playing fetch with dog

I don't see it anywhere in the forum. Surely I should be able to count calories burned at park when I play fetch with my dog, but I don't see any of sort under cardio. The nearest I can find to it would be baseball/softball... To me, this means throwing back to back.

How we we figure on time as I wait for my dog to come back with ball then I toss again? He's the kind of dog,, he chases, pick ups, brings it right up to me, drops his tennis ball at my feet and DEMAND throw it now! He is not one of those dog who would wander aimlessly before going back to owner,, he get and come right back if you know what I mean.

Any idea what i can do in this case?
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Replies

  • mermx
    mermx Posts: 976
    IMHO I would not see it as an exercise per se, maybe log it as walking the dog in the `walking` section you can add it as light, medium, fast walking. Maybe log it a s fast walking?
  • Srbrosseau
    Srbrosseau Posts: 58 Member
    I would not count it at all because it won't really burn that many calories. Similarly I don't count house cleaning, short walks, etc. To see the most progress in your goals only count legitimate, uninterrupted exercise.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,907 Member
    Yeah, I agree. Don't log that as exercise. The only one getting exercise is the dog. :laugh:
  • I would not count it at all because it won't really burn that many calories. Similarly I don't count house cleaning, short walks, etc. To see the most progress in your goals only count legitimate, uninterrupted exercise.
    Yeah, I agree. Don't log that as exercise. The only one getting exercise is the dog. :laugh:

    Thank you for the good point! I guess it's better to have underestimate calories burn than going over.

    Cmriverside, you are right about dog getting the exercise, but heck,, he DEMANDS that I throw the ball 30-50 feet! Might as well think of it as strengh training for my arm,, oh how I wish I am as thin as he is,, he's 11 y.o and still play like a puppy. No one believe me when I say he's 11. For your info,, he's a cross breed -- German shepard with austrilian cattledog (red heeler).
  • I have one of those thrower things for my dog, we go to the park, I toss in a few times and then about 90% of the time some kid will come over and ask if they can play with her. So I set them up throwing the ball for her and go play with my kids :)

    I ran her 9 miles this morning and she was begging me to go throw the ball out back. I don't know how she does it!

    I don't count things like playing with the kids (even if we're running around playing soccer), cleaning, walks, etc. in my calories.
  • 20dee
    20dee Posts: 28 Member
    I guess if you wanted to log it you could log it as throwing a frisbee. I have a lab and she never gets tired of me throwing a duck decoy for her, either in the yard or in our lake. It doesn't matter if you log it or not, it's good for you and good for your dog. Keep moving:)
  • mermx,,

    is that your dog I am seeing here on your picture? Now i wonder,, is that the GS in our dogs that won't give up playing? I know that the heelers are known for "demand to play",, I don't think we can post pictures in here except on siggie...... but you can see him at
    http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e189/spottedlee/Tanner.jpg
  • pipperf14
    pipperf14 Posts: 1 Member
    According to the Tooele County Health Department (www.tooelehealth.org), playing fetch with your dog burns approximately 115 calories per hour.
  • appygirl84
    appygirl84 Posts: 105 Member
    I am gearing up for a fetch session, tried to find it on mfp, no go, then decided to trust google. I am visiting family so this isn't a regular activity for me. This is a once in a while fun activity, so I am going to count it. If I get my own dog, I would count walking the dog... so why not count playing with Star and Cammie?

    2. Get outside with Rex: If you live in a region of the country that has very hot summers fall offers a much needed reprieve. With the weather cooling and leaves changing it may be a perfect time to get outside and go for a walk and take the dog. Fall offers a beautiful visual treat for the eyes with a multitude of colors only seen in nature and seeing them from your car window as you whiz by at 45 just doesn't do it justice. Just walking will net you 287 calories an hour, but play fetch or tug of war with your dog and it will grab you another 115 per hour. And since these activities can be done simultaneously an hour of walk and play could burn off 402 calories. You'll enjoy it and I bet rex with have a blast as well.
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
    You don't count it. That 115 per hr seems very generous.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,879 Member
    I personally would just chalk it up to a little extra activity that you otherwise wouldn't have had. When I was doing MFP and logging and eating back exercise calories, etc...I pretty much only ate back those calories from deliberate exercise and exercise that was of at least moderate intensity. I didn't even count walking even though I walked at least 30 minutes daily.
  • just_Jennie1
    just_Jennie1 Posts: 1,233
    I wouldn't count it. I play fetch with my dog and he's the only one who's getting any exercise from it.
  • LCol2206
    LCol2206 Posts: 1 Member
    I realize this is an old post but would like to point out that if you are marked as sedentary activity, it is recommended that you log anything out of the ordinary like taking a walk or house work. I work in an office all day with a long commute so I log all items, including fetch or a walk. I am meeting my weight loss goal every week by doing this. If you are marked as active, mfp assumes that these activities are a part of everyday life and should not be logged.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    I'm with those who say don't bother logging it.
    Log the walk over to the park where you play.
    Log the walk back.
    But, throwing a tennis ball or a frisbee? My dog drops the frisbee right at our feet. I bend over and pick it up. I would guess that I throw it 20-30 times on a good day before I lose interest and she plops down on the ground, panting. (She still go chase it, but only because sheep dogs don't give up -- if it kills them.)
    There is not much exercise in that. Most of the exercise is in the short walk to the park.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    this thread was made in 2011
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    edited July 2016
    Dogs have stopped playing fetch since 2011?
    Next time she barks to go, she's gonna get: 'Bad dog! You gotta get current. You're too old school.'
    (Teasing, Sue.)
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    tufel wrote: »
    Dogs have stopped playing fetch since 2011?
    Next time she barks to go, she's gonna get: 'Bad dog! You gotta get current. You're too old school.'
    (Teasing, Sue.)

    61f5c0734bf522eb8df968d34fbfb61e.jpg

    ;)
  • Wolfena
    Wolfena Posts: 1,570 Member
    Sued0nim wrote: »
    this thread was made in 2011

    That probably means that somebody was searching the forums about that and pulled the thread back up... what's the big deal?

    Looks like it has comments in years to follow so obviously more than one person has looked into it
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    Wolfena wrote: »
    Sued0nim wrote: »
    this thread was made in 2011

    That probably means that somebody was searching the forums about that and pulled the thread back up... what's the big deal?

    Looks like it has comments in years to follow so obviously more than one person has looked into it

    The person who looked it up would be the person who bumped it. The person who bumped it didn't ask for further input or clarification. They offered their input.
    Answering five year old questions doesn't help anyone and confuses other users who won't notice that the bumped conversation is already dead.