Best way to teach fetch?

I was wondering what is the best way to teach fetch and to get a dog ball orientated.

Harley is shall we say not the sharpest tool in the box, and is a pretty relaxed, chilled out kinda guy, but I would love to get him "into" a ball, for ease of training and to encourage fetch outside.

He will sometimes fetch in the house, but not for long and not very often (but he obviously knows how to do it). So what I was wondering, is how can I teach Harley to fetch properly? Is it best going for when he brings it back he gets a treat (which is what I did for Jess, but she always expects treats now, which I suppose isn't such a bad thing as we both win), or if not, what would anyone else suggest?

I just played and played indoors with her and her ball to get Zena ball obsessed, and always took it out on our walks. I honestly wouldn't know how to get them to fetch it quite honestly, coz to me, the ball is the "treat" kind of thing? If you're giving a treat each time, then what's the point in the ball if you see what I mean? Try the playing indoors with it, making it really fun, and he might get ball orientated, coz they all like a game and a bit of fun don't they and that's what you're teaching, so everytime you take a ball out and throw it, the only way to make it fun is for them to bring it back, so they'll hone in on that?

Good luck anyway, somebody will know, maybe I was just lucky!

I always find 2 balls work better than 1, I agree with H the ball is the treat so chucking the second one rather than trying to get the first one off them keeps the excitement going. Lots of encouragement in an excited voice, playing inside and out and using it as a reward randomly as a treat whenever they comply with a command.

I agree that the ball is the treat, and my pup loves to chase after it, she also knows to bring it back, but will play keep the ball sometimes, as it is good for a little chew after she has caught it, so when she brings the ball and drops for me. Then she gets a little food treat. Food treats are intermittent, i just want her to know that game carries on when she brings it back to me. (some dogs suss this out quicker then others, and some dogs enjoy possession of the ball just as much as chasing it). For my dog she is pretty food orientated, more so then games.

In the house though she will often bring it straight back without food being involved.

Hope that made sense lol

I think it depends on how much enjoyment the dog gets out of the game of fetch.

With Hoki, she loves playing it, if I offered her a treat when she came back, she'd hardly notice as she is waiting for the ball to be thrown again. Kip was like that too.

But with both Stumpy and Tip, they aren't so bothered about the game. Stumpy gets bored if she doesn't get rewarded for bringing the ball back - the game isn't enough in its own right. Tip was the same, though once he knew what I wanted, he would happily bring it back for me, but more to please me than because he enjoyed the game.

If he likes tuggy games, I would be tempted to start the game of fetch with a tuggy toy so that when he brings it back he gets a game of tug. That is still making fetch part of the fun game.

Agree with Hali
If the dog really loves chasing the ball then getting it again is the reward
But if the dog isnt interested in the game then you have to put more work into making the game more rewarding until they can enjoy it just for the sake of the game

I find best to try and stop play before they get bored - even if that means you just chuck the ball a couple of times then put it away
Reward lots for playing with the ball, but like any trick quickly move on to them having to do more fetches before they get the reward - so at the start of the game lots of treats, then less and less - with a jackpot of lots of treats and a fun run around /game of tug/ swim in the river for a really good fetch
Make time with the ball really fun, I find it helps when they have the ball to start running away from them so they have to catch you. Sometimes I run away with the ball and play with it like it is the most fun thing in the world
yes people think I am nuts - I did try this to make Ben interested in his football. He just lay down and grinned watching me zooming about - whos walking who

Ya know what... I'd not thought of that. I think that is definately a great idea with him as if I have a ball on rope for him, he always goes for the rope and tugs instead of holding the ball.

Thanks for your help guys. I guess I need to engage my brain a little more just as Harley does lol.

Hi,

I used tuggy toys to train Yiannis to fetch. It also helped with his recall and retrieve training because he ended up knowing that every time he runs off after something, he has to return, no matter what. Sometimes the reward is a treat but more often for him, it's the continuation of the game.

Also, when we'd finished playing, I always put the tuggy away. I didn't allow him to keep playing with it afterwards. Also, the game also ended with me taking it from him or him giving me the tuggy. It never ended up with me throwing the tuggy and then walking away.

All of this put together made him a "tuggy demon".
He'll now do ANYTHING for his tuggy and will quite happily go out after a tuggy, ball or more or less anything to retrieve for me.

It took about 2 weeks of solid hard work to get him to do it properly each time. But now he knows when it's "tuggy time" and waits at the door for me to let him out so we can play.

"Tuggy time" is also only ever in the daytime. He gets far too excited to play it in the evening. I'd never calm him down if we played too late (he's worse than Oscar in that respect). Also, what your legs. It really hurts whent hey shake it and the knotted end crashes into your shins at 100mph!

Laura xx