How to Teach a Dog to Fetch

Teaching your dog to fetch is a wonderful activity. A dog that retrieves tends to get more exercise than a dog that doesn't. With a retriever, it's easy for you to just stand in one spot and throw a ball for your dog.

A lot of dogs like to chase after the ball and bring it towards the owner. When the dog gets close enough he/she starts to play keep away. You can get your dog to give you the ball by having two tennis balls with you.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Two tennis balls

How to Teach Your Dog To Fetch

1. Throw the first ball and let your dog go after it. When your dog starts to come towards you, ask your dog to "drop it."

2. If your dog does not drop the ball, stop paying any attention to your dog and take out the second ball.

3. Start to have fun with the second ball. Toss it up in the air. Act like you're having a great time with the second ball. Keep doing this until your dog looks at you. If you've done this step correctly, your dog will drop the ball that he/she has and look up at the one you have.

4. As soon as your dog drops his/her ball, show the ball you're holding to your dog. As soon as your dog focuses on the ball that you're holding, throw it.

5. Repeat the process when your dog comes back to you. Within a short period of time, you'll have your dog retrieving for you.

Tips & Warnings

• Always make sure that you have two balls with you.
• Get your dog interested in the second ball when they come back to you.
• The better you are at acting like you're having a great time with the second ball, the faster your dog will drop the ball he/she has.
• Don't throw your ball until your dog has dropped the ball he/she has.
• End the retrieving game before your dog gets bored with it. This way the next time you play fetch, your dog will be very excited about it.

Resources

• FREE ebook

[horselover97g]

on 2/1/2009 im gunna try this! hopfully itll work for me!

[dixon1]

on 11/14/2008 grr...its not working... she runs away from me, and keeps chewing on the ball until it literally denigrates.

[dixon1]

on 11/2/2008 yah i tried to teach my english bulldog named zoe to fetch, she runs off with the ball. I play with the other ball, but she doesn't seem to care. =(

[emma2008]

on 5/19/2008 My dog, a 6 or 7 year old Siberian Husky, used to fetch a ball, but after not having played ball with her for a while, seems to have to interest. Is there any way to get that interest back again?