# Exercise by 'Stair Fetch'??



## im_nice1 (Mar 12, 2009)

we have a 10 month old lab mix puppy. today she and I discovered a new kind of game of 'fetch'..wherein i threw the ball down from the top of the staircase and she climbed down to get the ball and then climbed back with it. she was tired after about 5 fetches..much more easily than she is after a normal game of fetch. seemed like a feasible exercise game to me...kinda like the stairmaster rather than the treadmill.

I am thinking of incorporating the 'stair-fetch' into her exercise regularly. Is that ok? or is it harmful to the dog in any way? (Just fyi she gets for 3 intense exercise-plays of 15 min each plus 2 walks everyday.)


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## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

Umm, I'd be careful doing alot of that in a still-growing large breed puppy. It puts extra stress on joints that are still developing.

In moderation it's probably okay though.


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## im_nice1 (Mar 12, 2009)

thanks MissMutt,

i was worried abt the stress on joints coz i read that one should not take a dog running before 12 mnths for precisely that reason.


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## zhaor (Jul 2, 2009)

one thing I would worry about with any dog and stairs is slipping. I've seen my dog slip a few times. Hell, I've slipped on stairs . Though he never have hurt himself, I always try to have my dog go down stairs slowly. It seems like if you get them all riled up, slipping is more likely and injury either from slipping or falling could occur. Maybe I'm just paranoid but I would never play with my dog on stairs.


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## Binkalette (Dec 16, 2008)

lol.. Zoey will play stair fetch all by herself! My mom got her this green ball a few months ago.. and five minutes into having it, we see Zoey sitting at the top of the stairs with it.. and she pushes it down with her nose and then chases after it like a maniac.. Once she catches it.. she brings it back and does it again


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## Adustgerm (Jul 29, 2009)

The only thing that's dangerous about my dog and the stairs is that I trip over her at the bottom.


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## princesstiffany (Mar 26, 2009)

Binkalette said:


> lol.. Zoey will play stair fetch all by herself! My mom got her this green ball a few months ago.. and five minutes into having it, we see Zoey sitting at the top of the stairs with it.. and she pushes it down with her nose and then chases after it like a maniac.. Once she catches it.. she brings it back and does it again


my akita does that to. self taught one day when i was cleaning out our back room. i kept hearing her run up and down the stairs, so i peeked my head out, she looked at me. dropped the tennis ball, then nosed it to the edge of the stairs...then pushed it off. 

she also likes playing the lazy way, my husband will throw the ball up to her and she will either toss it back down or roll it back down!


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## im_nice1 (Mar 12, 2009)

Thanks all for your replies.. our stairs are carpeted so no danger of the puppy slipping plus she is very agile.


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

I love to do that! Although my dog doesn't fetch, she will run down to the ball and run back up. But her best friend can stair fetch for hours! I'm serious. She continuously wants you to throw the ball again even after 40 min of non stop running up and down the stairs. She's very fit hehehe.

I think it's fine since you're puppy is already older, her bones are probably not growing unbelievably fast anymore. Try only maybe 5-10 min a day, don't overdo it. Should be fun! It's a great way to make a dog tired.


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## melgrj7 (Sep 21, 2007)

When we lived where the stairs were carpeted we used to do this with Lloyd in the winter when it was really nasty out. Toss the ball down the stairs, he would run and get it and run back up. We only did this when he was a year old +, and only for 10-15 minutes at a time, never more.


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

im_nice1 said:


> thanks MissMutt,
> 
> i was worried abt the stress on joints coz i read that one should not take a dog running before 12 mnths for precisely that reason.


In addition, there's the risk of injury from a fall, should your puppy get too enthusiastic, or simply loose his footing and slip. I enforce calm walking on stairs for just that reason. I know of someone whose ADULT Standard Poodle broke his neck in a mad dash down the stairs.


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## zimandtakandgrrandmimi (May 8, 2008)

I play a version of this with the Bolo..

we both stand at the bottom of the stairs and I bounce the ball off of a top step and it goes flying back at us and she will jump for it and try to catch and if she doesn't catch it she will go chasing after it and then bring it to me to do again.

we call it K9 racketball here...also can be played off walls but stairs are nicer because I can vary the height and angle the ball comes flying back at her by aiming for different steps..


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## scropper (May 26, 2009)

Binkalette said:


> lol.. Zoey will play stair fetch all by herself! My mom got her this green ball a few months ago.. and five minutes into having it, we see Zoey sitting at the top of the stairs with it.. and she pushes it down with her nose and then chases after it like a maniac.. Once she catches it.. she brings it back and does it again


haha my puppy discovered this fun solo game just a few days ago! although now she thinks she's tough stuff and tries to carry huge toys up the steps with her and she just can't do it. haha! but she loves throwing her ball down the steps and going after it. she will also throw her keys (for puppies at petsmart) across the room with her mouth and then go get it! i love being able to lay on the couch and get some rest and watch her play like a good girl by herself. lol.


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