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How to train your dog to fetch

How to train your dog

When it comes to playing and engaging with dogs, playing fetch is probably what most people will think of.


You will find out below why fetching is in the blood of many dogs and how you can teach your four-legged friend to return objects.


Why dogs like to fetch

Humans recognised early on that dogs can be of great help when hunting. One activity that certain hunting dogs were specifically bred for was retrieving. The task of the dog was to bring game, such as a duck, to the hunter.

Dogs that were originally bred for retrieving particularly love this form of activity, even if they are not hunting any more. Classic retrievers are, for example, the Golden Retriever or the Labrador.

Other dogs can also be playfully encouraged to fetch. Why not give it a go regardless of the breed of your four-legged friend? Chances are that it will be an enjoyable activity for both you and your dog when you go for walks.

What you need for fetching

One of the great advantages of retrieving is the fact that you don't need any special equipment to do it.

All you need is a suitable object that you can throw and that the dog can return to you. You can use a ball, a stuffed toy or a dummy for this purpose.

You should however refrain from throwing sticks, although they are frequently used by dog owners.

They can easily splinter in your dog's mouth when retrieving, which can lead to injuries.

Your four-legged friend might even swallow splinters of wood, which in the worst case could lead to an intestinal obstruction in your dog.

The first attempts at fetching

Fetching is in the blood of most dogs. The chances are therefore good that your four-legged friend will understand very quickly what you want it to do. Nonetheless, you will need to invest some time in teaching your dog the procedures.

At first, do not throw the object to be retrieved, but simply place it on the ground in front of your dog. When it picks it up with its mouth, praise it with a phrase it knows, such as “good boy / girl” or “well done”.

Now wait a moment before you take the object from the dog while saying “off” or a similar command. In return, the four-legged friend should receive a dog treat from you. In this way it learns that it is worthwhile to give you the retrieved item.

Once this basic exercise works well, you can gradually increase the level of difficulty by placing the object to be retrieved but a little further away from it on the floor, rather than  directly in front of your dog. When that is also successful, you can move your dog to the next level of fetching.

Learning to fetch: start throwing

The aim of fetching is of course that sooner or later your dog brings back objects that you have thrown away. Once your four-legged friend has internalised the basics, you can start teaching it just that.

Ideally don't let your dog start running until you have given your command after you have thrown the object. This way you have more control over the retrieval training.

If your dog has reached the object and wants to pick it up, use a suitable command, such as “bring it”. As soon as your dog comes back to you, give it lots of praise. Now is the time to offer a well-deserved reward in return for giving you the item. After a while, the dog will most likely give it to you on its own initiative, knowing that it will be praised and rewarded for it.

Can you teach every dog to fetch?

In principle, you can practice retrieving with all dogs regardless of their breed. Most four-legged friends enjoy being kept busy this way.

However, be careful not to overwhelm your dog when fetching. After all, your four-legged friend has to move around a lot while you stay more or less in the same place the whole time. With older animals in particular, it is therefore important that you tone the fetching down a little bit by not throwing the object as far as possible with all your might.

Young dogs, on the other hand, often tend to overdo it in games such as fetching and exhaust themselves completely in the process. To avoid this, it is up to you to find the right amount of play time to make sure that retrieving is beneficial for your dog.

Playing fetch with dogs with joint problems

In particularly heavy dog breeds, the sprints associated with retrieving represent a great strain on the musculoskeletal system, which is why this type of activity is not suitable for them.

If your dog suffers from osteoarthritis or other joint diseases, it also makes sense to refrain from fetching completely as not to aggravate the course of the disease and the associated symptoms.

Alternatives that are gentle on the joints that you can try in these cases are, for example, search games or mantrailing.

The perfect motivational aid when learning to fetch

If you want to get your dog excited about fetching, suitable dog snacks should not be missing as a motivational aid.

You will find a large selection of high-quality dog treats made from natural ingredients in our range, with which you can reward your dog in a healthy way for progress in training.

You could try Bellfor Soft Snacks for example.

The little treats are the perfect size so that the training isn't interrupted for too long by the dog eating them.

For nutrition-sensitive and allergic dogs, our soft snacks are also available in a hypoallergenic version with insect protein, so that those dogs can get a wholesome and tasty reward for fetching as well.


Not every dog wants to learn to fetch

The chances that your four-legged friend will enjoy fetching are good. If, however, this is not the case, you should by no means force it to do so. After all, as with all dog games, fetching is ultimately about your dog having fun.

You could try to see if you can get your dog to fetch the food bag with the coveted treats. If that doesn't work either, you have no choice but to look for another way of playing.

Conclusion: fetching is great fun for most dogs

As you can see, it is usually not too difficult to teach a dog to fetch. Start practising slowly and keep going. With a little patience and the right motivation, such as Bellfor dog snacks, for example, it doesn't take long for most dogs until they internalize the fetching procedures and they will be eager to do it again.
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