Playing fetch in the house

[Christy&Riley]

You know how athletes have more injuries on AstroTurf? I was wondering if dogs have similar problems on carpet. Riley loves to run around and chase toys but we've been hesitant lately because of the carpet. Had one scare with a possible cruciate tear so a bit gun shy now. I don't want her to get twisted in the carpet. Just curious if anyone had thoughts on playing in the house. Thanks!

[Shari Becker]

We play a controlled fetch in our hardwood floor-ed hallway. We use soft toys and clear the space out as much as possible. We HAVE to use this space - esp. in this cold - because it's the only way to burn off energy when we can't get out.... We definitely try to manage the intensity. Balls get rolled or soft toys get thrown gently. She slides for sure, but there's not enough room or pace for her to build up too much momentum.  

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Our play indoors is very controlled...even more so as Enz gets larger. Soft toys and rolling of a ball....but sometimes, it can be like a bull in a china cabinet.
We also do the hide and seek game. I usually hide a high valued toy and she runs to seek. We laughed the other day, She went and found her toy( I had hit it under the desk in my husbands study). Came back into the kitchen with the toy...turned around left...and came back without the toy! She just stood at loomed at us like : It's YOUR turn to find it! She brought it I to a guest bathroom! Not sure if she knew what she was doing or not!
We have all marble floors with area rugs. She slipped and slid as a puppy,but getting better at floor surfing. ;)

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

How does Enzo know you have hidden something to go look for? I'm wondering how you initiate the game to begin with.
Sounds fun

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Leslie, when Tara and I started playing this game I began by using an object with a strong smell (her kibble) and "hid" it where she could watch while she stayed in a down position. Then I would release her to "find it". I just gradually moved the object further and further away and down the hall into other rooms. Now I can use toys and items without such a strong sent and hide them out of sight in a distant room.  You will know if you are moving along too quickly because Yogi won't be able to find it without help. But they catch on pretty fast and you're right  it is a lot of fun for both of us. Pretty soon the hard part is finding new places to hide things because they remember all the old spots!

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Leslie:  Enzo loves to retrieve.  Over, and over, and over........

Her command is : "find it".  I started out putting her in a sit-stay or down-stay....(great training  opportunities too) and letting her watch me where I put her toy.  It is usually her highly regarded pink Kong ;)   I come back to her and release her and give her her command to "find it".   She'd run right to the spot and bring it back.  I just slowly expanded the area, with at first, letting her see where I placed it, and then started putting it out in the open, but in different rooms.  Then it started being hid, a bit harder for her....behind a chair or at the edge of being under a bed.  It is amazing to watch the learning process!   At first, she always went to the last spot she retrieved from....then slowly sniffed it out.  I love watching her "find it" and always make a "huge to do" of it when she brings it back to me.  She loves this game and we can do it for an hr. straight and she would never grow tired of it!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Just Fetch!   We do it all day long.  My lamps and walls have certainly been the ones damaged, not my dog.  If it can be thrown, we throw. It's our job to throw  :)

Spud going off the back of the couch.

He LOVES to slide on the hardwood floors just a like a baseball player.   It's -7 degrees, so we are playing inside

[Lonnie & Libby Lu]

Love these pictures Joanne!   His face in the bottome left is so cute!  We play fetch indoors all the time.  Libby loves it and so far everything is good!  She also knows the exact times we play it too!  Do any of your dogs sit and start barking like "time for fetch"? Of course the ball is at her feet!

[Pat and Traveler]

Such cute pictures, Joanne!  Spud is a demon for that fetching!

[Christy&Riley]

Fun to hear what everyone does! Riley has basically one play speed...overdrive! I wish we could do a controlled play time. Just like everyone mentioned, we also put her in a down stay in the kitchen, hide a toy and then say find it. She goes tearing through the house on a mission. Hysterical to watch as she is so focused. She also tries to cheat and belly crawl to see where we go. Of course, belly crawls aren't new for her. We put her in a down stay by the front door and if we aren't paying attention she will gradually crawl towards us really quietly. Just...need...to...get....a...little....closer...... It's amazing how she remembers every place she found the toy before and goes back to check those locations. She cuts around the tight corners like a skier and never slows down in the turn. Our house is small but she somehow finds a way to pick up some major speed. I wish I could bottle that energy!

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Riley sounds like quite the character! LOL over her belly crawl-it sounds adorable!

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

This sounds so adorably cute. What a character!

[Christy&Riley]

My favorite belly crawl story. I was on the floor painting my toenails and Riley was going nuts with the smell and kept getting in the way. My husband put her in a down stay to my left so she could watch but wouldn't knock over the bottle. Before I know it, she has crawled over and had her chin resting on my left leg so she could get a better view as I worked on my right foot. The cute doodle face with the shaggy hair in her eyes was too cute. We really have been blessed with her! Now, if I could just get her to "drop it" and "leave it." :-)