Fetch – How to Teach Your Dog to Fetch
By Scotty Valadao – Accredited Animal Behaviourist (ABC of SA™) – TTouch Practitioner
Dogs have a natural prey drive and teaching your dog how to fetch is a wonderful outlet to simulate its natural tendencies. It is a great way for you to bond with your dog – plus – a tired dog is normally a good dog! Games such as this also serve to take the edge out of boredom and/or frustration, lessening the probabilities of behaviour problems occurring.
People often think that a dog should automatically know how to fetch and return a ball, but not all of them do this naturally, often a little help is needed. We, as humans, may think that throwing the ball and the dog running after it and bringing it back is one complete sequence – however, it’s not – it needs to be broken down into sections in order for the dog to get the understanding of what is required. A Fetch can be broken down into the dog running to retrieve the ball; the dog then picks the ball up; the dog runs back to you; and either drops the ball at your feet; or places it in your hand, and perhaps a ‘sit’ is also required. So you can see that these are actually a series of sequences which have been linked together to form one complete exercise. While undertaking this exercise, your dog is expected to perform this exercise without being distracted by anything around him, or any smells he comes across while running to and fro with the ball. Once you realize what is actually involved in Fetching, you will soon realize that it is much easier to break it down (or chunk it down as we use in TTouch, or Shaping, as used in behaviour terminology) and teach your dog one sequence of this exercise at a time, allowing the dog to be successful at each step before taking the sequence further.
Once the dog gets the hang of it, many hours of fun can be had for both of you, and you can even train your dog to go and get your keys or other objects. One owner I know has trained his dog to go and fetch him a beer out the fridge! Not all dogs seem interested in this game, but the majority of them can be trained to Fetch in various degrees of competence.
Personally, instead of saying ‘thank you’ or ‘give’ for the cue to release the object, I prefer to use the cue, Swap. This is a cue that I use to get my dog to give up any object it may be using and notes on this can be found in the article link above. Using the same cue such as this will just reinforce the behaviour of surrendering article. Do note that my ‘swap’ cue is totally different from my ‘leave’ cue. With the swap the dog will either get the object back by way of me throwing it again or praise and/or a treat (depending on the difficulty of releasing object), whereas if I say ‘leave’, under no circumstances will my dog get this object again. He will be rewarded for giving it to me by way of praise and the occasional treat if really difficult for him to release.
How to
a. Start off inside the home in a room with as little distraction as possible. If there are other dogs or pets around, put them away. Many dogs will refuse to fetch a ball or similar object as the other dog has become the ‘top dog’ in this game and will not allow the other dog to play – so always work with one dog at a time and in short increments, rather than one long play session. This is especially important with pups that have short attention spans, and dogs that are reluctant to fetch items. I really would not work at this exercise for more than 5 mins at a time, and shorter periods for a dog that has previously not engaged in the game.
b. You can start with a ball put into an old sock. Kneeling down on the floor, bounce this on the floor in front of your pup or dog, making a great game out of bouncing, pulling it back and forward etc, with great excitement on your part. Instead of a sock, you can use a ball with a rope through it. Don’t just throw it and expect your dog to go after it. By pulling the ball in the sock back and forward, on the floor, you are imitating what prey would do, and this will help to stimulate your dog’s natural tendencies.
The reason I like to start this exercise with the object in the sock or a ball with a rope, is that I am also training the dog to bring the item back, as I have control over the object.
c. If your pup/dog shows no interest whatsoever, you can place a small squeaky toy in the sock, making it make a noise with the bouncing, pulling etc and squeezing it in your hand. If your dog still shows no interest, try putting a treat in the sock with the ball, squeaky toy as well.
d. If your dog shows any interest in retrieving, even if only sniffing the item from a dog that is reluctant to fetch, immediately, the interest is shown, offer a treat and praise the dog lavishly. The dog is being rewarded both by food and praise and is more likely to repeat the behaviour. Practise this often and in short increments before taking it further. However, if your pup or dog pounces on the object, then do go onto the next step.
e. When your pup/dog does start showing interest and starts to tug the object and put in its mouth, then pull the object gently towards you, reach out your hand and say ‘swap’, thank you’, ‘give’ or similar. What is important is that the cue you do decide to use for this exercise is always the same – this will make your instructions clearer for the dog and not cause confusion as to what you require. As the dog releases the ball, treat and praise immediately. If the pup/dog does not release the object, don’t jerk or pull it – this is just starting a game of tug, rather hold your hand still while holding the ball, and in your other hand show the pup/dog a treat and say ‘swap’. As the dog releases the ball to get the treat, then toss the sock and ball again on the floor.
You will find that in a short space of time, the dog will start to release the ball on hearing your cue of ‘swap’ – see how clever your dog is!
As before, practice makes perfect. Don’t go further unless your dog is responding well at this stage.
f. Your next step is to start tossing the ball a little further and working as above. I really do find that until there is a total understanding of what is expected of the dog, it is much easier to retain control of the item by using a longer piece of rope so you can throw further.
