6 Month old Kelpie suddenly scared of frissbe.

[willg]

I have a 6 month year old Kelpie (3 months in pic). She's well trained and sits, drops, stays, comes, heels, gives things back etc. all really well. I got her at 8 weeks old and played frissbe with her everyday since then.

She used to love it and would go for an hour twice a day. But lately around when i started working fulltime she has lost interest. I don’t think this has anything to do with it. She doesn't destroy the yard or anything like that so I don't think she minds, she has an older dog and a cat too keep her company

She used to get all excited when I said frissbe but when we get down to the park or beach if I throw it she will just stare at me and get really timid not want to come or anything. She acts like she is really scared of it. If I sit down shell nestle in me looking really afraid and facing away from wherever the frissbe is. No matter how much I try to jump around and and get her to play with it she doesn't want anything to do with it. I have no idea what it could be, she’s acting like she’s had a really bad experience with the frissbe which she hasn’t. I have no idea what to do. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Edited August 31, 2017 by willg

[willg]

I forgot to add that she acted like this a little bit when she was tired of it after an hour or so. She would put her ears back and not want to carry it back to the car like she used too. She wanted to play for less amounts of time gradually when this week on Monday she only did 3 catches before stopping and she hasn't wanted to at all since then.

[Diva]

Maybe she is sore, you say she hasn't had a bad experience but she could have hurt herself going for it and given little sign at the time. Is she 6 months? I assume she is well over teething. 

[Dogsfevr]

My first thoughts are soreness ,your pup has done a lot of exercise for its age and frisbee is high impact on growing joints .

I would be looking at a dog chiro or Bowen or a vet visit 

[willg]

She has finished teething, a few came out from the frissbe. I'll take her in tomorrow to make sure she hasn't been injured. She still will fetch a stick with enthusiasm but I don't want to get her to get obsessed with them so I have only done it a few times. Thanks for the advice I should've thought of that she does go really hard with the frissbe.

[Tassie]

Hope you've just been doing rollers with the Frisbee, rather than throws ... and limiting the number of times she gets it in one session.  As has been said, you ideally need to limit and stage the amount of hard exercise a young dog gets.  If your Kelpie pup is anything like my BC (similar age) , self preservation is not part of their vocabulary.   Until their growth plates have closed, it's safer to follow the principle of "just because they can do something, doesn't mean they should do it", and become the play police, limiting and varying the exercise routine, and ensuring plenty of down time.  (Coming from an agility viewpoint - I want my dogs in the game for a long time, and as injury free as possible.)

 

I'd be adding in a lot of varied trick training to exercise her brain while giving her body some different activities.  That will tire her our more quickly than repetitive physical exercise.

 

And second the physical check up.