For me it's almost always a no.
Repeatative 'fetch' type games can cause severe stress and potential damage to your dogs joints. All that high acceleration, sharp braking, potential skidding or unusual twisting can cause severe impact which can cause injury.
Repeatative chasing of a ball increases adrenaline and cortisol levels. You'll see many dogs that are frantic and almost obsessive about a ball. This increased arousal can cause dogs to make poor decisions and you might see reduced impulse control or increased frustration.
When walking multiple dogs even ones that get on well I simply won't take the risk that a dog could get guardy over a ball and cause potential fallout.
I don't want my reinforcement to come miles away from me. Good stuff should happen at me as we play together.
Now I'm not the ball police. I have a retriever who was bred for this type of activity. I do use balls for sniffy games and I do allow my dog opportunities to do their job of retrieving. I understand that some dogs feel more comfortable having a ball to carry sometimes. BUT I have rules to the game:
1. Throwing type games are played in quiet areas only where they will not draw the attention of other dogs and disturb their walk. Don't be one of those people that throws the ball straight into the path of incoming dogs!
2. Moderation! We have a couple of throws then the ball goes away. The dog can recover physically and arousal levels can drop.
3. Never throw for an injured dog.
4. Only throw once the dog is suitably warmed up to reduce risk of injury.
5. Throw straight and low. Avoid anything that causes your dog to jump and twist.
6. Be careful of your surfaces. Dogs can slip in wet soggy conditions. Too dry and the ground underfoot is hard and unforgiving.
7. Teach some control. Can your dog wait calmly until released to retrieve back to the handler?
I don't plan on giving up wine anytime soon so I believe that my dogs are also allowed a little indulgence of things that aren't so good for them, but keep it short and sweet to help keep it safe.
