How
To Train Your Dog To
Fetch
There are many things to keep in mind when
training a dog. It's important to consider getting a
complete dog training guide, like SitStayFetch, to learn the steps to
correctly train a dog from start to finish. But, there
are a few things you can teach a dog on your own with just a
little bit of practice. Teaching a dog to fetch is one of
those things.
Teaching your dog to fetch is a great way
to start training your dog. You don't need any fancy
supplies or equipment. All you need is a simple stick. A
stick works great because it resembles a bone and can be
easily grabbed by the dog's mouth.
Since dogs are easily distracted by their surroundings, it's
a good idea to do this in a fenced yard or in an alley with no
distractions. This will keep the dog from running or
chasing after things and will keep him or her focused on the
task at hand.
- Hold the stick in your hand and let the dog sniff and
bite it. Play a little bit of tug-of-war to get
the dog interested, then throw the stick a few yards
away. Your dog might not know what to do, so you
should pick the stick up and do it again.
When your dog gets this right, reward your dog
with some biscuits or treat and a pat on the head.
- If your dog keeps fetching the stick but not brining it
back, you may want to start with your dog on a leash.
Make sure the leash is long enough that he can fetch the
stick. After he grabs the stick pull the
dog back to you with the leash and
reward the dog with a treat.
- After your dog is fetching and retrieving the stick,
you'll want to work on keeping his attention. Hold
the stick in your hand and call the dog's name to get his
attention. Wait for the dog to be calmly watching
you, then throw the stick.
If there is no yard or alley to do this in, or if you have a
small dog and want to train them indoors, you can substitute a
small rubber ball instead of the stick. Of course,
make sure that any breakables are out of the room before you
start throwing the ball. :) It can take your dog some
time to learn fetch. If you think it's taking longer than
normal, don't worry, some dogs naturally fetch faster than
others. Proper obedience training can help to speed up
the process of training a dog to do other tricks. The
obedience training section of this dog training guide is vital for
training a dog quickly. Just remember to reward your
dog when they do good and be patient with them,
because it can sometimes be difficult to teach a dog new
tricks.
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