How To Train Your Dog To Play Fetch
If you own a dog and you love him very much, you may want to take some time to strengthen the relationship between you two. Playing is a great way of doing this. Especially playing fetch.
Some dogs know instinctively how to play fetch. Other dogs need to be taught. Luckily, dog training for playing fetch is a fairly simple process. You need to stick to a few simple guidelines for a couple of weeks. The three simple guidelines are listed below.
1. To start with, your dog needs to show interest in the ball. If he has no interest in the ball, the game of fetch will go absolutely nowhere unless you teach him this first. You can do this by waving the ball around in front of your dog’s face. Eventually, your dog will sniff the ball. Once he does this, praise him a little and repeat this a few more times. This way, your dog will learn to show interest in the ball.
2. As soon as your dog has learned to show interest in the ball, it’s time to move on to the next step in his training. Now, he must learn to pick up the ball in his mouth. He might even do this all by himself. If he does not, then you will need to teach him this as well. You can do this by smearing some meat paste on the ball. This will make the ball a little more enticing for your dog. Once he picks it up, praise him and feed him a dog treat. Your doggy will learn to pick up the ball this way.
3. Now that your dog has learned to chase and pick up the ball, he needs to bring it back and then let it go. Throw the ball away until your dog follows it and then picks it up. Now you can lure him back to you by waving a dog treat around. Once he comes back to you, he will likely drop the ball so he can have his treat.
After about a week of repeating these simple steps, you can try a few fetches out in the field. Take your dog into the yard or any other area with enough open space, and throw the ball a short distance away. If your dog has understood his fetch training, he will eventually chase the ball, pick it up and take it back to you. Every time he gets it right, praise him and give him a dog treat. Then, throw the ball a little further.
If you stick to these simple training steps, your doggy should learn to play fetch in a matter of days or weeks. In time, your doggy will likely gain a better understanding of what playing fetch is all about. The game then becomes its own reward and you won’t have to stock up on dog treats anymore.
Everybody knows that a dog is a man’s best friend. They’re great companions and they will always show you unconditional love. Make sure you return the favor by teaching them how to play with you. There’s nothing better than playing with your dog to increase the quality of the relationship you have with him!
Tags: dog, dog food, dog training, dogs, fetch, playing fetch, puppies, puppy, puppy food, puppy sweaters, puppy training
dog training | Casey Swells | 27 February 2009 |
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By Raphael Wiener, November 5, 2010 @ 1:19 am
Hi
my GSD is 14months old male.
He is very fond of ball playing.
Since i have difficulty walking this is a major physical activity for him.
He runs after the ball fetch it hand it over, but does not let go.
I have very hard time taking it out of his mouth. Do you have any advice on how to teach him to release the ball without a struggle?
Raphael