If at any time the dog does manage to get hold of the ball and run away with it, don’t start chasing – rather stand up, say ‘finished’ and walk away and try a short time later. This way the game always ends on your terms.
g. Continue practising as above, gradually making the distance further away. Before we do away with the rope or sock, I like to get the dog used to the owner standing up to do this exercise – after all we don’t want to spend our lives kneeling on the floor!
When you add a new element into an exercise such as this, always go back to the beginning to make it easier for your dog to be successful. Stand up and toss the sock and ball very close to you, this time letting go of the sock/rope. As the dog goes towards it, bend down and repeat the ‘swap’ cue, again offering a treat as the dog brings it back. Practice this many times.
h. Your next step is to remain standing and practice the above, without bending down too far. Gradually build up the distance you are tossing the ball. At this stage as you say ‘swap’, your dog should be reliably bringing the ball back to you. Many people like to add in an additional cue of ‘bring’ or similar when the dog puts the ball in its mouth – this is entirely up to you. Personally, I just use the ‘swap’ cue. You have now successfully managed to train your dog to do a reliable fetch.
i. By now the dog should thoroughly be enjoying this new game, so start to ‘fade’ the food reward. To do this instead of treating every single time, start to treat every second time and then every third time etc., gradually phasing the treat our completely – the game itself will become the reward for the dog.
j. Now that your dog is so good at this exercise, you can add in an additional cue of ‘Fetch’, which is said just as you are about to throw the ball for the dog. When bringing in a new cue, it is important the you say it at the beginning, that way the dog will associate the new cue with the game.
k. You are now going to build further on the Fetch game and start to take this into different areas of the house, the garden and outside in the park. Always remember that when doing this exercise for the first time in a different location, to go back to the beginning and throw the ball close to you and gradually building up the difference.
Should you desire, now your dog is so proficient is to add in additional factors to this game i.e. ‘ask the dog to ‘sit’ before doing the swap with him. If there are small children in the home this is a good idea as the dog is less likely to bowl them over. You can take it further by asking the dog to ‘sit’, then ‘hold’ and get him to keep the ball in his mouth for a few seconds, gradually building the time period. Additionally, you can ask the dog to ‘down’ before swapping; request the dog goes into the heel position etc.
Once your dog is good at retrieving a ball for example, you can then start adding in different objects for him to retrieve. Remember when doing this to go back to the beginning of the exercises you have just performed in that the dog is close to you, you practice over and over and the dog is rewarded each and every time, gradually fading it. Just because he can chase and retrieve a ball, does not mean that every dog will chase and retrieve any other object thrown.
The most important factors in teaching this exercise is repetition and positive reinforcement by way of praise and treats until the dog is proficient, and most importantly, let’s not forget that its meant to be fun!
People often think that a dog should automatically know how to fetch and return a ball, but not all of them do this naturally, often a little help is needed. We, as humans, may think that throwing the ball and the dog running after it and bringing it back is one complete sequence – however, it’s not – it needs to be broken down into sections in order for the dog to get the understanding of what is required. A Fetch can be broken down into the dog running to retrieve the ball; the dog then picks the ball up; the dog runs back to you; and either drops the ball at your feet; or places it in your hand, and perhaps a ‘sit’ is also required. So you can see that these are actually a series of sequences which have been linked together to form one complete exercise. While undertaking this exercise, your dog is expected to perform this exercise without being distracted by anything around him, or any smells he comes across while running to and fro with the ball. Once you realize what is actually involved in Fetching, you will soon realize that it is much easier to break it down (or chunk it down as we use in TTouch, or Shaping, as used in behaviour terminology) and teach your dog one sequence of this exercise at a time, allowing the dog to be successful at each step before taking the sequence further.
Once the dog gets the hang of it, many hours of fun can be had for both of you, and you can even train your dog to go and get your keys or other objects. One owner I know has trained his dog to go and fetch him a beer out the fridge! Not all dogs seem interested in this game, but the majority of them can be trained to Fetch in various degrees of competence.
Personally, instead of saying ‘thank you’ or ‘give’ for the cue to release the object, I prefer to use the cue, Swap. This is a cue that I use to get my dog to give up any object it may be using and notes on this can be found in the article link above. Using the same cue such as this will just reinforce the behaviour of surrendering article. Do note that my ‘swap’ cue is totally different from my ‘leave’ cue. With the swap the dog will either get the object back by way of me throwing it again or praise and/or a treat (depending on the difficulty of releasing object), whereas if I say ‘leave’, under no circumstances will my dog get this object again. He will be rewarded for giving it to me by way of praise and the occasional treat if really difficult for him to release.
