Learning to Play Fetch

[Pam]

I don't even really remember how it started but Bella has been fetching and bringing the ball back almost since I got her. I don't remember teaching her at all. I think it was just something that she found fun to do. What I did need to teach her was to drop the ball once she brought it back. Even now, as much as she thrives on playing fetch, she will drop it when she is good and ready rather than instantly.

I got Ripley as a rescue three years ago. He didn't seem to care about running after the ball, let alone bringing it back. I think just watching Bella and me sort of gave him the idea. Nowadays he will fetch and bring it back but he is not very willing to give me the ball. I usually just pull it out of his mouth.

They both enjoy fetching but I truly think Bella would fetch until she literally had no breath left in her body. When I tell her we are done, and I come inside she looks like her world has come to an end. It could break your heart.

[cloverfdx]

Goodluck with teaching your dog to fetch, just make it fun and make it seem like the ball/ toy is the best thing in the world.

I can sympathise with you at the moment, our new girl (Border Collie) has been a working dog all her life so never learnt how to fetch a ball, she is finally getting the idea from watching her ball obsessed brother play. She bought the ball nearly all the way back to me tonight at the park, but only when her brother was not watching hehe. And she would also drop the ball as soon as i gave verbal praise.

[ktreva52]

You might also consider teaching her to "take" the ball from you. This is the method we taught our girls for retrieving for 4-H:

Teach the take:

Start with an object that is comfortable for her to have in her mouth, like a nylabone. Help her to open her mouth by putting your thumb in the side of her mouth. Place the nylabone in her mouth when she opens it and say, "Take."

Remove it with the "give" command and praise her. Do this until she willingly opens to take the bone. When she's good at that, start making her reach for it. Lots of praise and treats go a long way at the beginning and the treats can be dropped later. But you want her to have a very pleasant experience from this.

Once she's good on the take and give, teach her to "hold" the item. Gently hold her mouth closed over the item for a moment, then, give the "give" command and take it back.

After she's good at these aspects, start making her reach lower for the item by lowering it toward the floor. Eventually, you'll lay it on the floor and ask her to take it.

Then, you can start moving it away from her and get her to go after it. Just a little way at a time, and further and further as she improves. Keep up the praise, as she's going to get to love doing this as long as you're enthused about her responses.

Sometimes, you might even need to add some "flavor" to the item to encourage the taking. Tuna juice, vegetable juice, hot dog juice, things like that can be rubbed on the bone to encourage her taking it into her mouth.

Once she's good at the bone retrieval, you can start again with a ball that is appropriate for her size. If a regular tennis ball is too large, get a handball or small tennis ball. Start again from the first and work it up to the tossing it out for her to get. This should take much less time, but the steps are the same.

Quick story:

Our Cattle Dog cross, Lacey, was taught to retrieve just as I've outlined, but was very inconsistent on the retrieve. She failed it at Township Fair, County Fair AND State Fair. Very frustrating for my daughter.

One day, I had some swiss cheese and tried rubbing that on her dumbbell. I threw it down the hall for Lacey and sent her after it. She would consistently retrieve it after that. Don't know why that made the difference, but it did.

Let us know how it goes. She'll get it figured out.

Chris

[tonidaly]

I have a jack russell who is obsessed with fetch. i never did any type of training--she just loves it.

I got a beagle a few months after the jack and she has no desire to fetch. to be honest, i don't mind it!

think twice before you press the fetching--my jack would fetch forever--and it can get exhausting!!

[Thandi]

2 rescue dogs: Mika, the labx, is obsessed with fetching and returning to me. Chloe, the border/shepherd cross, on the other hand, couldn't give a hoot. But ring the bell I have attached to the end of the laser pointer, and she's by my side like a possessed lunatic!