Teaching Your Dog to Fetch

    To teach a dog how to go and bring an object back, we always begin with something that he likes. A little ball, a piece of wood, a piece of curled rope, a frisbee, anything. Later, we change this joke into a serious game.

    If the dog is already an adult, or if he simply doesn’t catch anything, for having already been traumatized, we have to try another method.

    Every time you want to teach something new to a dog, you have to show, in the shortest time possible, the end of the exercise.

    When you put something in the dog’s mouth, he will immediately think that he will have to swallow the object, just like you do with the pills.

    As soon as you introduce the object in his mouth, remove it, along with a command, so he doesn’t feel uncomfortable.

    We use the "Fetch" command to make the dog catch the object and "Aus!" to make the dog release the object.

    So, when we put the object in the dog’s mouth we give the command "Fetch" and, immediately after, the command "Aus" to make him release the object in our hands. We throw the object to the floor to show him that the exercise is over. Run with him to play, praising him a lot. Then, repeat the same thing for about three times, and then, you may begin to increase the time that he should hold the object, always one second more in each time.

    When the dog is holding the object for approximately one minute, begin to teach him how to move with this object in his mouth. At first he will try to spit the object. Insist until he takes one step with it and order him to release the object. Make a fuss of him, take a little run and you may go back again to the exercise.

    Next, two steps, three, four, until he starts pacing with the object in his mouth. From then on it is very easy.

    The next step will be making him catch the object on the floor.

    This step can only be started when the dog is already catching the object without problems by hearing the "Fetch" command.

    To start this phase we have to succeed in making him catch the object coming from below and not putting it into his mouth anymore.

    We have to bring it down around one centimeter each time until he takes the object leaned on the floor.

    The next step will be making him take a step to catch the object on the floor.

    After that, two steps,... until he runs to fetch.

    It gives a lot of work, but it’s very easy.