I do not think I have ever met a dog that did not like to play outside in some manner, at some time of year, or with at least one toy. However, we must be careful to watch how our pets play with these toys in order to help prevent the risk of injury.

Our male German shepherd broke his rear ankle a few months ago, simply because he landed wrong when he caught a frisbee. This was heart-breaking for me, but it does show that injuries can and do happen when we least expect them.

In his case, Axel, liked to jump up as high as he could to intercept anything thrown directly over his head. This is what led him to jump too high and then land too hard. Anything that is thrown in front of him he will simply chase after and catch. But he does this without jumping.

Our female, Abie, will chase a tennis ball for hours. However she can run faster then the ball tends to roll once it hits the ground. It only takes a moment to notice that she is trying to "scoop" the ball into her mouth at full speed. What would happen in the event her jaw hits the ground? Or she trips and falls over at a pretty fast speed? I try not to think about it. It's already bad enough she had surgery for a stick that jammed under her tongue from the two playing with it.

While we love to play with our dogs, we can play with them safely. Make sure to watch what they do when you play with them. Watch their running habits, patterns, and how they catch or grab the toys. If you have more then one dog, try using two tennis balls, one for each dog. One chases the first, the other the second. This prevents them from colliding, and fighting over a single ball. Make sure you watch for obstacles. Don't through the ball right past a tree that they can run into.

It only takes a little effort on your part, and your pet will not notice that you're paying attention to those things. It will however help you to prevent potential bad injuries to your loved pet.