Fetch: it’s a game played between dogs and their humans that’s as old as time.
There’s something about chasing and returning a favourite ball or Tug-E-Nuff toy that dogs of all ages and breeds just seem to love.
But why is it so appealing? In this week’s blog post, we decided to delve a bit deeper into the psychology behind a simple game of fetch.
1. It’s all about instinct
The first reason harks back to the dog’s oldest relative: the wolf. Experts have noted that wolves had an instinctive urge to carry their successfully-hunted prey back to their families. It follows, then, that this natural canine behaviour is something that has stayed with our four-legged friends even though pet dogs have long since been domesticated.
2. Selective breeding
But it’s also true that some dogs love fetch more than others. That’s because certain types of dog, such as the Labrador retriever, have been selectively bred for their ability to hunt down and retrieve things for humans.
Dogs that were good at ‘fetching’ will have inevitably passed on these skills to their puppies. So although it’s unlikely you send out your dog to catch and bring home dinner for the family, he or she is still tapping into the inherited urge to fetch passed on by their ancestors.
If you're the owner of a ball loving Retriever, check out our top toy picks right here.
Perhaps there’s another final reason why dogs simply love a good game of fetch – it’s FUN!
3. Bond-boosting
The only thing your dog loves more that their favourite toy is quality time with you – and playing fetch offers the perfect opportunity to enjoy some one-to-one time.
Doggy psychology experts also claim that a game of fetch stimulates the reward regions of a dog’s brain so playing simply feels good, which might help explain why it’s a game they never seem to tire of.
It’s also a really great opportunity to strengthen your bond, which can help you reap rewards when training or just during every day life.
If your dog loves playing fetch with a stick or tennis ball, imagine how much they’ll love playing with one of our dog training toys that have been cleverly designed to motivate and excite dogs of all shapes and sizes.
Some havein-built ballswhile others have secretfood pouches. Others even havereal animal fur incorporatedto tap into that instinctive hunting urge we talked about earlier.
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How to teach your dog to play fetch safely
