How do you train your dog to play fetch?

[gravity]

I have a dog who is 3 years old now, and I never got him to play fetch. Whenever I throw a ball or a stick to him, he just looks at me like I'm crazy.

One time I thought he got the hang of it, but he was just competing with a labador retriever, stealing the ball away from her. I tried playing fetch when my dog was by himself afterwards, but he just stared at me like I'm crazy again.

Is there anything I can do?

[slj0101]

1. Deny his food until he cries.

I keed, I keed...:P

[Little Wing]

12. *CRASH*

:D

[LeftyMom]

2. Well, the warranty is probably up, so you're stuck.

What breed is he? Some love playing fetch, and some just aren't really into it because they're not such great "hunters" of tennis balls and frisbees, or aren't so eager to please people.

Or, in the case of my old pug Chewbacca, they just aren't able to get a tennis ball in their mouths. :D He'd kick it back soccer-style though. Smart dog.

If he hasn't picked it up by three, he's probably just not interested. Is there another game he'd rather play?

[av8rdave]

3. Screw fetch...I'm still trying to get my 8 month old bichon to stop pissing in the kitchen!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. That's weird.

I've never had a problem getting a dog to chase the stick and fetch it. The problem's always been getting them to drop the object.

[China_cat]

5. Some dogs are just smarter than that.

Mine look at me and say 'if you wanted that ball, why'd you throw it away?'

Yours may just be up for other games. Explore agility and obedience (the advanced, offlead, hand signal type) or herding.

[Arkansas Granny]

6. Some dogs love it and just seem to have an instinct for the game.

Some dogs don't understand why you threw that thing away if you still wanted it.

[L A Woman]

7. playing fetch is like masturbation...

okay, well not really. but neither activity generally needs to be taught. i have never had to teach a dog to play fetch. they have all had a natural desire to do it.

but i am sure depends on breed, etc. maybe he just isn't into it. :-)

[leftofthedial]

8. super glue the ball to his nose

then throw the dog

then tell him to come

[Javaman]

9. Tie a stick to his back and throw him across the yard...nt

[pokerfan]

10. regular beatings?

j/k

http://www.puplife.com/dogcaretips/fetch.html

[Guava Jelly]

11. The same way i trained my cat

http://youtube.com/watch?v=nGJwXM6iqOM

[trof]

13. Maybe he does think you're crazy.

"You threw that stick away, so I guess you don't want it. Oh...now you DO want it? You changed your mind? And now you want ME to go get it? I don't want it. If YOU want it, then YOU go get it.
What?
Is this some kind of a game?
Sorry, I don't get it.
What's it called?
Oh..."Fetch"?.
Well, I still don't get it.
First you decide you don't want something and so you throw it away and then you change your mind but now you want ME to go get the thing YOU didn't want in the first place.
Excuse me, but I think that's a dumb game.
Now...if you were throwing steaks away, they'd never hit the ground.
I'd be your guy on that.
I'd snag one of those in mid toss every time.
If we're gonna play something, could we play Texas Hold 'Em instead?"

[Lobster Martini]

14. Actually, it's pretty easy

Try this:

Your local pet shop will have a hard rubber ball with slots to insert treats. Here's what you do. Put your dog on a long leash. Take your dog's favorite treat (I use Mother Hubbard's Biscuits), show it to your dog, then put it in the ball and toss it. Your dog will go after it for the treat. As soon as the dog picks up the ball, pull him/her back to you and give him/her the treat. If you do this repeatedly, the dog will get the idea that by bringing the ball back to you, he/she will get a treat.

This is not going to be an immediate success, but if you have patience, it will work.

Good luck.

[trof]

15. 2 of our dogs would only play 2-ball 'fetch'.

Oh they'd tear-ass out across the yard to get the ball.
And then just continue tear-assing around the yard with ball in the mouth. Forget about bringing it back.
"Looka meeee! I GOT the ball!"

UNLESS...you had ANOTHER BALL!
You hold that one up and they come tear-assing back to get it.
But they can't get it until they drop the first ball.
Which they do, in anticipation of you just HANDING them the 'new' ball.
Silly dog.
You pick up the first ball and throw the second.
Rinse, repeat.
They would do this till total exhaustion.

[TheCentepedeShoes]

16. Our doggie loves to play

"T the B." We have to spell things. It goes like this: doggie daddy throws the ball (dog doesn't like me throwing, I throw like a girl). He brings the ball back to the deck and sets it on the edge. He won't come up and let you take it out of his mouth. Then he nudges the ball with his nose or bats it with his paw so it gets within your reach. You pick up the ball, he races to the far end of the yard, plants his feet, crouches and awaits another throw. This is the way he's always played fetch and he developed the system on his own. At first our deck was right at ground level. Then we moved and the present deck is about 18" off the ground. He had some problem for awhile with the up and down thing and nudged a couple of balls under the deck.