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Doggie tetherball court - is it safe for my dogs' joints?
I DO plan on asking my vet about this as soon as I take my dogs in next, but I just moved in August and haven't even found a regular vet here yet (I'm unwilling to go to just any vet), so...
The house I just moved into has a huge oak tree in the backyard that my husband attached two very large balls to with rope. Basically, if you can imagine dogs playing tetherball, that's what it is. They leap around and bounce the ball with their noses and mouths. They LOVE it, and they get way more exercise "playing tetherball" than we can give them simply by walking them... I mean, they'll do it for hours.
But is all this jumping around bad for their joints? I have a Mastiff (she's the most into it by far), a Lab, and a Border Collie/mix. I'm feeding them Canidae, though now I'm considering switching to a brand with more protein.
Thanks Mark, though my husband rednecked up my yard in the process, I'm pretty happy with the result. But my dogs aren't young, and that's a lot of shock their elbows and knees are absorbing from the constant jumping up and down.
2 Answers
- markmartin4lifeLv 41 decade agoFavourite answer
I think it's OK. It sounds like a really fun an innovative way to keep them stimulated and busy. I would definitely ask your vet, because he/she is more reliable than anyone on the internet, but I don't see a problem with it.
Why don't you try limiting the amount of time they can play with it? For like 1 hour a day or something.
Good luck :)
