Overweight dogs and fetch.

For a dog with a health issue such as weight, you could try to focusing more on the quality of the walk itself and activities he's already comfortable with. Exercises like fetch are good for an overweight dog who enjoys the game but I would take a look at what could be causing him to be so heavy first.  Since he is a golden, I would worry about the health problems associated with weight gain and aging.  Hip dysplasia and arthritis are very common in the breed so you might want to consider what his limitations are in order not to stress his joints too much. Some dogs just don't care for the game of fetch and I don't see a need to force a dog to play a game if it's not as meaningful to the dog as it is for the handler.  I understand he is not your dog so you have little control over his diet but I think it would be a good idea to mention to the owner why it is important to monitor what he eats so that it would not be problematic to add more play to his routine. Goldens are a breed that usually love food, so much in fact, that many do become overweight and this does become a major problem with expensive vet bills.

My Georgia was a bit on the plump side but she was also hypothyroid which made maintaining her weight very challanging.  She would become tiered easy and I could only play very short games with her.  I concentrated on her diet, medication and providing her a good lifestyle over trying to make her do things she was not a natural at.  She only lived to 4 years of age before the seziures started but she had a great life.

 At first, only two or three repetitions.  Quit while it is still fun.  Quit on a good retrieve.  With lots of retriever breeds, the retrieve is the reward.

I've never had any success using food for fetch, either to make a dog interested in a toy or to "shape" fetching (as far as play goes, I do use food to shape formal retrieves).  To me putting food in a toy is sort of conflicting b/c there's hunt drive and there's prey drive and for the most enjoyable fetch I want the dog aroused in prey drive.  I think fetch is something a dog either enjoys or does not, but certainly they can grow to enjoy it more if they are showing some interest at first.  I use a two toy method, throw one and then use the other to either lure the dog back and/or get him to drop the first one.  Sometimes instead of a big air toss I throw the ball hard so it skips and rolls on the ground sort of like a fleeing prey animal.  Especially with a fat dog you don't want the dog leaping into the air for a catch right away.

 How overweight are we talking? Tootsie was 7 lbs. overweight last July and she fetched. Now shes at a healthy Corgi weight.

Liesje

've never had any success using food for fetch, either to make a dog interested in a toy or to "shape" fetching (as far as play goes, I do use food to shape formal retrieves).  To me putting food in a toy is sort of conflicting b/c there's hunt drive and there's prey drive and for the most enjoyable fetch I want the dog aroused in prey drive. 

Hi Liesje

I think that this is where our drive understandings lead us astray somewhat with some dogs. As i say i prefer to think in modes and switch to drives to talk to others. I think that most dogs go for toys in play mode and mimic prey type activities, but the body language isn't there to suggest that prey drive or the drive for the kill is there EXCEPT for two dogs that i have seen in the last couple of years who were working line GSDS. Using affective terminology, we would say that the dogs are in SEEKING mode which incorporates Predatory aggression. It seemed that both saw a toy as a  prey item and were indeed killing it. The body language strongly suggested that prey drive was on the agenda. It is hard to suggest to many that their is indeed a difference. I do indeed want a puppy from one of the bitches (they both were bitches) before you ask me, and do have my name down :) Thank goodness one of the bitches is owned by a very good friend

Paradoxically, the other mode is PLAY. It is tricker to get dogs to go into and stay in. As a poodle owner, it is where i need to head because small poodles have intense short duration prey dirve which doesn't really suit the requirements of many of our obedience exercises.

My latest confusion is seeing some success with using C+T food and some body posturing work with increasing a dog's interest onto a tug toy as a secodnary reinforcer. I am doing it with my boy poodle right now to see what happens. He is insane about two toys, both of which are difficult to work with and cause me some pain. One is a particular squeaky ball on a string. Another is a stuffed toy with a squeaky which lasts about 5 minutes and is ofen out of stock. I would love him to love this tuggy with a nice long bungee lead on it that woul dlook after my back