Whether it’s a ball, a plush toy, or a dog toy, teaching your dog to retrieve associates play, fun, and mental exercise, providing a stimulating way to engage your pet. Here are some tips on how to best teach your furry friend to retrieve.
Start the training slowly when teaching your dog to retrieve and build the “lessons” in a meaningful sequence. You’ll need a long dog leash, some treats for rewards, and a suitable object: one that your furry friend can carry in its mouth without the risk of injury. In technical terms, the retrieving object is called “retrieve item” and can be a toy, a plush toy, a dummy, or a piece of wood.
Teaching Retrieving: The Beginnings
To get your dog to chase after the retrieve item when you throw it, you need to make it interesting for them. Their favorite toy is a good choice. A dummy, filled with treats beforehand, can also encourage your dog to chase after the object. While balls that bounce after being thrown may entice your dog to run, they can also trigger their hunting instincts. Therefore, caution is advised with such retrieving objects. You can learn how to teach your dog to retrieve with a dummy in our guide, “Dummy Training with a Dog: What Is It?”
Now, you need a bit of space and tranquility for your dog to focus on you. A long trailing leash should prevent your pet from running away with its captured object. Throw the toy, praise your dog when it chases after it and picks it up. Then lure it back to you by calling and gradually shortening the leash until it reaches you. Ask for the object with the command “Drop.”
Reward Your Pet
The game should be enjoyable! When your dog brings you the toy, they should associate it with positive feelings. You can convey this by rewarding them with a praising voice, treats, or a clicker as soon as they give you the toy.
Repeat the game over the next few days. Keep the training sessions short and repeat them more frequently, ensuring your dog stays motivated and doesn’t lose interest in the game due to being overwhelmed. If it goes well, you can start introducing a command like the word “Fetch” when your dog starts running to retrieve the toy. Over time, they will remember what to do when given this command! Always end the training with a success for your furry friend – you don’t want them to feel like their prey is being taken away when you retrieve the object.
In the following video, you’ll find some additional training tips:
Teaching Retrieving: Variant for Curious Dogs
If your dog tends to be a ball fanatic and immediately runs uncontrollably when you throw an object, you should teach them a different variant of retrieving. Instead of throwing the retrieve item, have your dog sit while you hide the object. Then, send your furry friend with the command “Fetch” or “Retrieve” to search for, fetch, and bring back the “prey” to you.
Especially if your dog lacks significant frustration tolerance and impulse control, and is very impatient, it may take a while for them to master this exercise. However, in the end, both your dog and you will be happier, more satisfied, and more balanced. Both of you need to concentrate and pay attention to each other, which is very beneficial for the bond between humans and dogs.
