Haha SLB! Yes my blind throws are not proper at all, kestral just looks away whilst I throw the ball, no directions or anything, she copes though! I have been practicing directions but she can appear so dense at times, im sure it's mainly my fault though!

Tarimoor posted some good diagrams on the gundog section for directions and teaching them

He has one dummy he prefers and I didn't use it lol.. But take him out and he'll fetch dummies, think I need to go out again and work on blind retrieves..

Ranger will wait patiently until you throw the ball, run and fetch it, but will the little sod bring it back?? will he heck!! He'll carry that ball all the way home or back to the car rather than bring it back to me.

Ted enjoys chasing the ball but not really bothered about bringing it back. He's more likely to bring it so far then drop it or he just lies down and waits for you to come to him unless you have some very tasty teats and then he'll come rushing back. Once he's had enough of playing he will run off and dump the ball somewhere so i have to be careful and take it off him once he's looking like he's fed up with it. I do play at hiding the ball and asking him to go find it which he likes doing and he normally brings the ball straight back to me but again he will only do this a few times before he gets bored so we only do it now and again.

Dex will retrieve happily, but not with as much gusto as he did when he was younger. Waterwork with dummies is his 'thing' and he is excellent at it. He isn't interested in land retrieves much any more but will if he has to.

Bo isn't interested in dummies on land but will retrieve a tennis ball for as long as required. Whether she brings it back all the way is hit and miss. She loves retrieving dummies from water.

Tilly is obsessed with tennis balls to the exclusivity of all else.

Nope, though I'd be shocked if they did. Rare is the shar-pei that will retrieve! Most just watch the item fly through the air then look at you like you're an idio. Or run after it then shake it to death and/or run off with it. You end up doing the retrieving.

The TM adopts a catch and prance off with his prize technique or if he's in the mood to humour you he might drop it at my feet once and once only.

Long gone are the days when I had a collie cross and played fetch and frisbee with a dog.

My dog max is a rescue and have tried to get him to play fetch since we got him two years ago. He seems to get upset when you take it off him to throw it again! But my youger dog lives fetch and will play all day! I think it just depends on the dog.