are triggering an evolutionary motor pattern that was designed to result in the death of prey. But hereโs the twist:
The "kill bite" never comes.
Thereโs no closure. No end. No satisfaction, Except when he start chewing on the ball by himself, which lead to even more problems. So the dog is neurologically left in a state of arousal.
When your dog sees that ball, his brain lights up with dopamine. Anticipation, motivation, drive. When you throw it, adrenaline kicks in. It becomes a cocktail of high arousal and primal intensity.
Dopamine is not the reward chemicalโitโs the pursuit chemical. It creates the urge to chase, to repeat the behavior. Adrenaline and cortisol, stress hormones, spike during the chase. Even though the dog โgets the ball,โ the biological closure never really happensโbecause the pattern is reset, again and again, with each throw.
Now imagine doing this every single day.
The dogโs brain begins to wire itself for a constant state of high alert, constantly expecting arousal, movement, and stimulation. This is how we create chronic stress.
The autonomic nervous system has two main branches:
โข Sympathetic Nervous System โ โFight, flight, chaseโ
โข Parasympathetic Nervous System โ โRest, digest, recoverโ
Fetch, as a prey-driven game, stimulates the sympathetic system. The problem? Most owners never help the dog come down from that state.
Thereโs no decompression, no parasympathetic activation, no transition into rest.
Chronic sympathetic dominance leads to:
โข Panting, pacing, inability to settle
โข Destructive behaviors
โข Hypervigilance
โข Reactivity to movement
โข Obsession with balls, toys, other dogs
โข Poor sleep cycles
โข Digestive issues
โข A weakened immune system over time
โข Behavioral burnout
In essence, weโre creating a dog who is neurologically trapped in the primal mindโalways hunting, never resting.
Expectation Is a Form of Pressure!!!!!!
When fetch becomes a daily ritual, your dog begins to expect it.This is no longer โfun.โ Itโs a conditioned need. And when that need is not met?
Stress. Frustration. Obsession.
A dog who expects to chase every day but doesnโt get it may begin redirecting that drive elsewhereโchasing shadows, lights, children, other dogs, cars.
This is how pathological behavior patterns form.
Many people use fetch as a shortcut for physical exercise.
But movement is not the same as regulation.
Throwing a ball 100 times does not tire out a working dogโit wires him tighter.
What these dogs need is:
โข Cognitive engagement
โข Problem solving
โข Relationship-based training
โข Impulse control and on/off switches
โข Scentwork or tracking to satisfy the nose-brain connection
โข Regulated physical outlets like structured walks, swimming, tug with rules, or balanced sport work
โข Recovery time in a calm environment
But What About Drive Fulfillment? Donโt They Need an Outlet?
Yes, and hereโs the nuance:
Drive should be fulfilled strategically, not passively or impulsively. This is where real training philosophy comes in.
Instead of free-for-all ball throwing, I recommend:
โข Tug with rules of out, impulse control, and handler engagement
โข Controlled prey play with a flirt pole, used sparingly
โข Engagement-based drive work with clear start and stop signals
โข Training sessions that integrate drive, control, and reward
โข Activities like search games, mantrailing, or protection sport with balance
โข Working on โdown in driveโ โ the ability to switch from arousal to rest
This builds a thinking dog, not a reactive one. The Bottom Line: Just Because He Loves It Doesnโt Mean Itโs Good for Him
Your Malinois, German Shepherd, Dutchie, or other working dog may love the ball. He may bring it to you with joy. But the question is not what he likesโitโs what he needs.
A child may love candy every day, but a good parent knows better. As a trainer, handler, and caretaker, itโs your responsibility to think long term.
Youโre not raising a dog for this moment. Youโre developing a life companion, a regulated athlete, a resilient thinker.
So noโI donโt recommend playing ball every day.
Because every throw is a reinforcement of the primal mind.
And the primal mind, unchecked, cannot be reasoned with. It cannot self-regulate. It becomes a slave to its own instincts.
Train your dog to engage with you, not just the object. Teach arousal with control, play with purpose, and rest with confidence.
Your dog deserves better than obsession.He deserves balance. He deserves youโnot just the ball.
Bart De Gols
