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  1. #1
    Senior Dog
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    Are Labs really Retrievers?

    Are labs really into playing fetch with a ball? How many of you have labs that love playing fetch with the ball? Or do they get bored easily?

    I watch some of the other breeds of dogs, like collies, and they are obsessed with playing fetch. Hmmm, or is it that labs actually want to go on a hunt and use their noses to sniff out the object?


    I was thinking today I must try something different because my lab really is only into playing ball for a short few minutes ...and that I needed to make it more exciting so she could expend some energy.


    Am I expecting my lab to love playing ball when it actually isn't their thing(even though I always thought that it was because of their name)? Are they just too smart rather than lazy to want to play fetch for more than a few minutes?

  2. #2
    Best Friend Retriever Gibbysmom's Avatar
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    Neither of my labs like to play ball or any repetitive retrieving. At the lake they like to retrieve sticks out in the water for a while but not for too long.

  3. #3
    Real Retriever Laura's Avatar
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    I had one Lab that would only stopped retrieving when I absolutely made him. It didn't matter if it was in the water or on land, he lived to retrieve. My other Lab couldn't be bothered with it for the most part. He would occasionally get excited and bring me a toy, retrieve a couple times, and then he was done.

  4. #4
    Senior Dog POPTOP's Avatar
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    With the seniors, retrieving a ball was not a huge thing. A few retrieves and they were done. But get them near water and in they go, even when walking was difficult to get there.

  5. #5
    Senior Dog dxboon's Avatar
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    Yes, they really are retrievers.

    However, every dog is different and responds to different stimuli and different training, and some have more drive and willingness to work. If you always throw a ball for your dog, you might try different types of throwing toys (balls, bumpers, dummies). Try attaching real pheasant or quail wings to bumpers. Try playing fetch in different locations. Make the fetching sessions more structured, e.g. put dog in stay, throw the item, make dog wait a second, give release command to fetch, reward when dog returns the item to you. Teach the dog to fetch a specific item -- my dogs know which ball is "red ball" for instance and can be commanded to pick that toy up and return it. Maybe the variety will help your dog enjoy longer sessions of fetch. For many dogs the enjoyment is not in the fetching, but in the praise they receive when they complete the command correctly. You'll have to experiment with your dog to see what he/she likes. Some dogs are not that interested in a ball, but are insanely motivated during field work. Every dog is different

  6. #6
    House Broken ccetta's Avatar
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    Lucy will retrieve a tennis ball for only a few minutes too, after I throw it a few times, she just looks at me like "really, Mom? I'm so done with that"

  7. #7
    Real Retriever KenZ71's Avatar
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    Max will retrieve in water all day. If there are ice chunks all the better.

    Scarlett no way but ahe does like to grab ice chunks and chew them.

    Lizzy, she hides as the labs get too crazy and scare here.
    -- Ken, owned by:

    Max - Black Lab mix gotcha 4/23/2012 Born 12/2011
    Scarlett - Yellow Lab gotcha 4/19/2013 Born 2008? 2007?
    Lizzy - Terrier mix gotcha 6/29/2014 Born 2006?
    Zeus - Papillon mix gotcha 1/30/2015 Born 3/26/2014

    Avatar: Ziggy, my kitty who crossed the bridge a few years ago.
    He slept in the sink for years, silly boy.
    Hidden Content

  8. #8
    House Broken Brutus's Avatar
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    My lab will do it for hours and keep buggin me for more. He plays a combination of fetch/keepaway/tug of war with my older dog Wally but my Newf just looks at them like they're crazy.

  9. #9
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    I've had the "I'll keep retrieving as long as you keep throwing" Labs, and the "why the heck do you keep throwing that thing, it's obvious you don't want it, so why should I keep bringing it back" Labs, and a whole lot in between.

  10. #10
    Senior Dog Jax's Mom's Avatar
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    This is good to know, I thought Jax was just lazy.

 



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