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Originally Posted by jazzking1971

he's been a retrieving beast since I brought him home. Over the past couple of days we haven't done anything but play play fetch with one exception, I would make him sit in front. If he held the tug or ball, I would say YES and throw it again. If he just dropped it, I wouldn't say anything and we'd go for a short walk and then I would toss the ball.

This morning he brought the ball back twice and sat with it in his mouth. So I tried the small dumbell. Three time he didn't hold it. Then he held it, then he did it again... that was good enough so off to his crate for the day.

What method did you use to teach the dumbells? I read an article by Lonnie Olson that I liked. I've too many stories about ecollars and a string on a toe to force the retreive. I want to avoid that.

Just like you probably started. First with a favorite toy, then progressing to a dumbbell. The key (for me at least) was to make sure I had a real high value item waiting to give him on the return.