Dog owners - How do I teach my dog to fetch?

[Tinoire]

I have the most adorable, lovable dog who only wants to please but it's tiresome to play with him because I'm always the one who has to go get the tossed object. Please help!

THANKS in advance!

[SoCalDem]

1. Try tying a long piece of string to it..

Throw it, and then drag it back to you:).. Maybe he will get the hint..

BTW.. not all dogs are retrievers :)

Sammy the cat plays fetch, and he brings the ball back to me and actually rebounds it off the monitor screen.. I have to shut him out of my office to stop him.. :(

If I toss anything into the wastebacket, he gets it out and brings it back to me..

Your pooch may not be into playing ball :(

[Tinoire]

6. Thanks! I'll try that!

He LOVES playing ball- absolutely LOVES it. The problem is that I don't like playing the Beta dog ;) and he just doesn't understand that he's supposed to bring back the ball so that I can throw it again. And he's mostly a Retriever (Retriever/Chow & God knows what else).

Thanks!

[GURUving]

19. That is a great idea!

Mine plays when he's in the mood. Other times, he acts as though he doesn't know what the rules of the game are.

[WWW]

2. Yes it makes a difference in the breed...what kind of dog? n/t

[salinen]

3. If you know of other dogs

who already know the game, there is no better teacher than another dog.

[Tinoire]

9. I'll try that too. Thanks! n/t

[Tinoire]

7. Golden Retreiver + Chow at least

I got him at the pound so who knows what other genes are lurking in there but those parts are very clear.

[WWW]

15. Do you live near water?

You can start by casting stones into the water and have him go after them. Then try a stick.

My Casey, half Golden, half Springer Spaniel was crazy for retrieving. He would get into this zen head thing of fetching and retrieving that you literally had to grab him by the collar and yell at him to knock it off.

Once you get them to go after the item, you reward them with a treat when they bring it back.

We used to do this trick with Casey where we would throw a stick out behind the wood pile and he would bring back a huge piece of wood. Once he came back with a 10 foot long piece of sapling.

[Tinoire]

18. Thanks! I'll try this one too later! n/t

[DemExpat]

4. Make it so much fun to bring it to you that he can't resist!

Perhaps start tossing it not too far away and coaxing him to bring iback to you - making it really exciting and fun, maybe giving a little treat at first to give him the idea.

Fetching balls and sticks has been my dog's fun and exercise for 12 years now....great way to get his energy out each day.

Good luck!

DemEx

[Tinoire]

10. I tried that but

maybe I gave up too early :shrug: and another problem if I try using the treat is that he totally ignores the ball and just begs for the treat.

Sigh... I am a cat person unfortunately. Maybe I just need to be very, very stern!

[KG]

5. sounds like he's got you well trained!

:)

[Tinoire]

12. My thoughts exactly!

;) but other than that he obeys... rather well and I'm very pleased with his behavior.

[Booberdawg]

8. Obviously he does not know he is supposed to fetch the item

if you are the one who always has to go get the tossed object.

Take him to the object and stick his nose in it! PUT it in his mouth and GET excited while you back away and ask him to bring it to you. Be excited about this while it is in his mouth and coax him to "bring it here" Drag him by the collar if you have to.

Do this OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER! Keep throwing it, sticking his nose in it, and putting it in his mouth if he does not respond, and getting excited after that to show him he is SUPPOSED to BRING it to you. Keep putting him through the motions until he does it, and then repeat it!

Dogs are smart. He is playing YOU right now. He has taught YOU to go get the tossed object, not the other way around. ;)

[Tinoire]

13. For some reason this sounds as if it would work with him

Sounds like excellent advice because he IS rather stubborn and tired easily during training but he is very, very eager to make me happy! THANK YOU

[BrotherBuzz]

11. Tinoire, I've seen your adorable dog...

and I believe he will never be a retriever type...Find something else he wants to do and do that...Sorry.

[Tinoire]

14. BrotherBuzz

I am scatching my head in absolute vain! Where was this?

FYI, my ex, who mostly trained him, said the same thing but he didn't really try to teach him. Now I am alone with my dog (and the cats) and would like to be able to play this with him. He needs the exercise and (though I do too ;) ), I'd prefer he fetch it. And we have such lovely beaches here that I'd love to be able to to play frisbee with him too!

But refresh my memory, PLEASE! I don't like drawing a blank like this. I have to admit that I am very bad remembering the DU monikers of everyone I've met. Peace

[BrotherBuzz]

16. At Jack Rabbit's house...

As for the fetching...My dogs (the ones that retrieved) taught me! Our present dog is so intense with the game that her pupils dilate, and eyes glaze over when she's working....Billie girl, our last dog had malamute in her and had no desire to play that game (judging by the way she walked on a leash, however, she would have loved to pull a sled!)...I think the Chow cancels out the retriever part in Phoenix. IMO

[Tinoire]

20. Ah YES!

Now I remember your face. Thanks for refreshing my memory!

Please don't be right about the Chow part! Please, please, please becuause his alternative is to be bored stiff with just me and the cats and I can't stand that!

[BrotherBuzz]

24. He doesn't need to be bored....

but your time with Phoenix may not involve balls and retrieving and that stuff....You two need to find that common ground and I believe he can show you (dogs are smart in that way). . Soooo, stop projecting what you think he should be doing, and do what he wants to do. You just may get that exercise. ;)

[Tinoire]

25. The truth

is that I work such long hours and spend so much time in front of the internet that I'm trying to find something I can do from my chair. Selfish I KNOW but this would be a great help to me right now until Spring gets here and certain things change.

I have the ball on a string now... I think this may work!

[xchrom]

17. treats

when playing with the dog -- start with giving him a treat for playing with the ball.
then when he brings the ball to you at all -- treats.
should work even with the chow part of your dog.
though like other posters have noted some dogs aren't ball players.
and playing ball at a dog park with other dogs might help.

[Tinoire]

22. Thanks.

The intricacies of training man's best friend! I had no idea when we first got him! I will be starting tonight. This will hopefully be fun! :)

[Padraig18]

21. My dog can't fetch.

I dunno why, because the puppy CAN and does already. :shrug:

Grover's a very GOOD dog--- very loving and affectionate, obedient,etc.--- but in all fairness, he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer, if you get my drift...

[Tinoire]

23. Lol Padraig

I am determined with this one though. Phoenix is actually very bright- definitely birght enough; the funny thing about him is that he really thinks he's human and has picked up quite a few tricks. I really want to at least give this a good, determined try before I accept that he can't do it. If nothing works, I'll accept it (sigh) but for his sake, I really hope he can otherwise I am going to have to train him to trot next to my bike or start jogging with him again.

Peace & thanks

[LWolf]

26. That's a tough one.

I don't know how to make a dog play when he isn't interested; fetching has always been just part of play from puppyhood for my dogs, and they've done it naturally. For example, while I'm typing my aussie has grabbed one of her squeaky toys and is sitting under the arm of my chair with it, squeaking away to get my attention. What does she want? She wants me to take it away from her and make her chase it. And if I do, she'll bring it back to do again...and again...until I get tired of it.

What does your dog like? You can try a (small) treat for every time he brings the object to you, starting with it only a foot or two away until he figures out what to do. That will get him fetching for the treat; that doesn't mean he'll want to do it for fun!

[Tinoire]

28. Thanks

He LOVES to play ball and catch it- it's one of his greatest joys. I just want the game to be semi-fair to me! We have the luxury of having some great parks here and I really want him to be able to take advantage of them while playing with me.

[oustemnow]

27. Whew; at first I read that as

"How do I teach my dog to felch?"

Mind, meet gutter.