How to
a. Start off inside the home in a room with as little distraction as possible. If there are other dogs or pets around, put them away. Many dogs will refuse to fetch a ball or similar object as the other dog has become the ‘top dog’ in this game and will not allow the other dog to play – so always work with one dog at a time and in short increments, rather than one long play session. This is especially important with pups that have short attention spans, and dogs that are reluctant to fetch items. I really would not work at this exercise for more than 5 mins at a time, and shorter periods for a dog that has previously not engaged in the game.
b. You can start with a ball put into an old sock. Kneeling down on the floor, bounce this on the floor in front of your pup or dog, making a great game out of bouncing, pulling it back and forward etc, with great excitement on your part. Instead of a sock, you can use a ball with a rope through it. Don’t just throw it and expect your dog to go after it. By pulling the ball in the sock back and forward, on the floor, you are imitating what prey would do, and this will help to stimulate your dog’s natural tendencies.
The reason I like to start this exercise with the object in the sock or a ball with a rope, is that I am also training the dog to bring the item back, as I have control over the object.
c. If your pup/dog shows no interest whatsoever, you can place a small squeaky toy in the sock, making it make a noise with the bouncing, pulling etc and squeezing it in your hand. If your dog still shows no interest, try putting a treat in the sock with the ball, squeaky toy as well.
d. If your dog shows any interest in retrieving, even if only sniffing the item from a dog that is reluctant to fetch, immediately, the interest is shown, offer a treat and praise the dog lavishly. The dog is being rewarded both by food and praise and is more likely to repeat the behaviour. Practise this often and in short increments before taking it further. However, if your pup or dog pounces on the object, then do go onto the next step.
e. When your pup/dog does start showing interest and starts to tug the object and put in its mouth, then pull the object gently towards you, reach out your hand and say ‘swap’, thank you’, ‘give’ or similar. What is important is that the cue you do decide to use for this exercise is always the same – this will make your instructions clearer for the dog and not cause confusion as to what you require. As the dog releases the ball, treat and praise immediately. If the pup/dog does not release the object, don’t jerk or pull it – this is just starting a game of tug, rather hold your hand still while holding the ball, and in your other hand show the pup/dog a treat and say ‘swap’. As the dog releases the ball to get the treat, then toss the sock and ball again on the floor.
You will find that in a short space of time, the dog will start to release the ball on hearing your cue of ‘swap’ – see how clever your dog is!
As before, practice makes perfect. Don’t go further unless your dog is responding well at this stage.
f. Your next step is to start tossing the ball a little further and working as above. I really do find that until there is a total understanding of what is expected of the dog, it is much easier to retain control of the item by using a longer piece of rope so you can throw further.
If at any time the dog does manage to get hold of the ball and run away with it, don’t start chasing – rather stand up, say ‘finished’ and walk away and try a short time later. This way the game always ends on your terms.
g. Continue practising as above, gradually making the distance further away. Before we do away with the rope or sock, I like to get the dog used to the owner standing up to do this exercise – after all we don’t want to spend our lives kneeling on the floor!
When you add a new element into an exercise such as this, always go back to the beginning to make it easier for your dog to be successful. Stand up and toss the sock and ball very close to you, this time letting go of the sock/rope. As the dog goes towards it, bend down and repeat the ‘swap’ cue, again offering a treat as the dog brings it back. Practice this many times.
h. Your next step is to remain standing and practice the above, without bending down too far. Gradually build up the distance you are tossing the ball. At this stage as you say ‘swap’, your dog should be reliably bringing the ball back to you. Many people like to add in an additional cue of ‘bring’ or similar when the dog puts the ball in its mouth – this is entirely up to you. Personally, I just use the ‘swap’ cue. You have now successfully managed to train your dog to do a reliable fetch.
i. By now the dog should thoroughly be enjoying this new game, so start to ‘fade’ the food reward. To do this instead of treating every single time, start to treat every second time and then every third time etc., gradually phasing the treat our completely – the game itself will become the reward for the dog.
j. Now that your dog is so good at this exercise, you can add in an additional cue of ‘Fetch’, which is said just as you are about to throw the ball for the dog. When bringing in a new cue, it is important the you say it at the beginning, that way the dog will associate the new cue with the game.
k. You are now going to build further on the Fetch game and start to take this into different areas of the house, the garden and outside in the park. Always remember that when doing this exercise for the first time in a different location, to go back to the beginning and throw the ball close to you and gradually building up the difference.
Should you desire, now your dog is so proficient is to add in additional factors to this game i.e. ‘ask the dog to ‘sit’ before doing the swap with him. If there are small children in the home this is a good idea as the dog is less likely to bowl them over. You can take it further by asking the dog to ‘sit’, then ‘hold’ and get him to keep the ball in his mouth for a few seconds, gradually building the time period. Additionally, you can ask the dog to ‘down’ before swapping; request the dog goes into the heel position etc.
Once your dog is good at retrieving a ball for example, you can then start adding in different objects for him to retrieve. Remember when doing this to go back to the beginning of the exercises you have just performed in that the dog is close to you, you practice over and over and the dog is rewarded each and every time, gradually fading it. Just because he can chase and retrieve a ball, does not mean that every dog will chase and retrieve any other object thrown.
The most important factors in teaching this exercise is repetition and positive reinforcement by way of praise and treats until the dog is proficient, and most importantly, let’s not forget that its meant to be fun!