Is It OK To Play Fetch With Your Dog Every Day?

Is Fetch a harmful activity for a dog? 

No. 

Prey runs away (the stimulus), dog chases, and "kills" it. That is what predators do, every day, all over the world. When we use a dummy, such as a ball, to many dogs they perceive that just as if it was a prey animal trying to escape. 

Prey drive stimulation, and the obtaining of that prey by the dog, is the basis for most of what is done when training hunting, competition, scent detection, police and military dogs. It should also be the basis for companion dog obedience. These dogs don't become neurotic as a result. In fact, the propensity to Fetch is one of the criteria many breeders enhance in their lines to make their dogs even more useful for their owners. 

When might Fetch be harmful, or maybe a nuisance? 

It could be harmful if you do it in such a way that your dog is injured. I had a dog that ran so fast to get the ball I had to be careful how far I tossed the toy so that he didn't slip and fall on wet grass. That wasn't the fault of Fetch, it was a physical safety thing. Same with tossing him a Frisbee. Dogs look amazing when they jump high in the air to get it, but they can torque their backs if they land in a twisted manner. Again, that isn't a Fetch problem, it is a physical safety thing. Other issues can be what you use as a Fetch object. Sticks are dangerous. Dirty tennis balls can wear the teeth down over time. Very hard toys can chip a tooth. 

The nuisance part happens this way. I can relate. Years ago, I had a student with a Golden Retriever. He would sit in his chair with a Chuck It and toss a ball out the back door all day while he sat in a chair. If he stopped, the dog wouldn't stop because that was the only thing they did together. All the toys on the floor were balls. I had him pick up the balls and had him get some chew toys for when the Fetch was over. He had made the dog a total pest. All he had to do is create a clear break between activities: this is Fetch time, then, Fetch time is over, I'm putting away that toy, and I have to do something else. Simple. This wasn't a Fetch problem, it was that the dog didn't do anything else with his owner except Fetch.

So... go ahead and Fetch with your dog. 

Plan accordingly.