how to teach a dog to play fetch

AKC actively advocates for responsible dog ownership and is dedicated to advancing dog sports. When beginning to teach dog to play fetch we first want your dog on a leash to prevent your pup from “bailing or playing keep away” when learning the correct way to play fetch. Amid the current public health and economic crises, when the world is shifting dramatically and we are all learning and adapting to changes in daily life, people need wikiHow more than ever. Teaching your dog how to complete the fetching process will help to make the game of fetch more fun for the both of you. How to Teach Your Dog to Play Fetch September 18, 2017 By Hope Hammond Join our next free online masterclass and learn the secrets that the pros at the K9 Training Institute use to train service dogs to be so calm and well-behaved – and how you can use those same training methods to train YOUR dog! Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. If your dog initially drops the toy and doesn’t chase after it, wiggle the leash or rope a little more and start running away. Others might enjoy toys, yet don’t really appear to recognize the point of fetch. To teach him how to drop his toy, hold a treat in one hand. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. 3. I have tried distracting him while I pick it up, but that does not work. 4. My border collie brings the toy to me, but does not give it to me. Q. 2. They’ll chase after the toy, sure, yet they actually want to prance around with it as well as play keepaway rather than fetch. Citizen Hound has also been ranked #1 Dog Walker by the SF Examiner and A-List in 2017, 2016, 2015. When you’re done playing fetch, cue your dog that the game is over by giving the “all done” command. Your dog may be good at catching and bringing the toy back to you, but may not know that he needs to drop it. If you’re using a new toy, you’ll need to get your puppy used to it first. With over 9 years of professional dog walking and training experience, David's business has been voted the "Best Dog Walker SF" by Beast of the Bay for 2019, 2018, and 2017. Repeat it and give them a little snack. For example, he may have a medical issue such as arthritis that would make running back and forth difficult. Hold the toy out to your dog in your outstretched palm and ask her to “hold.” if your dog takes the toy click/praise and treats. Good places to play fetch are in a large backyard, in a fenced-in area at the park, or in any other safe outdoor space. Most dogs will instinctively chase the ball and pick it … Related article: Why Does My Dog Not Care About Playing Fetch? How am I meant to teach him to pick it up in his mouth? A. As your dog gets close to it, praise, and give a treat. Keep your dog successful by working at her pace building the length of time she’s asked to hold very slowly. There is another command that you need to teach your dog before you play a game of fetch. If … Answer a few simple questions and find the right dog for you, Compare up to 5 different breeds side by side, Browse the AKC Marketplace to find the right puppy for you, Browse our extensive library of dog names for inspiration, Find out the best and worst foods for your dog and which to avoid, fetch doesn’t come naturally to every dog. Note: this article assumes your dog already knows how to fetch a ball or similar object. With a little patience and the following steps, you and your pet can learn to do this fun and rewarding activity. After about 3 weeks of playing fetch with the treat ball, slowly decrease the amount of treats you are putting in it until you are just playing fetch with the ball, with no treats inside. Give him a treat when he gets closer to you with the toy. This is where having gone slowly with building understanding with your “hold” cue will really pay off with your dog being able to generalize the skill to a new location. Once he is near you get a treat (make sure he sees it) and say drop it. When he chases after the second toy, pick up his first toy and repeat the process. Make it smell like food, or just get a different toy. This post is going to try to show you how you can teach your husky to play fetch in an efficient manner. Build up very slowly, adding just a half-second and then a second before you praise/click and treat. Step 1: Teach Your Dog to Wait for You to Throw the Ball. If it doesn’t understand what “come” means, then you will not have a game of fetch. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Is it difficult to teach lap dogs such as Pomeranians how to play fetch? When your dog is regularly putting her mouth on the toy, start building duration into the trick by not immediately clicking/praising the instant she puts her mouth on the toy and wait a moment, and while her mouth is still on the toy click/praise and treat. To do this, teach your dog to fetch in this order: 5. Practice the “Drop it” command each day until your dog is comfortable with it and has mastered it. Training your dog to play fetch is easy if you have a little patience and can follow these four steps. Continue throwing the opposite toy each time he brings one back. