Moxie is an Anatolian Shepherd and Husky hybrid, so the fetch instinct is almost non-existent with this one! :-) But, I have found that a thrown toy becomes a pivot point in a game of tag. I'll throw the toy out there, and she will race to it, nose it, and then expect me to chase her. I then chase her around the yard, as she uses the toy as a touch point each lap. It's fun for a bit, and gets her in full "goofus mode", so it is a lot of fun. But it is more tiring for me, than for her. :-)
Oh boy, my childhood dog was a Husky/Shepherd mix. I swear he was scared of fetch. And walking wasn’t an option when playing. Made me wonder who was taking who out for a workout at times, LOL. Best we could do for him was take him to a large park or greenway. Hopefully finding a good vet comes easy (and soon).