4 Easy Steps to Teach Your Dog to Fetch

Hunting dogs like golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers and setters love playing fetch, but not all dogs take to this game naturally. 

The good thing is that your dog doesn’t have to be a hunting dog to learn how to fetch.  Teaching your dog to fetch is fun and useful.  You can use fetching in many other dog activities too, such as obedience, water rescue, service dog training, fly ball and agility.  Following a few basic strategies to teach a dog to fetch will get even the most reluctant dog to learn reliable retrieving.

What You Need to Teach Your Dog to Fetch

You don’t need many supplies to teach your dog to fetch.  Small, tasty treats that your dog really likes are the most effective training aids.  Your dog will work much better for yummy treats, rather than for dry biscuits or kibble.  The better the reward, the more progress your dog will make.

Another helpful tool is a training clicker.  Clickers are sold at pet stores or dog training facilities for only a dollar or two.  They last a lifetime and are indispensable when it comes to training your dog.  Your dog learns faster and remembers more when using the ‘click and treat’ method of dog training.

Choose a fetch toy like a ball, Frisbee, pull toy, or rubber dumbbell.  Anything he can pick up easily works well as a fetch toy.

Step One

Fetching an object involves training your dog to go after the object, pick it up, bring it back to you and put it in your hand.  The main goal of teaching fetch is not for your dog to chase after the object, but to put it in your hand.  So, the first thing to train your dog is to give an object to you.

The first step is to take the fetch toy and put it into your dog’s mouth.  Don’t tell your dog to take it but quietly place it in his mouth.  Most likely, he won’t want to take the object and will spit it out.  When he spits out the object, click and treat him.  Keep repeating this behavior over and over until your dog spits out the object into your hand every time.

Add a cue when your dog is reliable with this behavior.  It can be, “give”, “thank-you” or any other word you want to use.  Practice the behavior, using the cue for a while and then begin rewarding your dog only when he puts the object in your hand when you use the cue.  Don’t reward him if he spits out the object without you asking for it.

Step Two

The next step in training fetch to your dog is to teach her to hold onto the object for an extended amount of time.  If your dog is reliable at giving you the object with the cue word, then she already knows how to hold the object. 

Another method to teach the dog to hold the object is to gently place it in the dog’s mouth and hold his mouth closed for a second.  Say your cue word, click and treat, then let go of his mouth.  Have your dog hold the object a few seconds longer each time until he is reliable with holding the object.  Eventually, add the cue, “hold”.  Keep repeating the hold behavior until your dog holds the object until you tell him to give it to you.

Step Three

Now that your dog knows how to give and how to hold, it’s time to teach him how to take.  Hold the object a few inches in front of your dog.  When he makes a move toward the object, click and treat him.  Practice this behavior repeatedly, treating your dog for touching it, or putting his head near it, touching it with his mouth and finally grabbing it.  You want your dog to reliably reach out and grab the object.  Move further away with the object and when your dog grabs it every time, add the words, “get it” or whatever other cue you prefer.

Putting It all Together

Now, it’s time to put all three behaviors together, and stop rewarding each behavior.  The only behavior that you’ll reward now is “give”.  Begin by holding out the object and say the “get it” command.  When your dog takes it, don’t treat him.  You can give verbal praise but no treats. 

The next step is to toss the toy a few inches away from you and say, “Get it,” or whatever your cue is. When your dog brings it to you, say, “Give”, then click, and treat immediately when he drops it in your hand.  Don’t make him hold it in the beginning.  You can add longer holds when your dog knows the behavior better.

Gradually begin putting the object further away from you.  Continue with clicking and treating when your dog gets the object and places it in your hand.  Within a few weeks, your dog will be running to fetch the object and racing back to give it to you.  

If you have any other tips for teaching a dog to play fetch, please add them in the comments. Anyone teaching fetch will appreciate it.