Teaching Your Pet to Retrieve

Teaching Your Pet to Retrieve

Tug and chase games with toys are some of the best training rewards we can give our dogs... and even some cats. My dog Piper will even forego liver treats for a chance to retrieve a tennis ball.

Piper's obsession fascinates me because as a puppy, Piper had absolutely no ball-chasing instinct. He was trained to become a toy fanatic.

If your dog likes to chase toys but won’t bring them back, skip ahead to the second section. However, if you have a puppy that was born without prey drive, or an older dog whose instincts have been lost to disuse, the following suggestions will help you teach your dog to love toys.

Part 1: Teaching Reluctant Dogs to Play

The method I used for Piper was to roll various toys past him over and over again for weeks, praising him for even looking at them. To encourage investigative behavior, I occasionally coated the toys with peanut butter for him to lick off when they stopped moving.

The next stage was to stuff his hollow toys with liverwurst and other goodies. If I rolled them and they came to a stop before he got to them, I’d run over, pick them up, and keep them myself! Racing your dog for the toy tends to bring out latent prey drive and adds fun to the game.

Finally, I bought some special squeaky toys that were kept out of Piper’s reach. I’d take them down, play with them myself, and put them away. After a few sessions, Piper was just dying to play with these "taboo toys"!

UK dog trainer John Rogerson suggested a faster method of teaching a dog to love toys. In a doorway, hang a sock from an elastic bungee so that it hangs about six inches above your dog’s head. Stuff the toe of the sock with food treats. Fido will pull on the sock and chew through it to get at the treats. Don’t praise him for pulling, or he will stop concentrating on the game. Refill the toe of the sock a couple of times a day.

After your dog has successfully liberated the goodies for about a week, substitute a squeaky toy for the treats. If Fido retains interest in the sock and squeaky combo, you’re ready to remove the sock from the bungee and use it to play with your dog directly.

PART 2: The "Puppy Retrieve"

Once your dog likes to chase a toy, it’s easy to teach him to fetch. Start by throwing a non-edible toy (not a rawhide) and waiting for Fido to take it away to chew. Most dogs have a favorite spot where they feel they can chew in safety.

The first few times, walk backwards toward Fido’s preferred spot, stroke his back and verbally reassure him. At this point, you should totally ignore the toy and leave while Fido is still chewing.

When Fido seems comfortable having you around, begin throwing the toy and immediately sitting down in Fido’s preferred spot. When he comes over to chew, pet him as before. From now on, if he voluntarily drops the toy, you may throw it again.

Until your dog is a keen fetch-aholic, however, always wait for him to release the toy on his own. If you struggle to take it away from him, the toy will seem too valuable to give up…from your dog’s point of view.

When Fido trusts you not to steal the toy and is starting to enjoy the repeated throws, start sitting several feet from his spot. Ignore your dog if he returns to the usual place, and give him a chance to come to you on his own.

If he doesn’t come, take out a second toy and pretend to play with an imaginary puppy in your lap! Jealousy usually wins out and Fido will soon learn to bring the toy directly to you.

And when you don't have time for fetch, our Tug-a-Jug treat toy will keep your dog happy and busy.

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