Training Your Dog - FETCH

All dogs fetch, right? Not necessarily. Especially if they haven't learned the idea at a fairly early age. By 8 to 12 weeks of age, you should introduce your puppy to the concept of fetch. Puppies not exposed to the idea of fetch at that early age have difficulty understanding it later, and may never learn the concept.

Encourage retrieving and carrying by throwing small soft items a short distance, then calling the puppy to you. Kneeling or bending usually encourages pups to come, as does running in the opposite direction. Never chase, which encourages keep-away rather than retrieving. If he won’t come, try again in a more confined space with fewer distractions; a hallway is ideal. When he brings the object to you, praise enthusiastically, let him hold it for a little while, and then throw another object in the other direction down the hallway. He'll learn that bringing it back to you not only gets him praise, but the chance to fetch another object. Don't overdo it; you want to quit while he's still wanting more.

As he gets more familiar with the game, introduce a command word, such as “give” or “out”, for him to let go. Don’t grab the item or do anything to encourage him to hold on tight or tug; you want to gently persuade him to give it to you. Follow with praise and a reward, either a treat or throwing the item again. As he grows bigger, you may need to try larger items, such as balls, paint rollers, or---if you are training a retriever for hunting or competition---a training dummy specifically designed for this practice.

A word of caution: Sometimes the natural-born retriever’s desire to carry items is in conflict with what we consider to be proper housedog etiquette. You can’t expect to reprimand your pup for carrying around your shoes and socks in the house, and then praise him for carrying around similar items in the yard, without creating a lot of confusion. You can teach your dog to discriminate the right items from the wrong items later; for now just be sure the wrong items are never available.

For most family dogs, simply chasing after and bringing back whatever you throw is enough to lay the basis for a lot of fun interaction. For serious retrievers---those that work with hunters or compete in field trials---a lot more is required. A hunting retriever that cannot mark (that is, watch and remember the fall of the bird and get to that spot) isn’t very useful in the field. Start easy, by letting the dog follow short throws with easily visible falls. You want him to rely on his vision at this stage, rather than his nose. As he gets more proficient you can start to challenge a little more. Go for walks and bring a ball or training dummy (special retrieving objects for training retrievers). Throw the object in the open, in cover, over logs and in shallow water. You want your dog to dash after it; if not you may wish to build his speed by racing him to the prize. You want him to race out to the object, scoop it up, and race back to you with it.

You may want your dog to retrieve items from the water. You can help to make sure your dog is as at home in the water as on land by providing a child’s wading pool for early practice. Fill the pool with a little more water each day, and encourage him to play in it. Next, find some water that naturally slopes from shallow to deeper depths, and be prepared to go into the water with him. Never throw your dog into the water with a sink or swim mentality; you will not encourage confidence that way. Don’t expect your youngster to retrieve while swimming yet; he needs to concentrate on one thing at a time. You can throw items in shallow water so he learns how to scoop them out while they’re floating. Only when he gets more confident in the water should you introduce short retrieves. Later encourage him to rush into the water, and introduce leaping entries, but always check first for underwater hazards that could injure a diving dog. Never send your dog into open or rough water unless he has an absolutely dependable recall. What would happen if he couldn't find what you threw and just kept swimming after it out to sea?

Retrieving is great physical and mental exercise, and is one of the best games you can play with your dog. So get started now!