Getting your Dog to Retrieve Things

Whenever we go to the park we see a lot of pet owners asking their dogs to fetch Frisbees or other things. And it all looks so cool and fun. We would all like for our dogs to fetch things on command. But most of us think that it would be a big hassle to teach out pets to do so. On the contrary, “fetch” is a very easy command and you can not only use it in the park but you can also teach your dog to retrieve things like the newspaper or the mail.

The first thing that you will have to teach your dog is to use your pointed finger as a cue to the direction in which he is supposed to go. You will have to do this by pointing your finger in a specific direction and teaching your dog to focus on the area that you are pointing to.

The easiest way to start this training is by using little pieces of your dog’s favorite treat. He will be every excited about retrieving his favorite snack or treat. So start by sprinkling a few pieces of the treat on the ground. Generally your dog will run to grab the treat as soon as he sees it so the first thing you will need to do is train him to sit and not move until you say so. Once he has learned this, proceed to the next step and ask him to retrieve the pieces with a simple command like “pick up”

Once he picks up the piece that lies in front, you will have his attention and he will be ready for more. Drop the next piece behind you and with your finger pointed at it give him the “pick up” command. Eventually your dog will start associating the command with retrieving and eating the treat. The training can be made simpler by doing it before you give your dog a big lunch or dinner. Using tasty treats will also help and make it motivating and fun for him.

Practice the command with the treats a few times then substitute a ball for the treats and use the “pick up” command. Your dog will generally run towards the ball and bring it back to you. Remember to use the same command and tone of voice as you did with the treats. If your dog successfully manages to retrieve the ball give him a small treat or praise him. This way you will motivate him to follow your command.

Once your dog has mastered the first two steps that are to find the object and get it back to you the next thing to do is to drop this object in front of you. So when your dog runs back to you with the ball in his mouth expecting to be praised for his efforts use the “drop it” command. To help him understand pat his head with one hand and with the other remove the ball from his mouth and drop it to the ground. Do this a couple of times so that your dog can understand what is expected out of him. Also, do the entire processes in a sequence starting at “pick it”. Very soon your dog will be running behind the ball and getting it back for you every time you ask him to do so.

Tags: Dog Training, Pets, teach your dog