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Chocolate Lab Retrieving ball Injuries

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DennisCTB
Join Date: Nov 1998
Posts: 2707 NorthWest NJ
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2017-07-09          196829

My Chocolate Labrador loves retrieving any kind of ball, but really loves the tennis ball size Chuckit balls. He was trained on bumpers, but he loves the Chuckit.

I have heard of several people that have over zealous dogs like mine in regards to retrieving balls. One had to be euthanized, another a series of surgeries that also did not end well.

I have found that he is less crazy if I use a ball about the size of a Softball.

Once conditioned to the ball his interest in bumpers is minimal, takes a couple of weeks of retraining off the ball to get anywhere, after he has been spoiled.


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Chocolate Lab Retrieving ball Injuries

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BigBoyBob
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 21
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2017-07-11          196837

Somehow I think the action of a tennis ball simulates a dogs native instinct to kill small prey. I have noticed my Dogs excitement increases dramatically if the tennis ball gets in a bush or is somehow hidden as if an animal was trying to escape the Dog.

Anyway good point to be careful... my dog has the same enthusiasm and would eagerly jump into the wood chipper if the ball was thrown into it !!!! ....

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Chocolate Lab Retrieving ball Injuries

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2017-07-12          196851

Wonder if the color of the ball could have something to do with it? They say their do not see colors or can tell colors but the yellow of a tennis ball may be real easy to pickup and a light color may not. ....

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Chocolate Lab Retrieving ball Injuries

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DennisCTB
Join Date: Nov 1998
Posts: 2707 NorthWest NJ
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2021-02-17          200050

Update Feb 2021

My Lab is 7 years old now and he is still crazy to retrieve.

In December all his energy resulted in him spraining his rear right leg, so much that he was hopping on three legs.

I got him a leg brace for both rear legs and this really helped him rehabilitat. Definitely made him slow down. After a little more than a week with braces, I took them off and his limp was mostly gone. A couple of weeks on leash only helped, and now he can go off leash and run around no limp.

He has done very little to no retrieving, only tried with bumpers not balls. His heart is not into the bumpers.

Have to see what we can do in moderation when the snow melts.

....

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