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Many dogs love to play with Frisbees, although most dogs don't know how to catch a flying disc. Citizen Hound prides themselves on their customer service, care, skill, and reputation. No, after about 150 times they should be able to do it without "bring it.". A retriever is likely to enjoy a game of fetch. Although it might seem a little basic, it does requires patience and skill to train him. My dog hates fetch. It’s much better to do many repetitions of short holds then asking for one very long hold. Treats – For teaching your dog to fetch you want to have a lot of small pieces of high-value treats. Hold a treat close to the dog's nose. As your dog gets close to it, click, praise, and give a treat. If your dog catches it but doesn’t bring it back to you, wiggle the rope and start running in the opposite direction. Next, increase the criteria slightly. Other than treats and verbal praise, you can also reward your dog with extra play time. Clicker – if you use a clicker to train your dog, have it ready. Practice in short intervals (5 to 15 minutes) several times a day. Your dog probably sees this as a fun game of chase, but you are teaching him to turn back to you. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. The first step to teaching your dog to fetch is to teach hold: Once your dog has mastered “hold” it’s time to start teaching fetch! Treats – For teaching your dog to fetch you want to have a lot of small pieces of high-value treats. Rub a treat on the ball first. Fetch is a lot more fun when you aren’t trotting after your dog and tugging the ball out of her mouth every time she picks it up. Step 5: Throw the Fetch Toy Farther. Last Updated: July 31, 2020 Your support helps wikiHow to create more in-depth illustrated articles and videos and to share our trusted brand of instructional content with millions of people all over the world. This is a great signal for dogs to learn to bring an end to excited play or behavior. Can you help me please? My puppy brings me the ball, but when he drops it and I go to pick it up he bites my hand. Squeak toys (there's even squeak tennis balls)! It may take a few weeks before your dog understands the “Bring it” command, so be patient with him. When he comes to you, award him with a treat. Clicker training can be especially useful to help you communicate with your dog in the early stages of teaching the trick. This method will break the training process down into a number of small components. He most likely will drop it. When he drops his first toy, throw the second one. Your dog loves his ball / stick, he loves bring it to you, he loves it when you throw it. Remember to reward him each time he drops his toy at your command. It will drop the toy for the treat. How do I get him to get the ball in the first place? Be ready to spend several days to a week on each step. Don’t worry if your dog isn’t interested in … Despite the popularity of fetch, it’s not always easy to get cooperation from our canines. Your dog will probably not drop the toy once he has it in his mouth (at least not initially), which is why you’ll need the treat. Small dogs usually like to play inside so fetch is a great way to exercise a lap dog. Founded in 1884, the AKC is the recognized and trusted expert in breed, health, and training information for dogs. More quick tips for how to teach your dog to fetch successfully: Work first in a small, enclosed space to limit your dog’s distractions. There are 19 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. "What helped me the most in this article was the bait-and-switch method. Apart from balls, what kind of toys could be effective? If she doesn’t take the toy that’s ok, just practice the above “hold” skills a little more. I’ve even used fun fur pencil pouches filled with smelly treats for teaching fetch to dogs who are especially reluctant to put something in his mouth. By continuing to build distance very slowly and keeping your dog’s rewards very high value, you will be building a lot of value in the hold/retrieve game. Next wait to praise/click/treat until she puts her mouth on the toy. Essential info about dog health, training, sports and more. Some pet dogs just love to play Fetch. Choose a fetch toy that your dog likes. Praise, take the object, and give her a treat. You could try getting a second toy. To teach your dog how to fetch, attach a rope to your dog’s toy and throw it. This is a game of fetch, which means the dog has to “come” back to you after getting the ball or any other toy. In this article, you can go over some tips that can guarantee success in learning this game. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/4\/4c\/Teach-a-Dog-to-Fetch-Step-1-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Teach-a-Dog-to-Fetch-Step-1-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/4c\/Teach-a-Dog-to-Fetch-Step-1-Version-4.jpg\/aid843485-v4-728px-Teach-a-Dog-to-Fetch-Step-1-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"