Training a dog to bring you things is a cool way to exercise with your dog at the same time to have fun with her. Ultimately dogs love both pleasing and playing with their owner. Needless to say if you are lucky then your dog will understand the game and to please you she will automatically chase and retrieve whatever your objective is, She will bring you things organically. But you should remember that most do not do it.
Nevertheless It will be really useful to teach your dog to bring things time to time. You can easily impress your friends and also you can use your dog to get some extra help around the house. However if you do not need them to do that, this is a fantastic way to challenge them and to build your mutual communication together, to build stimulated as well as strengthen bonds. This training procedure will be not tough but it is more than just a trick. It will be an interesting training lesson.
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Especially, you will find some dogs only chase after the toy but don’t bring them back while some others simply look at it in a confused manner, sit and stare at you. Some seem wondering and some dogs throw the toy away frequently. Your task is to deal with your dog according to your dog’s psychology.
At first you need to know what actually fetching means and what should be your expectations. Suppose you can start with the command of any item and your dog understands what you are trying to fetch by her. It can be a stick, remote, newspaper, book, ball etc. When your dog understands the item she is holding, now you will teach her to pick it up and then retrieve it back to you. And finally you need to teach her some commands to drop it at your hand or place. You need to break your commands into smaller segments and you need to put your focus in just one at a period of time. You need to give some time to your dog to cope up with your definite commands. Afterwards this game will be fun for you when you can see the progress. And I hope that it will make you more inspired and determined.
Now it’s time to rush with the strategies and methods of fetching and retrieving training. But I can’t guarantee like Thanos that these methods are inevitable. But if you can patiently follow it you will surely get the rewards.
The first and foremost rule you have to always remember that these kinds of teaching will be based on the mechanism of give and take. Thus you will give something to your dog and in return your dog will give you something.
Prerequisites:
To start this project of teaching, you need to collect certain objects. For instance a stick, a ball, a rope toy or any other item/s you would like to instruct your dog to fetch out for you. But be cautious about using multiple products. You will only change the object if your dog has greatly used to it.
Another important part is to collect treats. Here you can add high value treats, like cheese, hot dogs, diced chicken etc.
And the most important “time”. You need to give some time regularly to your dog. Remember constancy is the key to your success in teaching these methods.
Method 1: The Clicker Formula Training
Step 1:
In this method you need to give a toy to your dog and you will teach the command associated with the toy or instruct the name of the toy. Now when the dog reaches and takes the toy , repeat the command sound and click. Now it is the time to give a treat to your dog. As a result when she is familiar with the clicker training, she will drop the toy to take the treat because she knows that a treat is coming for her.
Step 2:
You need to continue the practice throughout a week and at least 10 to 20 minutes everyday. It will take time for her to understand that she needs to put the toy in her mouth and it also needs to retrieve it.
Now you need to set the object on the ground and use your certain command words to motivate her to collect it up in her mouth. You need to click and provide a treat every time she puts it in her mouth.
Step 3:
As soon as your dog understands the retrieving of the toy then you need to use another command word like,”drop” or “drop it” etc. Indeed, you will use the click and treat system this time also. Give the dog a toy and repeat your command word. And when the dog drops the toy, immediately give her the treat.
Step 4:
Finally when your dog can pick up your toy and drop it by your command, then throw the toy a few feet away and command your dog to collect it up and then command another time to drop it at your place. Similarly you should be sure to click and treat your dog every time.
Step 5:
Now it is time to modify your item, command and distance. You need to keep practicing the above steps with your dog with various toys and multiple command prompts which need to be unique for each product. And you need to give you a certain period of time on each product before moving on the next as it will not confuse your dog. Another essential step is to extend the distance consequently each time so that your dog can efficiently narrow down your instructions. Chiefly the more you can effectively use the give and take formula, greater the results will be.
Method 2: The Chase Formula Training
Step 1:
As I said before dogs like to play with their owners. You just need to lure him. So another effective method is to throw a ball that will stimulate your dog to chase. You need to do it more and more times. Because when your dog chases the ball she realises that you are the one who is throwing it and she needs to bring it back to you in order to throw it again. Here the important and hardest part is that of the dog to bring the ball back to you. It will only be possible if you throw it again and again.
