As the early morning mist circles around your ankles and the long grass in the meadow tickles your knees, you admire the sleek form of your dog as he bounds after his ball. He pivots on the spot while grabbing the ball in his mouth, a look of sheer joy in his eyes as he races back to you. Jumping back and forth, he teases you with the ball, ‘talking’ the whole time before happily dropping the ball on the ground before you…
At least, this is what you imagined when you first brought your bundle of fur home from the shelter. Instead, you have a silly and obnoxious ‘teenage’ dog in front of you playing keep-away and thinking this is the best fun ever! So, what went wrong when you were training your dog to fetch?
Nothing really. But let’s go back to the beginning and retrace our steps on how to teach a dog to fetch.
Dogs are hunters with a strong instinct to chase anything moving, even as young pups. It’s very rare to find a dog that won’t run after a ball, stick, or the neighborhood cat, given half a chance. The hard part is teaching them to return the ball, stick, or cat once they’ve caught it!
Is it surprising to learn that even retrieving breeds like the Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever must be taught to retrieve the duck or play fetch? The instinct is there to chase and grab, but not necessarily to gently return the prey and place it in their handler’s hand. That must be taught, preferably from an early age.
Teaching a Puppy to Fetch
Teaching a young pup is a little different than teaching an older dog. First, you have to attract the pup’s attention. The first few times you toss the ball for a young pup, they will probably not even notice. Their eyesight isn’t fully developed, and they don’t yet associate the object in your hand with being tossed.
Play with the pup for a few minutes so that their attention is focused on you, not their littermates, a toy, or the neighborhood cat. A pocket full of yummy treats is a must for this exercise and a great way to attract their interest in the first place. Once their attention is on you, hold the pup in one arm and let them sniff the ball. The first thing they’ll do is try to bite it. Encourage them with an excited ‘good boy’ and let them gnaw on it for a few seconds. Then, gently take the ball out of their mouth while saying ‘out’ and then ‘good boy.’
Keep their attention on the ball and gently roll it across the floor so it stops a few feet away. They’ll likely try to break free from your arms. Place them on the floor, and as they dash toward the ball with their cute little puppy gait, encourage them with ‘good boy’ and excited noises. When they grab the ball, give them an extra special ‘good boy.’
Now comes the tough part—getting them to bring it back. Encouraging them whenever they have the ball in their mouth will help. When they start waddling around with the ball, encourage them to come back to you by making your typical ‘here, puppy’ noises. As soon as they get near you, show them a treat. If they’re hungry, they’ll probably drop the ball. When they do, say ‘good out’ and hand them the treat. Pick up the ball while they’re distracted, and get ready to repeat the process.
Because fetch should be fun, always leave them wanting more. With young pups, a few tosses should suffice. Leave them with a ‘good boy’ and ‘good fetch,’ and let them return to being a puppy. A few hours later, you can try another session of training.
Within a few days, they should begin to get the idea. The first time they return the ball to you without needing encouragement, give them the biggest ‘good boy’ you can muster! Always reward them when you take the ball away or when they drop it on their own by your side or in your hand. This is very important. They must know there’s something in it for them, or they’ll quickly learn the ‘keep away’ game because it’s more fun to be chased by you than to chase the ball! Never run after them or play ‘tag’—it will only teach them a new way to drive you crazy. As they mature, you won’t be able to catch them unless they decide to let you!
Teaching an older puppy or dog is a little easier since they’ve already learned that paying attention to you can have benefits. The principles are the same—start with short distances and always reward them for returning to you with something more valuable (by their doggy standards, not yours) than the ball.
As soon as they become ‘ball happy,’ it will be tough to find something that’s actually a reward besides tossing the ball again. If they don’t want to relinquish the ball to you, try using another ball so that when they return to you, you immediately reward them with another throw. They’ll drop the ball in their mouth and chase the new one.
Once you’ve trained them to fetch and they become ball-obsessed, a good portion of their exercise will come from the game. A word from the wise—buy a ‘Chucker’! These simple devices let you throw the ball farther without actually touching the goopy, dripping ball or bending over to pick it up off the ground. It’s an amazing invention, and hopefully, it’s making someone a millionaire!
Good luck with training your dog to fetch! For most dogs, it’s an easy thing to learn and enjoy. Remember: always leave them wanting more and always reward them when they return the ball to you. Soon, you’ll be the person in your imagination with the happy, fit dog bounding through the meadow.
