08/15/2026
* Adult supervision should be hands-on and close, not watching from a distance.
* Ideally use two or more balls. The dog can drop one and chase another rather than the child trying to take a ball from the dog.
* Teach the child “hands off the dog’s ball.” An adult should retrieve it if necessary.
* Don’t encourage the toddler to chase the dog, and don’t let the dog chase or body-check the toddler.
* Keep sessions very short.
* Give the dog an easy way to leave the game. If the dog walks away, let them.
* Avoid playing in tight spaces where the dog or child could feel trapped.
* Consider the dog’s individual play style. A gentle retriever may be very different from a dog who becomes intensely focused, possessive, or highly aroused around balls.
* Teach the dog to “drop it”
Stop or pause if you see the dog becoming increasingly fast or frantic, jumping toward the child, grabbing near hands or clothing, barking repeatedly, unable to disengage, guarding the ball, freezing/stiffening, hovering over the toy, hard staring, repeatedly snatching, or ignoring attempts to interrupt the game.
Also watch for quieter signs that the dog has had enough: turning away, moving away, lip licking, suddenly sniffing, avoiding the child, ears changing position, becoming still, or repeatedly trying to create distance.
And watch the toddler’s behavior too. If they start chasing, hugging, climbing on the dog, taking toys directly from the dog’s mouth, falling onto the dog, squealing close to the dog’s face, or becoming too excited to follow the simple rules, the game is finished for now.
