Excessive ball playing

18 16:51:23

Question

Spooky My Black Lab/German Shepard mix will retrieve a ball for hours if someone will throw it for her. Is this excessive behavior and should I limit or eliminate this play.

Answer
It's not really abnormal behavior, especially for a combination of really high-drive breeds. You may want to use this ball drive as a training tool. Work on teaching her some basic obedience, and self control exercises and you can use the ball as a reward for correct performance. Ask her to work with you before throwing the ball. And then you decide when the game ends, not her. While retrieving is good exercise, and satisfying for her, she needs to also do things which encourage self control and mental exercise. Sandy Case BFA MEd CPDT www.positivelycanine.com

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