What is the general consensus on those long spoon type ball flingers?
I have 2 collies who like balls. (Understatement.) I also have a 2 small boys (2 years and 6 months) and am currently on mat leave. We live at the end of a track and are surrounded by fells and fields and we all spend a lot of time outside.
2 year olds being what they are though, a lot of our walks consist of random amblings / decapitating flowers / jumping in puddles etc and we don't cover much ground. To give the dogs something to do I tend to take the ball flinger and hurl the ball round whilst DS1 does his thing (and DS2 moans quietly in the sling). But are there any downsides to the flingers, I'm thinking too much high impact running etc or am I just worrying about my precious dogs too much? Do other people find them a godsend as well? I should add that the dogs do get other exercise and stimulation as well as we both run on the fells and when my husband isn't at work we go on proper walks with children in backpacks.
Obviously I'm training DS1 to be able to master the flinging action thus occupying him and the dogs while I put my feet up....