Some dogs are born with the instinct to fetch and will retrieve anything you throw (without being asked). It’s even in the name of some breeds – Labrador retriever. But then there are other dogs who look at you with that characteristic head tilt and seem to ask “Why did you throw away my toy?” Whether your dog hasn’t learned what fetch is yet or is ready for Advanced Fetch 3001, we have some tips to help you get started.
Safety first
The first step to starting a game of fetch is to make sure the area you are playing in is safe for your dog. If you’re indoors, play on carpet or another surface that provides traction so your dog doesn’t slip and slide toward an ER visit. You should also remove anything fragile or dangerous in the area in case your dog gets a little out of his way and accidentally bumps into something. If you are playing fetch outdoors, make sure your throwing direction is not near a road and avoid throwing the toy near any hazards (eg rose bush, sharp rocks). Once the area seems safe, the recovery can begin!
Introduction to Recovery
This section is for dogs who are new to the idea of fetching. Even if your dog doesn’t instinctively want to fetch their toys, you can teach them the game. Start with a toy they already play with. It can be a ball, a frisbee, a toy stick, really anything they like to play with. If your dog is more “Show me the food” than “Where’s my ball?” » you can try using a toy that has a pocket for food. In this way, their food motivation encourages them to chase after the toy. You may also need to try different toys, as their favorite chew toy may not be their favorite fetch toy.
Draw his attention to the toy, throw it a short distance away from you, and encourage him to reach for it. Use “fetch” (or another word) often so they associate chasing the toy with that word. You may need to chase the toy yourself first if it is staring blankly at you. Once they grab the toy, reward them with lots of praise and/or treats (anything you want to use as a reward). Repeat this until they understand they are supposed to chase the toy and gradually increase the distance you throw the toy.
Then you want them to bring the toy back to you. Once they have the toy, remind them excitedly. You can reward them for coming back to you when asked (even if they don’t bring the toy), but they should receive additional praise and rewards when they bring the toy with them. The next step is to get them to drop the toy. Of course, it’s easy if they already know how to “let go”. If not, say “forget it,” take a short break, and then show them a high-value treat. When they drop the toy, give them the treats and lots of praise. If they are not motivated by food, you can also use a second toy to entice them to “fall”; but it must be a high value toy for them to drop first.
Now you can put everything together. It may take some practice, but eventually they should understand the fun of playing fetch!
Intermediate recovery: toys by name
If you want to increase the difficulty level of fetching, you can try teaching your dog to fetch toys by name. Not all dogs can learn this trick, but for those who do, it’s an awesome skill. Start with one of his favorite toys and give it a name that doesn’t sound like any other name your dog knows (for example, don’t name the toy “Teddy” if your dog’s name is “Freddy”) . Show the toy to your dog and ask him to get it by name. Give lots of praise/treats when they pick it up. Keep playing with it for a while, calling the toy by name. Repeat the process with other toys and see if they can tell the difference when the named toys are side by side.
Once they’re good at it, you can complicate it by putting together named and unnamed toys or having your dog fetch their toy when it’s out of sight (hide-and-seek). A bonus of this skill is that with training, things like “Fetch the remote” might be possible for some dogs.
Advanced Extraction: Opening Doors
Fetching the remote is a pretty cool trick, but what if your dog could fetch something from the cabinet or fridge? Who would be Really impress your friends and family. To be able to do this, your dog has to combine several skills, so it’s really for expert level retrievers – the valedictorians of fetch school.
The example we’ll use is getting a drink from the fridge, but you can use the same instructions to teach your dog to fetch something from a cupboard or cabinet. First, your dog needs to be able to open the door, so you’ll need to tie a rope or something similar to the refrigerator handle so he can pull it. It helps if it’s something they’re used to playing with already.
Next, show your dog the drink you’d like him to fetch from the fridge. Make sure the container is something your dog can’t break in his mouth or hurt himself. You may want to put the container in a bag or blanket that’s still easy for your dog to grab, but you don’t need to wipe up the drool before drinking. Teach them its name (see Intermediate Retrieval above) and make sure they can retrieve it like a normal toy. Now open the refrigerator door and place the drink somewhere easily accessible to your dog. Show them where it is and tell them to look for it by name. You may need to start with the door wide open and gradually close it little by little. Eventually, your dog may be able to use his nose to open the door.
Learning to open the door is the next step. Shake the rope (or other door opener) attached to the fridge handle until your dog wants to grab it and play with it, which will also open the door. Practice this until they know that pulling the rope opens the door. Ideally, you want them to learn to close the door as well. The easiest way is to make them jump on the door with their front legs.
Now is the time to put it all together. The goal is that by saying “Go get the drink” (or whatever name you gave your drink), your dog realizes that he is in the refrigerator and that he must open and then close the refrigerator door and bring it to you. Needless to say, this is a very difficult trick that will take lots of practice, praise and rewards to master. And since your dog will have access to the fridge, it might be a good idea to remove the “door opener” once you’ve completed the trick or use a fridge that doesn’t contain foods tempting people.
Fetch is a fun game for dogs, whether it’s fetching a scratched tennis ball or showing off their fridge fetching skills. And it’s also good exercise!
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