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Science

Dogs: that’s why they love to bring the ball back

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If you are walking outdoors, it is easy to meet someone playing with their dog. The most common is the throw of the retrieval which takes place with the throwing of the stick or a ball . Why do dogs have so much fun in this game? The game of throwing a distant object is as old as the world and seems to remain imprinted in human and animal DNA. It appears as a completely natural mechanism. And perhaps it was born just like that, spontaneously, amusing both man and animal. A game of trust and pleasure between individuals.

If we analyze the game better we go to see what the dog derives from. First of all, there is collaborative motivation , or doing something together. Then the predatory motivation , or the satisfaction felt by a dog that moves quickly to chase something. Finally, the syllegic motivation which is the satisfaction of transporting something to an affiliate or partner.

The dog feels positive emotions and therefore wants the game to repeat itself. So much so that sometimes it is the animal itself that triggers this game. For us humans, on the other hand, where are gratification and fulfillment ? For us too, the fact that it is a game played together applies when there is complicity with a being of another species. We are thrilled by the strength that our playmate puts in and the funny movements he makes to grab the ball. For us there is also the great satisfaction that the dog brings the ball back. Here we live a lot of positive emotions, we improve our performances and we are also a little envious of his athletic skills. A nourishment of empathy and creativity.

However, there are also negative aspects . Dogs can get hurt by their excessive eagerness to play. They can cause sprains, muscle tears or bumps. It is necessary to take into account many factors such as the size and overall weight of the dog, but also the emotional intensity and its age. Other important aspects are the morphological structure of the dog ‘s skull and the respiratory system . We risk giving the animal a heatstroke if these games are played in the summer heat and if they are dogs with severe cranial deformities.

Then another factor is the psychology of the fetch game, linked to chasing and predatory motivation. The danger exists if the game of fetch is proposed continuously. A way that then triggers in the dog the search for a maniacal satisfaction even in inappropriate contexts. You risk sending the dog into hyperactivity . A dog by itself, at times, gives more weight to the syllegic motivation, the satisfaction in chasing something. Maybe then there is a risk, at times, that the dog will not have too much fun by stopping to participate in the game. In conclusion, we invite people to common sense with a minimum of in-depth knowledge. A way to understand “how”, “when”, “where” and “if” to propose this type of game to our dog.

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  • Why do dogs like to bring the ball back? (kodami.it)

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