Problem teaching fetch....

[Michael C.]

Our girl is 17 months old. While inside the house she will bring me her ball and drop it in my lap. But when we are outside, it is a different story. She will go get the ball, but will only bring it back half of the time. The other half she just lays down and starts chewing on it and if I walk towards her, she tries the keep away game. When she does bring it back, she will not drop it. She will only drop it when we are inside. I brought some hotdog pieces with me today to get her to drop it on command but she was so focused on the hotdogs she would not even chase the ball!! Any suggestions?

[amber bock]

I had the same problem with my 15 month old. I broke the problem by playing fetch with her on a long line and pinch collar. her game was keep away.... on the long line persuade the dog back gently and praise and then hold the dummy or ball, do not pull because that is a whole new game i found, just hold until the dog releases then praise with a treat. try it, it worked for me.

[damp]

There are different ways to teach a dog a good and speedy retrieving. The dog must find out, it is much more fun to bring the ball/ dumbell to you, than chewing it. First, make the dog interested in the dumbell, don’t throw it, but play tug of war with the dumbell, let the dog win the game, play again and so on, while you all the time are running backward. NO sit in front of you, and NO “drop it” command until you stop. You must be in movement and VERY ACTIVE all the time and lot of praise. If the dog drops the dumbell, make it “alive” with a little kick, praise it when it fetch it, and again you run backwards. Make the training short max. 2 – 3 min. Stop before the dog gets tired and uninterested. In this way your dog will soon (in some months) find out, it is in front of you the fun takes place and first then you start to throw the dumbell, and later on teach the dog to sit and hand over. Teach the dog a reliable “drop” command, but not in connections with retrieving.

[This message has been edited by damp (edited November 08, 2000).]

[Teena]

Axel Loves to fetch. I have to confess it happened sort of by accident. I wasn't trying to train him, just play with him. LOL
He found that if he brought the object back to me he got MUCH praise & petting.
He loves tug of war. Yes, I did however, teach him the "OUT" command.
You see when he lets go of the rope, then it's tossed & he brings it back for more play.
He found it's much more fun to bring things back, because he gets to play more. Not only does he bring it back, but he will put the object right by your hand and stand there very still until you take hold of the object.
Should you lose grip during tug of war, he again places the object by your hand and lets you get a grip again. He's very careful not to close down on fingers while he's adjusting his grip. Once in awhile he will accidently pinch a finger tho. We say OUCH & he drops the object & looks at you like, OOPS!
He's also getting very good at catching a rope that's tossed in the air. He stares at the rope, so focused! That determined look of total concentration on his face cracks me up.
Once in a very great while he too will decide to run around with the object in his mouth and get that look, like "come & chase me!" I don't want to play his game, so i ignore him. In a few seconds he'll be at my feet with the object. His love of playtime gets him over the chase game.
Sorry i was rambling. hehe

[This message has been edited by Teena (edited November 08, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Teena (edited November 08, 2000).]

[Justice]

I am moving this thread into our Training Forum


Justice

[Michael C.]

Maybe I will try fetch with Sasha's tug rope. I was using a tennis ball, which she never lets out of her sight.

Mike

[FredAl]

Try using two 'fetch toys'. I use two one-foot rubber hoses that I cut from an old garden hose. It's long enough that you can grab the two ends to play tug-of-war with, and it doesn't bounce around (like a tennis ball), which might injure a driven dog trying to catch it.

Throw one hose for your dog to fetch, after he fetches it, get his attention to your other hose and throw it to the opposite direction. He will usually drop the first hose near you and fetch the other one. Pick up the first hose, repeat the exercise.

While the dog's drive is at its peak, discontinue the exercise. This way, your dog's drive to fetch will increase every session.

Have fun!

[LisaS]

you could try the "two hoses" game - you have two IDENTICAL toys- balls or hoses or whatever.
imagine you are standing on the pitcher's mound, and your dog is in front of you. Toss one toy sideways to 3rd base- and as the dog is returning with it, you decide the toy you kept is the best one ever - as your dog drops toy #1 to see what you've got, you toss #2 sideways to 1st base - your dog zips past in front of you - you go pick up toy 1. repeat. repeat. repeat. your dog is always coming to you, dropping the toy, zooming past you, returning, dropping, zooming, etc. later you can shape this into a drop at your feet or a deliver to hand before the next throw.

[LisaS]

FredAl - great minds think alike and simultaneously apparently

[frau]

Click and treat, click and treat!

I had to use shaping just to get Gypsy interested in a Frisbee. I would throw it, she stood there looking. So I got out the clicker.

Now we are working on catching the Frisbee out of the air. We are up to about 6 feet away from me.

I stopped having to click a long time ago, say 4 months.

I also use the 2 angle, only I don't have 2 Frisbees--just another toy she loves. It is a rubber dead chicken she takes a few more pieces off of everyday. She will drop one right away to chase the other toy, whichever it is.

Be patient, they'll cathc on eventually. And the pay off is worth it.

Frau

[Michael C.]

Thanks everyone. We have never had a problem with her chasing it, just returning it. I think the two balls, hose etc will do the trick. I was trying to get her to return it and drop it all at the same time. We will just have to take one step at a time

[WorkinDogz]

Damp, FredAl and Lisa,

Great minds do think alike

I may not have a "great mind"...but teach the retrieve the same way.

Building drive the whole time

[damp]

Originally posted by Michael C.:

Maybe I will try fetch with Sasha's tug rope. I was using a tennis ball, which she never lets out of her sight.

Just a suggestion:
If you want to teach your dog a “real retrieving”, use (in the learning) some objects ONLY for this. I mean, this objects must not be toys for the dog. I really don’t know how to explain this in a foreign language. But my dumbell is “HOLY”. No one but ME is allowed to use this. It is not a toy, I give my dog for pastime. The dog must associate the dumbbell with FUNNY SERIOUS WORK.

[Michael C.]

Originally posted by damp:
Just a suggestion:
If you want to teach your dog a “real retrieving”, use (in the learning) some objects ONLY for this. I mean, this objects must not be toys for the dog. I really don’t know how to explain this in a foreign language. But my dumbell is “HOLY”. No one but ME is allowed to use this. It is not a toy, I give my dog for pastime. The dog must associate the dumbbell with FUNNY SERIOUS WORK.

Hmmm, that makes sense. Any suggestions besides a dumbell? I was thinking of buying some really thick rope.

[FredAl]

Originally posted by WorkinDogz:
Damp, FredAl and Lisa,

Great minds do think alike

I may not have a "great mind"...but teach the retrieve the same way.

Building drive the whole time

WorkinDogz,

Welcome to the Great Minds Club!