He doesn't know how to fetch?

[Marissa101]

So I have been trying to show Snickers how to fetch and he just doesn't get it. I throw his favorite toy (which is one of the cats mouses that they dont use it's a bigger mouse to big for the cats) and he looks at it like, what do you want me to do with that? And then he sits. I tried the advice on this thread that a little older but he still looked at me like . http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/tra...ce-please.html
They said that her dog would go to it at least but Snickers doesn't. Do you have any other help? Thanks! And Happy Fourth!

[RoscoesMommy42]

My Roscoe will go get a toy when I throw it, but you WILL NOT get it back! Good luck!

[zekie's mom]

Try hitching a toy to a light rope. Throw it and then real it back real slow. Eventually, your dog may catch on. You may have to buy a book that teaches dogs all kinds of tricks, fetch included.

[Marissa101]

Thanks I'll have to try that!Maybe I could use his old leash?

[wemple2]

Fetch is one of Winston's favorite things to do, but I don't think I really taught him...he just does it, over, and over, and over again.

[QuickSilver]

A lot of dogs have trouble with returning the ball, but normally dogs love to chase things... does he ever chase things? Do you have alluring toys that squeak?


A couple things: make sure he's super energetic when you want to play, and don't go get the toy, because then he might learn that the most efficient way to get his toy is to wait for you to fetch it. Maybe collect a dozen toys (rolled up socks are good too), and throw them, one by one. Also, are you throwing them far enough away, and away from him? I generally throw the toys down a hallway.

[Marissa101]

Yes, he comes up to us and wants to play but he doesn't know how to play with humans. He plays with other dogs just fine but he doesn't know how to play with humans. I throw it about 6 feet away. He has a whole bunch of toys that squeak

[QuickSilver]

Six feet might not be far enough - try twenty feet or more. Ideally the toy hits the ground running and it stimulates their prey instinct.

My dog is the opposite - I have never seen him play with another dog!! Sometimes he wants to, but the dogs he's confident around are such freaks themselves that they are afraid of his overtures.

How does he not know how to play with people? Can't you just do the same things he does with dogs? Is it possible that he gets intimidated with people looming over him?

[Marissa101]

I'm pretty sure he was never around people much when he was younger. We try to play with him but he just looks confused? Like he doesn't know what to do.

[QuickSilver]

Do you try acting like a dog? I get on the ground and play bow back at Thor. Or lay on the ground and play tug of war with him.

[Marissa101]

Yea We played tug of war last night for like 2 seconds before he quit and dropped his toy. We get on the ground and he sits on us.

[JoeyP]

Some dogs are natural fetchers
My Zach?
I never attempted to teach him how to fetch
But that is his favorite past time
He wakes up? .... He wants me to throw his squeaky toy
he even sleeps with the thing
I don't know how many times I am laying down on the couch and I feel a cold nose and then a plushy toy being pushed up against my arm

[Marilize]

I recently taught June to fetch and now both of mine fetch.
Here is what I did:
June wasn't interested in her toys at first, so I got a small one with a squeaker and teased her with it. She liked it that the toy squeaked and I would really just tease her with it until she gets excited.
When she was used to her toys and playing with them on her own, I sat on the ground, squeaked the toy and threw it. She would go over to it and pick it up. I showed her the treat that I had in my hand and she came over.
Sometimes she would drop the toy and not get the treat, but she caught on really quickly. Now, she loves to play fetch.
She doesn't compete with Cash yet. Cash is way too good at fetch for little June to keep up.
I hope this helps. Good luck.

Ps. If he isn't interested in the toy at first, and you don't have another dog that likes toys, get someone in the household to play with you with the toy. If the doggie then sees that this is how he should play, he will try to play with you.

[Marissa101]

Thanks! Yea, I threw his sqeaky ball up the stairs the other day and he got it in his mouth. I couldn't see what he did with it after that though because I was still down stairs.

[allyboo]

Originally Posted by wemple2

Fetch is one of Winston's favorite things to do, but I don't think I really taught him...he just does it, over, and over, and over again.

Milly is exactly the same... she eventually has learned all her favourite toys by name now, and will now even run around the house looking for them if I ask "where's (insert toy name here)?". Then she brings it to me and the game begins.

But she will not ever touch or go near a ball, she just watches them roll away.

I think they key is probably just repetition with rewards. I don't think Milly particularly enjoys the fetching part of the exercise, but when I've picked it up, we play tug of war, which she loves and it is probably her incentive for bringing stuff back.