[tpolley]

how do i teach a puppy to play fetch? so far i understand that you're supposed to throw the ball, the dog runs after the ball, you call the dog back and reward with a treat repeat.

i can get morgan to chase the ball, she'll pounce on it and start chewing it. when i call her back she drops the ball and comes back to me. how do i get her to bring the ball back to me?

i was able to get her to bring the ball back to me 4-5 times in a row yesterday but i didn't have any treats on me at the time. i thought we were on a roll and didn't want to leave to get treats and risk breaking her concentration.

 

[Kendalle]

Some dogs never get it. It depends on if the dog enjoys the chase, if they do they will learn to bring it back if not then its hard to teach.

 

[Dragonrain]

I've never actually taught a dog to play fetch. My dog plays it, but I didn't have to teach it to him. He kind of just figured it out himself I guess, he really enjoys playing fetch.

The Cocker spaniel my family use to have would never play fetch. I think she got the idea, she just didn't think it was all that much fun.

I'm sure you could teach your dog to play it if you really want too, but that doesn't mean your pup will automatically really enjoy playing it. Some dogs enjoy it, some don't.

 

[Sasami]

What breed do you have? Our Cockers will play it, being retrieving breeds, but many of the foster terriers we've had don't "get it". They'll chase balls but won't bring them back. Same for many hounds. It makes sense, though, they aren't breeds that would normally be retrieving anything. For breeds like that, a flirt pole can be a fun thing to play with instead .

 

[My3Dogs]

We only have 1 dog out of our 3 that fetches and we didn't teach him. The first day we threw the ball for him at 12 weeks old, he brought it back, dropped it and waited for us to throw it again. He will do this for hours on end. He's a Scottie/Yorkie mix, for what it's worth.

 

[sazzy]

I never tought my dogs to play fetch. Some loved it, some didn't. You dont need to force your dog to play. If it likes the game, he will want you to trow the ball, if not - play something else

 

[Kendalle]

My dog likes tug-of-war so i toss a toy, he brings it back we play tug for a min and then i tell him to let go and toss it again. If you combine it with another game it can help

 

[Often]

I agree with the general consensus here. Some breeds and indeed some individual dogs will be more or less keen on the game.

 

[wishbone]

Some dogs really can immediately get it, some needs time to train. First look for t fetch toy that he is interested with, then start a training on parks where he can see other dogs playing fetch.

 

[Lane]

It's usually a game you don't have to teach a dog, they just... get it. At least in my experience. Besides, you mentioned you were able to get the puppy to bring you the ball 4-5 times in a row, seems to me like she's learning the game, just give it a little more time.