Training Fetch

RBark

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#1
So, Syl doesn't quite fetch. She will chase items, but not bring it back. Sometimes she brings it back, and I've jackpotted those, but I am looking for a method to train fetch that is compatible with her.

First, she's almost 11 weeks old. So she is still puppy ADD and sessions aren't long.

She is starting to have a strong tug drive, which I am working on reinforcing. I can use that to train fetch if she brings it back, but I'm not quite sure how to go about actually bringing it back.

Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!
 

Emily

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#2
Well if she loves to tug, I'd start with her on a 6ft leash. Tug tug tug, then out her and toss it to the ground. Not away from you, just to the ground. Hopefully she'll be invested enough from your tugging to grab it, then you back up a few steps (the leash will keep her from leaving) and call her in your best happy voice. As soon as she turns to you with the toy in her mouth, praise big time, grab it and begin another tug game.

It can also be shaped with food, but if she really likes to tug, that's how I'd start.
 

RBark

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#3
Well if she loves to tug, I'd start with her on a 6ft leash. Tug tug tug, then out her and toss it to the ground. Not away from you, just to the ground. Hopefully she'll be invested enough from your tugging to grab it, then you back up a few steps (the leash will keep her from leaving) and call her in your best happy voice. As soon as she turns to you with the toy in her mouth, praise big time, grab it and begin another tug game.

It can also be shaped with food, but if she really likes to tug, that's how I'd start.
Well. That's simple haha. And a good idea. I like simple things. :) Thanks! I'll try it out!
 
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#5
So, Syl doesn't quite fetch. She will chase items, but not bring it back. Sometimes she brings it back, and I've jackpotted those, but I am looking for a method to train fetch that is compatible with her.

First, she's almost 11 weeks old. So she is still puppy ADD and sessions aren't long.

She is starting to have a strong tug drive, which I am working on reinforcing. I can use that to train fetch if she brings it back, but I'm not quite sure how to go about actually bringing it back.

Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!
Didgie was exactly like that. She loooooved to tug and chase but then it ended.

With her I made it a fight, which she loved. First I tugged a ton with her with her tug and then held her back and I threw it. Got her all revved up and then raced her to it making sure I "won". As soon as I got it I made sure she couldn't tug at all on it and I made a huge deal about me having it and not her.

Then we did it again, without the tug at the start. I threw it, held her back, raced her and beat her. By that time she wanted to kill me. So the next time I threw it I let her get it and as soon as she grabbed it I tugged with her and made that the most fun thing ever.

Rinse and repeat with you winning sometimes.

Then I started not going all the way to the tug, close but not right on it so that when she grabbed it she had to come towards me a little to get to tug it (happy voices and all that jazz if she didn't seem to get it). By that time though I had made it so much fun and awesome racing to get it that she was looking to me for tugging. It also made it such a competition that there was no hesitation in chasing it, grabbing it and picking it up since if she DIDN'T do that she didn't get it.

Does that make sense?

I don't think it would work on a soft dog but worked really well for us and made her retrieve pretty much rock solid return to hand, she was pushing it at me towards the end to get me to tug with it.

And, then if she even slacked on getting it I would make sure to grab it before she could and make a huge deal about her not getting it.

To this day if I throw something and race her too it she screams bloody fury and runs at it with all her might so I won't get it. Cracks me up but worked well to start her retrieving in water. All I had to say was "I'm gonna get it!" and she was like "I'LL KILL YOU!!" and was a swimming fool since.
 

RBark

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#6
Yeah, the reason I am trying to do this is for introducing her to water. I'll try out your tips!

Ironically, she performed 5 perfect retrieves to hand right after I made this post :p Go figure.
 

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