Fetch Training for Dogs: You know how much importance I attach to small sessions of basic obedience for his puppy.
Teach Things your puppy is to stimulate him mentally, strengthen your bond, educate him, have fun, etc., among many other benefits.
The sessions for teaching a puppy to do tricks should not last more than 5 minutes per day, and you should choose a place without distractions so that the puppy can concentrate on the task.
It is also essential to do this after a walk, never after waking up or resting, because he will have excess energy, which will cause him to play and distract himself in more active activities.
So today, we will take care of the task of teaching your puppy to return objects.
Some puppies do it naturally, but others will get something we throw at them, and they stand there, ignoring our pleas. Let’s start.
Fetch Training For Dogs and retrieve objects
- Sit facing your puppy and focus his attention on the object you want to return to him: a ball, stuffed animal, etc. For starters, it should be something your pup finds funny.
- Let your puppy sniff it, bite it, etc., before launching it.
- When you notice that he is interested in the object, throw him.
- Two things can happen: the positive thing would be that he picks it up, and you call him, and he goes to you. However, some puppies drop the object and go to their owner with nothing. To do this, repeat the moment of playing with the object before throwing it. Add emotion because if the puppy senses that you are having a good time with the object, he will return it to you without thinking so that you can enjoy it more.
- The puppy may take the object but not want to give it to you. Never take it off, let alone run after it, as you will lose control of the exercise, and your pup will take on leadership roles. In this case, show her something more appealing than the object in her mouth, such as food. In this case, two things can also happen: that he goes to your position to retrieve the food and at that moment he drops the object (this would be ideal), or on the contrary, at the moment when he sees the food, he drops the toy and runs to you. If so, get help from a family member. The puppy and the pet must run toward the object when you throw the object. The puppy must take the object. He will see the competition in your familiar and not drop the object while bringing it to you. What happens, however, if you don’t? Ask the pet to pick up the item, bring it to you, and praise it in front of the puppy. The puppy will observe the exercise and fully understand it.
- He may force you when bringing the object to you and handing it to you. Never take it off with force because you will enter a game of tug of war and competitiveness, which is excluded from the exercise. In case he doesn’t want to give you the item, it’s as simple as showing him a treat or toy that manages to blur the puppy’s aim, so he’ll easily drop the item from his mouth. Praise and caress him with emotion because he is doing well.
- Repeat this training for days so that your puppy can assimilate it.
Always avoid exhausting your pup. Start, as I mentioned, with short sessions. Even if you don’t complete the full training, nothing happens.
The puppy will learn better and faster if the exercise is fun for him, but if he gets tired, he won’t internalize anything, no matter how hard you try.
Patience, effort and love for your puppy are eager to learn and have fun with you.