No Interest In Fetch

[amandalmw]

Have you tried with two toys? You throw one and when he runs back you show him you have another one in your hand Then you throw the other one when he brings back the first one.

He's much better when we try it with 2 balls, but still doesn't seem to get it. We'll keep trying!

Thank you all for your wonderful advice! I think we'll be hiring a trainer soon for this and a couple other minor issues we're having with him.

[Candy and Spike's Dad]

Spike doesn't bring anything back either. He would go get it but wouldn't bring it back no matter what. He seems to enjoy keeping the ball or toy away from Candy and that's it. I usually run after spike to get the ball. He won't even drop it so I have to get the ball out of his mouth. Candy on the other hand, is screaming and crying becaus she just wants to fetch but Spike won't let her.

[Snowshoe]

He's much better when we try it with 2 balls, but still doesn't seem to get it. We'll keep trying!

Thank you all for your wonderful advice! I think we'll be hiring a trainer soon for this and a couple other minor issues we're having with him.

That's what I found. It was the NOrth South that made the difference. Try that. The trainer we were working with only threw two balls as well but he threw them both south. N/S made all the difference for us.

[TuMicks]

As you noticed, chasing after the dog is not effective, because you're playing the classic dog game of "I-have-the-toy-and-you-don't-and-I'm-faster-than-you. Oh, they love that game.

The problem is that you have to GET them to bring it to you before you can reward them for bringing it... right? So the way we do this with puppies is to throw the toy, wait until they pick it up and then we run AWAY from them... clapping and making happy sounds... and when pup comes racing past us with the toy, we take it in our hands (not snatching it away) and stop running and tell pup how FABULOUS he is for bringing us the toy.

Once they have their adult teeth in, we use plastic training bumpers. These are never used for anything but retrieving work. Never something to munch on.

Anyway, that's just a quick and dirty way to get them to bring it back to you without using edible treats (just praise.)