Step 2:
Now I am giving you a secret sauce to rapid your dogs training. When your dog gets thrilled by running after the ball, just hold her rope for a very small amount of time immediately after throwing the ball. Say “fetch”, “catch” or whatever you like and then release your dog.
Step 3:
Give your talk it read or even another toy to bring her and the toy back to you. What’s your dog comes what’s you , give her a treat and toss the ball again.
Moreover some dogs will be more encouraged if you toss the ball several times and then throw it by using your command. And also shout by making verbal phrases and offering the rewards.
Step 4:
Rehearse all the steps with the variety of objects that your dog recognises. For example sticks, balls and ropes. When you throw the toy, you need to shout the word fetch in order for the dog to chase, retrieve and deliver it back to you.
Step 5:
Now it is time to introduce your dog to your domestic items. You just need to repeat the above processes for your items.
Method 3: The Squeeze Toy Formula Training
Step 1:
You will follow this method if the above two methods are not working for your dog. Firstly just fetch off in a slow manner with a short distance. Do not force your dog and do not forget to give her treats.
Step 2:
Here we will use a squared toy. It will bring your dogs focus and attention. Now shout the word “fetch”.
Step 3:
Now you need to make a situation to understand your dog that what he has to do with your shouting. Simply play the squeak sound of the toy, place the toy in your dog’s mouth and emphasize the word “fetch”.
Step 4:
You need to repeat the process numerous times until your dog collects the squeaky toy at the time of your pronouncing of the commanding word.
Step 5:
Remember distance is a very important element in this method. You should slowly increase the distance by dropping the squeeze toy at your feet when saying “fetch”. In this process your dog needs to identify the meaning of your word.
Next toss the toy throughout the room or your yard for developing more distance, overtime, shouting the word “fetch”.
Step 6:
Practices make your dog fit for following your commanding word. It is essential for a dog to understand your implied meaning. Therefore your expectations will depend on your smart and hard work.
Dos and Don’ts
You must avoid over doing this process. Just not toss the toy all the day and say “fetch, fetch, fetch” or you will discover that your dog is escaping your command. And each teaching should not pass over 5 to 10 minutes. Also do not make more than 3 to 4 lessons per day. You will get better results if you make your lessons frustrating and long. Instead make your teachings cheerful so that the dog will preserve the behaviour much better. You need to choose a toy that your dog prefers to put in her mouth. As we already discussed some dogs have a preference for balls while others like plush toys. So after the learning part completes, your dog will be capable of retrieving anything you ask her to. On the above methods we focused those cases in which your dog has a little or or no interest in playing with toys or other products.
Conclusion
Taking everything into account, you need to place the toy on the floor. Now you will make any kind of interaction with your desired toy. Hear I am referring to use any e specific word or clicker that you will use to make certain behaviour produced by your dog. And after what you will reward with a treat. All you need is to wait for your dog to give attention to the toy and as soon as she does, click and give reward. Of course you need to make sure that your dog is getting a special treat, which she loves. Do not stop doing this until your dog certainly looks at your toy for a price. After passing this step successfully, then you need to ask her to do something else with your toy. In this case she is probably getting frustrated because of not getting her treat immediately.
Don’t tense, it’s all fine. In most cases the dog will touch the toy with their paw or just feel the toy with their nose. Once she has this down it’s time to make her rewarded. However if your dog is not touching the toy with her nose then you will require to hold the toy in your hand and place it near his face. Just wait until the dog sniffs the toy and also reward her. This will be your step to progress from. Further when your dog touches the toy, don’t give her reward. Your dog will be first touch and will try to mouth the toy. Immediately click and reward her.
Now you need to put the toy back on the floor which should be in front of you. Now command her to collect the toy up. This time place your hand under your object and reward her when she takes it in your hand. Now the hardest part is to make her understand that she needs fetch and retrieve the toy from further away. So you will take a step back and ask your dog again to collect the toy, and return it back to your place.You just need to motivate her by saying command words and lure with the rewards.
Afterwards move more steps back, encourage her and act like excited. Follow this step every time and instantly reward her also. By doing this you will gradually increase the distance and also maintain your standards for giving the reward. Ultimately your dog will be trained by which she will pick up anything you ask for and return it your hand, with or without reward eventually.
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