Fetch is a fun game for dogs and players to play together. What is Fetch? Picking is an activity where a person throws an object, such as a ball or a dog toy, and the dog retrieves the object. Some dogs seem to be born to catch and often seek to play catch with their owners. But fetch doesn’t come naturally to all dogs. However, all dogs can learn to find and enjoy the game.
Supplies needed to teach your dog to take:
- Toys or balls that your dog likes
- Clicker if you are training clicker
- A lot of training dishes cut into small pieces
How to teach your dog to grab:
Start by teaching your dog to pick up groceries at a quiet time without a lot of distractions so he can focus on learning this new skill.
Step 1: Reward your dog for keeping a toy or other object. Start with a toy or ball that your dog likes and give it to your dog. Click/praise and reward with a reward after any action with the toy, such as sniffing or nudging the toy. Then show the dog the toy and click/praise and reward your dog for putting the toy in his mouth. When your dog repeatedly brings his mouth to the toy, add a verbal cue of your choice such as “take” or “hold”. After your dog latches on the toy and shows attachment, you’re ready to start looking.
Step 2: Offer a toy to your dog and ask your dog to hold it by verbal cues. When your dog takes the toy, praise/click and reward him.
Step 3: Place the toy on the floor in front of you and ask your dog to pick it up. When he does, give praise/click and reward. As your dog repeatedly picks up the toy and brings it to you, offer verbal cues of choice like “take” or “bring it.”
Step 4: Start moving the toy further away, then ask your dog to bring the toy. Go slowly for the distance you are asking your dog to find; The goal is to make sure your dog is happy and successful rather than trying to see how far your dog can pick up. Keep the game interesting by alternating between keeping the toy at a close distance and keeping it further away. Always reward your dog for bringing home a toy.
Step 5: As your dog repeatedly grabs a toy placed at various distances, start throwing the toy and use verbal cues to ask your dog to bring it back. Practice skills with balls and other toys. Build up the difficulty gradually by first tossing a toy in the house a short distance, before starting to ask your dog to fetch it while outside or in other distracting situations.
Continue to reward your dog for:
While scavenging is a very rewarding game for some dogs, it is not a natural reward for all dogs. Some dogs will develop a love for the game, while others will imitate when asked, but find no personal enjoyment in the game. For these dogs, continue to reinforce using rewards to reward fetch behavior.
Teach dogs that don’t like toys:
Teaching dogs that don’t like to play with toys can be more difficult, but not impossible! Start teaching with a soft plush toy with a snack bag inside. The scent of a hidden treat will prompt most dogs to show interest in the toy and be willing to put it in their mouths. Build on that behavior to teach your dog to hold and then take the toy. Once your dog understands the skill, you can ask your dog to get balls or other toys.
Products to play fetch with your dog
While ball picking can be as simple as throwing a ball to your dog, which will then chase and bring the ball back to you, there are ways to make ball picking more fun for your dog. Dogs love to pick things up. These dog products can make picking up items easier for humans and more fun for dogs who like to pick things up over and over again.
