fetching

[mitchie]

Hi!  How do I bring out that retreive instinct? My one year old lab runs after the ball, picks it up, drops it about 6 feet from me
than comes to me for a treat.  I started treating her when she dropped the ball at my feet but now she doesn't!
She still thinks the treat is coming.  Will she pick it up if I get her together with some other labs that fetch well?
I would love for my 3 year old son to be able to play fetch with her.  Thanks!

[nickerbokker]

i think we all know that i dont know too much about dogs...i really have no business haveng two LOL...but heres my two cents....

dont give her a treat unti she brings you the ball.  when she gets close, clap and smile and talk all excited to her so that she just cant even stop before she gest to you...if she does stop and drop the ball, give her whatever command you you...like "get your ball" or "wheres your ball" and when she starts walking towards it tell her good girl....as soon as she touches it, yell fetch.

surprisingly enough, this actually worked for me LMAO....dunno if it is the "proper" way to teach one fetch, but it sure worked for me.  with all my other dogs, and now with cody. 

good luck!  hope someone else can give you better advice.  but i say dont give her the treat until she does what you TOLD her to do....half #$$ is not good enough for a treat.

g'day.
nicki

[Teresa Marie]

i think we all know that i dont know too much about dogs...i really have no business haveng two LOL...but heres my two cents....

dont give her a treat unti she brings you the ball.  when she gets close, clap and smile and talk all excited to her so that she just cant even stop before she gest to you...if she does stop and drop the ball, give her whatever command you you...like "get your ball" or "wheres your ball" and when she starts walking towards it tell her good girl....as soon as she touches it, yell fetch.

surprisingly enough, this actually worked for me LMAO....dunno if it is the "proper" way to teach one fetch, but it sure worked for me.  with all my other dogs, and now with cody. 

good luck!  hope someone else can give you better advice.  but i say dont give her the treat until she does what you TOLD her to do....half #$$ is not good enough for a treat.

g'day.
nicki

Actually that's a great way to teach fetch!

When I foster a dog/puppy I try and find the one thing that would make him/her just adorably irresistable and charming. Fetch is fantastic for that. I do the very same thing you do in teaching the game. Just got done teachint Dudly for the first time,yesterday and he's great at it now!

[RedyreRottweilers]

1) stop with the ball for right now

2) get several good canvas retriever bumpers

3) play with the dog with the bumpers. Play tug, play catch, play chase it on a string until these bumpers are just the best thing in the world.

4) Start playing "trade" with the bumpers. Play a little big of fun tug, and then take another bumper, and entice the dog to trade with you. Big praise and reward when she does.

5) with the DOG on a longline, and the DUMMY (no, silly, the BUMPER, not you....LOL) also on a long light nylon cord, tease the dog with the bumper, and then toss it a short distance away. About 6 feet. If you have REALLY primed the dog for several days to a couple of weeks with the bumpers, she is going to DIVE on that thing. She has been DYING for you to throw it.

IMMEDIATELY show her another bumper, and move backwards AWAY from the dog (carefully now. It might be good to have someone standing by with a camera to watch you move backwards while controlling a dog and 2 longlines....i n fact, invite ME to watch....LOL.. ..seriously, be careful, and move backwards away from the dog, praising her, smiling, showing the other dummy, and encouraging. Use the longline to help her if you need to. As SOON as she gets there, go crazy. Tug tug tug play and then get her to trade.

It's a lot of fun to teach a dog like this. Once she gets the hang, you can start again with the ball, or whatever.

[GYPSY JAZMINE]

i think we all know that i dont know too much about dogs...i really have no business haveng two LOL...but heres my two cents....

dont give her a treat unti she brings you the ball.  when she gets close, clap and smile and talk all excited to her so that she just cant even stop before she gest to you...if she does stop and drop the ball, give her whatever command you you...like "get your ball" or "wheres your ball" and when she starts walking towards it tell her good girl....as soon as she touches it, yell fetch.

surprisingly enough, this actually worked for me LMAO....dunno if it is the "proper" way to teach one fetch, but it sure worked for me.  with all my other dogs, and now with cody. 

good luck!  hope someone else can give you better advice.  but i say dont give her the treat until she does what you TOLD her to do....half #$$ is not good enough for a treat.

g'day.
nicki

Sounds good to me!....I got double lucky with Samson...First off he should have no retrieveing instincts because he is a Pyr...2nd he loves to play fetch with me!...& he does it because he enjoys it!...May I reiterate that Samson is an exceptional dog!

[jabear]

Great advice ya'll! Bear loves to fetch the ball/toy but does not like to give it to me. He always thinks we need to play tug-of-war once he gets it.  Lately though, I have gotten smart and make him sit, then I can get the ball from him. I guess he is a slow learner.