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Fetching a toy or ball, and then bringing it back and dropping it at your feet is one of the more fun tricks that you can teach your dog to do. It is a great way for your to exercise your dog without completely wearing yourself out, and it helps your dog to really get some of their extra energy used up.

 

The main thing to remember when you are teaching your dog this trick is to make sure they understand not only the fetching behavior but also the need to drop the ball/toy on command. Here are some helpful tips you can use to get started:

 

Fetch versus “Keep Away”

 

As you read this, you might be thinking that your dog already knows how to fetch. They chase after the toy, they bring it back to you but then fight you to keep it. This is not fetch. What your dog is doing is simply an instinctual behavior that most dogs have automatically.  Unfortunately, this behavior can also be very frustrating and often cuts play-time short, as well as a lot of destroyed tennis balls. So, if you want to teach your dog to “fetch” properly, he first needs to learn how to “drop it”.

 

Teaching your Dog to “Drop It”

 

There are a few different ways that you can go about training your dog to “drop it”.

 

I like to teach my dog to do this outside the context of running and retrieving a toy. Using a clicker and a treat reward system, you’ll need one of their favorite toys and a bit of time.  Start by waiting for your dog to pick up their favorite toy. Once they have picked it up, ask them to drop it (use the clicker as well if you have one).  Once your dog drops the toy, give them a reward. This can take a good deal of time to do (it might take a little while before your dog can connect the two actions).

 

An alternative way to teach your dog to “drop it” is to start out playing fetch using two tennis balls. Essentially, you’ll start out by “tricking” your dog into dropping the ball that they have. Start by tossing the first ball and have them retrieve it. The majority ofdogs will probably already know this portion of the game. If the dog refuses to drop the ball when they return (make sure to give them the command), take your second ball and start playing with it yourself, ignoring the dog. It should only take a few seconds to get your dog’s attention. Once you do, throw the second ball and have them fetch it.

 

Eventually, your dog will make the connection that when they hear “drop it”, you’re going to toss another ball. After a doing this for a while, you can start to use the same ball instead of needing to employ a second one.

 

 

Keep Fetch From Being Boring

 

Some dogs could play fetch forever without getting bored. Others are excited to fetch the ball two or three times, and then want to take a nap. What you want to try to do is figure out when they tend to lose interest in playing, and make sure to stop playing before they decide it’s nap time.

 

If you manage to strategically end the game before they lose interest in it, you’ll be strenghtening their interest in playing fetch next time you pull out a tennis ball, and that will make playing much more fun for both you and your dog.

 

 

Keeping Control

 

Above all else, never lose control over the game. If your dog refuses to drop the ball, don’t struggle to snatch it from them.  If you do that, the dog will think that is the right way to play the game. Instead, just wait until they drop the ball. You can’t let them feel like they have control over the situation or can decide how the game will go.

 

 

Fetch is a wonderful game that can be a lot of fun for both you and your dog. If you take the comparatively small amount of time it takes to train your dog to “drop it” – and be consistent with your commands whenever you throw the ball – you’ll both have a lot more fun when you go out to play.

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