You love your dog, but have you ever wanted them to fetch the paper or a shoe?
You may not know it, but there is a way.
Dogs are actually very trainable and they can learn to do many things.
But first you need to introduce them to the idea of fetching items.
They will need some practice before they are ready for their next task – like getting your slippers!
Follow these steps below and watch your pup become an expert fetcher in no time at all!
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduce your dog to the game by throwing a ball or toy while they are on their leash.
- 2. When your dog brings the object back, reward them with praise and treats.
- 3. Gradually increase the distance between you and your pup so that they will be comfortable fetching objects off of furniture or out of corners.
- 4. Play catch in different locations like grassy fields, parks, etc. so that it becomes more exciting than just doing it inside.
- 5. You can add obstacles to make the game more challenging, such as throwing a ball over a fence so your dog has to jump over that.
- 6. Keep training sessions short and sweet.
- Here are 10 ways to train a dog to fetch the ball
- Conclusion
1. Introduce your dog to the game by throwing a ball or toy while they are on their leash.
No need to put them in the back yard yet.
Just play with them on a walk and reward them for walking towards you while they are holding something in their mouth.
Release your dog once they have the ball or toy in their mouth so that you can throw it again, but this time without the leash so they want to chase after it.
Soon enough your pooch will know what to do.
Go into a back yard and ask them to get whatever is directly ahead of them if possible.
This way you don’t surprise them and cause a wreck!
If you’re expecting them to fetch something from one side, such as from out of a pool, then direct them over there at first before letting them pick up whatever’s at their feet instead of having it thrown in front of their face (and behind their own back!).
Once they are chasing the ball or toy, tell your dog to ‘drop it’ if they have something in their mouth.
With persistence, you can teach a dog to fetch anything!
Soon enough your pooch will know what’s expected of them and they’ll be getting into the act as well.
Their enthusiasm will let you know when it’s time for them to learn how to bring back more toys too!
But in order for that to happen, you must first get started on this process of training.
So make sure your next step is to go outside with your pup so you can begin the fetching lesson today!
And don’t forget that they are always learning from you (even if sometimes it doesn’t seem like it!) so give it your best shot and they’ll do the same!
2. When your dog brings the object back, reward them with praise and treats.
If your dog is interested in trying to fetch something for you, then show him or her that doing so will get them lots of attention too.
They will start to love fetching things for you because of all the attention they will get!
It’s really that simple and it may be the beginning of a great relationship between the two of you.
Dogs are usually food motivated, so this will be easy for them to learn with lots of practice.
3. Gradually increase the distance between you and your pup so that they will be comfortable fetching objects off of furniture or out of corners.
If you keep it close to them, then they will be less likely to get frustrated from the game.
But as time goes on, increase the distance between you and them so that they are comfortable fetching objects.
Don’t forget to reward them for a good job every time! It will keep them interested in what you are doing together, which is to play fetch!
4. Play catch in different locations like grassy fields, parks, etc. so that it becomes more exciting than just doing it inside.
Allow your dog to experience different locations and situations so that they will be more comfortable in the future.
If they like it outside, then encourage them to do so!
It will make it easier in the future for you and your best friend to play together.
5. You can add obstacles to make the game more challenging, such as throwing a ball over a fence so your dog has to jump over that.
You can also throw the ball over a fence and have your dog run under it, which will make the game more interesting for both of you.
Try to challenge them in different ways so that they will be more interested in what you are doing and they’ll want to play with you more often.
It’s all about creating a fun atmosphere for you and they can do that too!
6. Keep training sessions short and sweet.
no longer than 15 minutes at a time!
Dogs need breaks too!
But you can train for about 15 minutes at a time and then give them a break.
Then repeat the process until they have mastered fetching what you want them to!
Keep the training sessions from getting too long.
Dogs can get pretty tired just like us, so don’t make them work for too long!
Here are 10 ways to train a dog to fetch the ball
1. Put the ball on the ground and tell them “fetch”
2. Roll the ball along the floor with your foot and call their name.
If they do not come over and get it, pick up the ball and bring it back to them.
Once they have it, they must drop it before you will throw it again
2. Start by throwing the ball into their space.
Give them time to chase after it, but don’t go too far away or they won’t follow you
3. Teach them how to carry things. Fill a child’s sippy cup with water and take two hands full of dog food (or coins) in your hand.
Have them carry the water and food on a walk – walking in front of them.
4. Put the ball on your foot and tell them to “fetch.”
The moment they get it off your foot, immediately throw it again just as you would with their favorite toy!
5 Take it away from them before they have a chance to bring it back.
They must learn that when told to fetch, they must drop whatever is in their mouth – either the dog toy or the ball.
Only then will you throw/roll/hand over another one
7 Set up an obstacle course, complete with obstacles for climbing like steps or sofa cushions; ramps for jumping onto things; tunnels to run through etc.
which you can make out of cardboard, branches, and cushions
8 Your dog must learn how to follow your hand signals.
Picking up the ball using their mouth is a very difficult task for some dogs, so you may have to use hand signals instead.
Make sure they can understand this otherwise this will be an exercise in futility.
If that’s the case start with something simple like, put toy on floor, get it, bring back to me
Teach them to “drop” whatever they are holding when called.
Then teach them what “get it” means (in other words whoever says get it gets the object) then tell them fetch and give them the thrower or let go of the object you want thrown while holding onto another
Conclusion
It’s important to teach your dog how to play fetch because it will help with their mental and physical health.
Dogs need a lot of exercise, so teaching them the game of catch is an excellent way to get them moving around.
Make sure you are patient when introducing this new game!
Even if they aren’t catching on right away, keep trying by using different objects like balls or toys that have been sprayed with peanut butter.
Every day try throwing from farther distances until eventually your pup can go as far as 20 feet without becoming distracted.
As always, make sure there is plenty of variety in where you’re playing ball because dogs can get bored easily if they don’t have something new every now and then!
Remember, be encouraging with praise.
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