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Teaching a Dog to Fetch
Teaching a Dog to Fetch
Train Your Dog To Fetch!
How
to teach your dog a "Fetch" command so that he or she
brings you a thrown stick or other object with great joy? "Fetch"
command will become a favorite dog command if the owner is able
to
get the pet interested in fetching. Even those dogs that
have
absolutely no interest in thrown sticks will be willing to
bring the
owner anything. The “Fetch” command is not useless. It is
very
important to teach the dog to perform it. What for?
Walking. Dogs
need to walk as much as possible. Most breeds are very active
and
love to play. By getting rid of energy
excess, it will be easier to train a dog,
because it will be much quieter and more obedient at home, and
will
fully develop physically. The latter is especially important for
owners of serious dog breeds.
Teaching
to search the area. Not the most needed
command. You can easily do without it, but for the overall
development, you only win if you teach your dog this rather
simple
command. It is
possible to teach a pet to search without
a "Fetch",
but with it, nevertheless, it becomes a lot easier.
How
to teach a puppy to fetch
Begin teaching the command even if your puppy is
one month-old. All training will be in a form of a
game, and only
since 5 months age you may make the puppy bring you an object,
sit by
your left leg and hold it as long as necessary.
You can teach an
animal to perform the “Fetch” command only in a form of a game.
That is a puppy or a dog will bring the thing you threw, and
give
them by a command "give". Further complicating the command
is not necessary. Of course, obedience training will
benefit as a
whole, but the strict implementation of "Fetch" command is
not so important. There is no need to teach the animal to bypass
the
handler behind his back and sit down without instructions by his
left
leg, keeping the object as long as the owner wants, if
you are not planning to take part in professional dog sport
competitions, of course.
So let's not waste time and move on to the process
of training the command in games. That is, the dog will bring
anything you want, but you'll use it only to play. Want to teach
the
animal a complicated “Fetch”? You
can do it easily over time, as you will already have the base,
the
foundation for further learning.
Kindle an interest.
The problem is that there is only one way to teach your dog to
bring
objects. It should be interested in that very object that it
needs to
bring. Take a favorite
toy, buy an inexpensive soft puller or take a
stick. During a free outing do everything possible to make the
dog
grab the object by its mouth. If a pet is passive and not
interested,
then you are either playing on an unfamiliar terrain, or you're
a bad
actor.
Those who know the best how to play with the puppies are
children. They almost dance around it, luring the puppy's
attention
with all their toys. When surrounded by such an activity, even
inside
the laziest creature playfulness awakens.
You
can throw a stick on the floor and start kicking it with your
legs.
Surely a puppy will be interested and will run for a stick. As
soon
as it grabs the stick, take the other end of it and “fight” a
little. You can simply take a toy and play with the puppy. Once
he grabs it - start playing the same game. Every owner knows how
to
play his dog out. If you do not know - try to spend more time
with
the animal and to play more.
The dog needs to awake an excitement, a desire to
pick up the stick. Then it would rather give up food than
the
pleasure to play with its owner.
When the dog fights with you
for a stick, repeat from time to time (every 10 seconds, several
times): "Fetch, fetch, good." Praise it only at
the moment
when it is holding a stick with its full mouth and fights for it
with
you. You read that right, now you are just playing tug and
saying the
dog from time to time: "Fetch, fetch, good." You can stroke
the dog simultaneously by your free hand on the side as a sign
of
encouragement. To pick up the object give the command "Give".
After holding the object for a few seconds continue the game
and,
after 5 minutes, take the object away again saying "give".
Your
goal is to develop passion for the game. The dog needs to
know that
if it brings the stick (or any other item) to its owner, then it
can
have fun. Therefore, to start with, play with it for a long time
to
develop interest. He'll bring you objects later.
Teaching
to bring. Attach a leash
to the collar
of an animal, and take its end. Then take a favorite toy or
other
item and throw it 1-1.5 meters (do not rush to throw more). When
the
dog runs after it and grabs - tell the command "Fetch" once
(not more), tighten the leash to yourself and make 2-3 steps
back.
The puppy will run to you with the object in his mouth - then
grab
the other side of it and start playing, repeating: "Fetch,
fetch, good." Play as much as you want, but not less than 3-5
minutes.
If you threw an object, and the pet does not even
want to run to it, then you must first arouse interest toward
the
object. The next several outings just play, repeating: "Fetch,
fetch, good." If you do not make the doggy play - it will not
work.
Perhaps the animal rushes to the thrown object, but just
stands beside it? Then run up and kick a little the stick, thus
"animating it." Kick the object until the doggy grabs it by
its mouth. As soon as he grabs it, play with him.
Later,
when you throw a stick, the dog will run after it and grab with
its
jaws. Then it's time to say "Fetch", pull it by the leash
and, after it approaches, start actively playing and praising.
After
5 minutes, take away the stick at a command "give". Again,
throw it and make the dog approach, pulling the leash. If you
see
that the dog loses interest specifically to the fetching of the
object - do not worry, do a "Fetch" the next day.
Thus,
we offer a dog some game if it comes to us. It soon realizes
that it
is more profitable to bring things to the owner, because this
is the
only way to play with him. Other methods will be
inefficient and the
dog will be happy to play with you in exchange for an object
brought.
Off
leash. Now throw the stick on small
distances (1-2 meters), but without a leash. Push the dog to
fetch
it. Does not work? Then you need to work more on a leash. Obtain
the
result when the object is brought to you, and then complicate
the
process.
Throw on longer distances.
When the dog brings toys or something off a leash for a short
distance in exchange for the game with the owner, it's time to
throw
further. Even if first you work on a long leash, increase the
length
of the throw. You'll have to play and throw a lot and for the
dog
always to bring
you objects. Your goal is to throw the object at
least 5 meters and get it brought back, instead offering the dog
all
the same a game. Take
the object away saying "give" after
a few minutes.
Summing up. Play
with your dog every time it fetches the object. Do not run after
the
distances and start with small: just throw an object and use a
leash.
Then stop using the leash and gradually increase a throwing
distance.
The main thing is not how far you throw, but how well the dog
brings
it back to you at your command.
Only in the beginning, to work out the command,
you need to play every time for the object fetching. When the
animal
is good in bringing things and performing the command "give",
then you may not play immediately after the dog approaches you,
but
to take an object away, saying "give". Remember that if the
dog brings things badly at a command, you need to work more with
this
very command.
You
can read more interesting articles on dog
education on our web site, as well as find various dog
training tools.
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