National Fetch Day: The Best Dog Party of the Year!

Calling all fetch fanatics and fetch lovers!! Did you know that there is a National Holiday for Fetch?! That's right! Created in 2018 by the #1 active dog toy brand Chuckit!, National Fetch Day falls on the 3rd Saturday in October every year. This year, National Fetch Day is October 17, 2020 and it's going to be the Best Dog Party of the Year!

Established in 2018 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the original Chuckit! Launcher, National Fetch Day has quickly become a popular national holiday for dogs and their owners. "This special day is a celebration of the human-animal bond, an opportunity to bring awareness to the importance of exercise for our pets, and how the game of fetch offers both," says Chris Wilson, Executive VP of Marketing & Product Development at Petmate, Chuckit!'s parent company. "It's the day to get outside and Make Fetch Happen."

THE SCIENCE OF FETCH

WHY DOGS FETCH: Most dogs are born with a natural instinct to retrieve or fetch. According to a recent study done by Stockholm University in June 2020, "some gray wolves – the ancestors of dogs – also "play" fetch. The work supports the idea that the roots of many of the traits and behaviors we see in domesticated animals, from cats to chickens, may be present in their wild relatives." Before domestication, dogs were wild animals that hunted in packs and had to chase and fetch their prey in order to eat. After domestication, dogs no longer needed to hunt for their food because their humans provided it for them. However, through the years, the fetching instinct has lived on and has been passed down generation to generation to our canine companions today. While fetch comes easily to some breeds like Labrador Retrievers, others may engage this instinct in less obvious ways. Learning your dog's style of fetch will help you and your dog develop a stong, lasting bond. Through fetch, memories are made, energy is released, and both you and your pet get some exercise.

BENEFITS OF FETCH: Playing fetch with your dog helps release pent up energy your dog may have, especially if you have a puppy. Fetch can also help your dog sleep better at night and is a good source of exercise. Its recommended that dogs are physically active for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours a day. Without physical exercise, your dog could quickly gain weight or become obese. Playing one 30-minute game of fetch a day with your dog will help prevent this from happeneing. Besides being physically healthy, fetch is also mentally healthy for your dog as it encourages your dog to destress, relax, and play. Increased activity can also decrease destructive behaviors, and leads to happier, more content pets.

RESULTS OF FETCH: As a dog-mom, or dog-dad, its important to make sure you're giving your dog a happy and healthy lifestyle. One simple game of fetch gets you and your dog some exercise, helps your dog engage and release their natural instinct to chase, and helps strengthen the bond between you and your pet. Overall, fetch is more than just a game. The memories created and the time spent with your dog is a reward.

BEST TOYS FOR NATIONAL FETCH DAY 2020

There are many styles of fetch we see in differnet dogs/breeds. Some dogs like to simply fetch and bring the toy back to you for you to throw over and over again. Some like to fetch and then bring it back to you for a game of tug-o-war. Others like to fetch and then run off and chew on the toy before bringing it back to you. No matter what your pet's fetch style is, Chuckit! has a fetch toy for your dog.

To celebrate National Fetch Day 2020, Chuckit! has launched new fetch toys to help Make Fetch Happen.

The New Chuckit! Fetch & Fold Launcher (shown below) is an updated original Chuckit! Launcher that folds in half when your done playing fetch for the day. For pet-parents, it can easily be stored in a backpack, purse, or your back pocket. It even comes with a durable rubber ball and is perfect for a classic game of fetch.

New Chuckit! Fetch & Fold Ball Launcher Dog Toy

If you've got a dog that likes to chase after the toy, then brings it back and turns a game of fetch into a game of tug-o-war, then the Chuckit! Breathe Right Bumper (shown below) is the toy for your dog. This fetch toy actually helps your dog breathe easier during fetch with its mesh-like openings that lets air flow through the toy and into your dog's mouth as he fetches this toy. The strong, nylon straps on both ends of the toy holds up to games of tug and is perfect for your tug-loving canine.

The new Chuckit! Ultra Tumbler (shown below) is an exciting fetch toy that fits in a medium or large Chuckit! Launcher and bounces in a wild, erratic path when thrown. This feature mimics real prey that runs in zig-zag patterns as they try to avoid being hunted, which really engages your dogs natural instinct to fetch prey. Once caught, the natural rubber is gentle on your dogs mouth as they chew down on the ball.

For late night or early morning fetch lovers, Chuckit!'s new Light Fetch Ball (shown below) is the best fetch ball for you! Perfect for playing in the dark, this light up ball fits medium Chuckit! Launchers and lights up bright blue and red upon impact, making it visible for your dog to chase after. The unique shape has an erratic bounce, engaging those chase drives, and providing tons of fun when the lights go out.

HOW TO MAKE FETCH HAPPEN THIS YEAR!

This year, Chuckit! is bringing the party straight to your backyard. To help fetch-lovers in the U.S. celebrate National Fetch Day, Chuckit! has an awesome Sweepstakes happening right now, where they will pick 200 winners and 1 grand prize winner. The 200 winners will receive a National Fetch Day Backyard Party Pack built to celebrate at home. This Party Pack includes tones of great Chuckit! toys and party gear.

The grand prize winner will win a spa treatment for their dog and have a chance to get their dog's picture on a Chuckit! product package.

In addition to the National Fetch Day Sweepstakes, Chuckit! also created a Virtual Fetch Challenge benefiting North Shore Animal League. On National Fetch Day (October 17th, 2020) you can visit the National Fetch Day website, and swipe to play with adoptable sheltered dogs. The custom virtual launcher will respond to your swipe, and will launch a Chuckit! Ball for the dogs at he shelter to fetch. For each of the first 5,000 balls thrown through the Virtual Launcher, Chuckit! will donate a toy to help a shelter dog Make Fetch Happen too.

For more information about this challenge, National Fetch Day, and everything else Chuckit! is doing for National Fetch Day, visit petmate.com/nationalfetchday.

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