You know how I'm always banging on about why I don't like ball throwers? Well, on our recent holiday, I did something that shocked even myself - I bought one. Yes, you read that correctly. I, Debbie Potter, the woman who's spent ages explaining why these contraptions aren't brilliant for our dogs, actually purchased a ball thrower.
The Holiday Context
We always go to the same cottage each year (I'm boring like that but it means the dogs know exactly what to expect). This year brought some lovely observations - my youngest showing brilliant progress with his confidence but sadly, my eldest clearly struggling more than last year due to his health complications.
Then there's Rem, my middle dog. He's... special. I genuinely believe he's autistic – my whole family's neurodiverse so I recognise the signs. Rem forms associations lightning-fast. Do something once and in his mind, that's a rule forever. Case in point: he once found a tennis ball in a bin at our local secure field. A year later, he still checks every single bin we pass, just in case there's treasure inside.
The Sandy Problem
Rem absolutely adores tennis balls and the beach means ball time. But after throwing a wet, sandy, slobbery ball repeatedly, my hands were absolutely grim. The kids wanted to join in but couldn't bear touching the sandy ball (sensory issues). So when we wandered into the beach shop and spotted a ball thrower, I thought, "Why not? It's just a tool to keep my hands clean."
My logic seemed sound: we already had strict rules about ball play, Rem understood beach time meant ball time and I'd only use it for a couple of days. What could possibly go wrong?
The Fascinating Results
Well, quite a lot actually. Within just two days of using this bloody thing, everything changed - and not in a good way.
Lost Connection
First off, the connection between Rem and me practically vanished. Normally, he's glued to my side (lovely but sometimes frustrating when you just want him to be a dog). With the ball thrower, he started hanging about much further away from me, almost like the reward was happening "over there" rather than with me. That close bond we'd built was gone.
The Cue Confusion
Here's something I hadn't considered: Rem's "thank you" cue means "put it in my hand," not "drop it on the floor." So despite having this fancy tool to avoid touching the slobbery ball, I was still getting a sandy hand because he kept bringing it directly to me. The tool was useless for its intended purpose!
Obsession Overload
The moment I picked up that ball thrower, Rem lost his marbles. Our normally calm walk to the beach became a jumping, grabbing, over-excited mess. He'd become obsessed with the stick itself, even when it was empty. His self-control went right out the window.
The Final Straw
The icing on the cake was on day two, when another dog walker lifted their ball thrower. Rem shot off towards them expecting his reward. He'd formed such a strong association that any ball thrower meant "amazing things happen here."
The Bigger Picture
It fascinated me how quickly these changes happened. Two half-hour beach walks and his entire behaviour pattern shifted. It really hammered home why I'm not keen on these things in the first place. They create rewards that happen away from you, potentially weakening that crucial bond.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you shouldn't use one if it works for you. We've all used equipment we wouldn't touch now (I found a photo of myself walking three dogs on extendable leads – the horror!). But it's worth being aware of the subtle changes they might create.
What Happened on Holiday Stays on Holiday
The ball thrower? Straight in the bin when we got home. While Rem had the time of his life, it didn't solve my sandy hand problem and created far more issues than it solved. Sometimes the old-fashioned way really is the best.
The experience reminded me how quickly our dogs form associations and how even small changes in our routine can have bigger impacts than we realise. It's worth keeping an eye on these things, whether you're introducing new equipment or trying different training methods.
Next yea, I'll be back to throwing balls the traditional way, sandy hands and all. Some experiments are worth doing once, just to confirm what you already suspected!
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