How to teach your dog to FETCH!

Teaching your dog new tricks is fun and a great way to strengthen the bond between owner and pet. Before you teach anything too elaborate, it is best to master the basics: sit, stay and down.  By the time you have taught these, your dog will have mastered the art of obedience (hopefully!) and be able to pay attention for the more demanding of tricks.

The success of training your dog relies heavily on correct rewarding. By this I mean rewarding the desired behavioural response in the correct timely manner. What a dog finds rewarding can differ from dog to dog so work out what it is your dog goes crazy for! Whatever motivates your dog is the best tool to use whether it is food, a toy or simply praise from its owner. Remember to keep training sessions short and sweet; work with your dog in 5 to 10 minute sessions. Always keep the training session fun for your dog. If you feel yourself getting frustrated, end the session and try again later.  Always end the training period on a high note with a reward for a job well done.

To teach your dog to fetch, start with the object he loves most. Never throw a stick for your dog. The stick can land ‘upwards’, sticking out of the ground and this poses a great danger to your dog. With your dog on a long leash, tell your dog to sit. Take the object and toss it a small distance from the dog. Give the command, "fetch," and let you dog run after the toy. When your dog has the object in his mouth, gently entice him back to you using the lead. Hold his treat in your hand so your dog can see it. Give your pet the command ‘Release’. Don’t play a tug of war with him, he must leave it willingly. When he does release, reward his success with praise and treats.

When you feel your dog is efficient in bringing the object back to you, remove the lead from the equation. Throw the object a little further way and give him the fetch command. When he returns and releases he object, praise him. Do not get angry with him if he goes off for a walk before returning. Scolding a dog on its return is always wrong and should never happen. The dog can’t work out you are mad because he didn’t return immediately; he thinks you are mad BECAUSE he returned. This will only serve to confuse your poor dog and he will be very reluctant to return to you in the future.

Continue FETCH over and over. Each time, throw the object a little further away, slowly building the distance up. Always use a high pitched, happy voice and lots of positive reinforcement. Eventually, your dog will understand and will begin fetching all kinds of things. You could even take this one step further and try teaching your dog to differentiate and fetch certain objects!