Have you ever wondered why your dog is obsessed with the ball or playing fetch?
The simple answer, the dopamine high.
Dopamine is a chemical that is released by the brain when we experience something pleasurable or rewarding and it plays a role in pleasure, motivation and learning.
When it comes to playing fetch, chasing the ball releases high amounts of dopamine in your dog’s brain.
Playing fetch releases high amounts of dopamine in your dog’s brain, leading to a craving for that pleasurable feeling. Balancing fetch with other activities helps maintain a healthy dopamine balance and keeps your dog motivated for training and relaxation.Charlotte Bryan
Your dog’s brain, like ours, crave that dopamine high so it will always prioritise activities that release high levels of dopamine over activities that release low levels of dopamine such as training or relaxation.
Too much fetch or fetch on a daily basis leads to a constant state of high levels of dopamine in your dog’s brain which makes other activities that release less dopamine such as regular training and settling down less appealing and therefore your dog is less motivated to do them.
So to combat help combat the ball obsession, only give your dog the ball occasionally and don’t play too much at any one time or on a daily basis. Find other ways to physically exercise them and provide some mental stimulation too.
