DOG GAMES
How to Teach Your Dog to Play Fetch!
Does your dog chase the ball but refuse to bring it back? Fetch is a dog game loved by dogs & dog owners alike. Learn how to play it right in five simple steps!
Shivani Kuthe
Dog Behaviourist
Table of contents
Fetch has been a favourite dog game for pet parents and their dogs for a long, long time. And why not! It allows the dog to run around and burn off some energy, and it can serve as a bonding exercise for both the dog and his parents.
Ideally, a game of Fetch will have you throwing the ball at a distance and your dog bringing it back to you. But how often do our dogs actually bring the ball back to us? More often than not, the dog will chase the ball only to run away to a corner and refuse to share it with you. A game of fetch then quickly turns into a tug-of-war as we try to pry the toy away from our dogs to be able to throw it again. Not only is this exasperating for the humans playing, but it also fails to teach the dog to see us as their teammates whom they can play this game with. We suddenly become their unwilling opponents, from whom they feel the need to grab and chase the toys.
By teaching our dogs the rules of this game and playing it the right way, not only can you enjoy a fun round of Fetch with your dog in the park, but also enable them to see and trust you to be a part of their team! So, what are you waiting for? Let’s dive in!
Ideally, a game of Fetch will have you throwing the ball at a distance and your dog bringing it back to you. But how often do our dogs actually bring the ball back to us? More often than not, the dog will chase the ball only to run away to a corner and refuse to share it with you. A game of fetch then quickly turns into a tug-of-war as we try to pry the toy away from our dogs to be able to throw it again. Not only is this exasperating for the humans playing, but it also fails to teach the dog to see us as their teammates whom they can play this game with. We suddenly become their unwilling opponents, from whom they feel the need to grab and chase the toys.
By teaching our dogs the rules of this game and playing it the right way, not only can you enjoy a fun round of Fetch with your dog in the park, but also enable them to see and trust you to be a part of their team! So, what are you waiting for? Let’s dive in!
Before Introducing this Dog Game
- Choose your toy(s) according to your dog’s breed. Some breeds like Retrievers would prefer immobile objects such as Frisbees that fly through the air and fall on one location, whereas some others may prefer mobile and animated toys like tennis balls. If your dog does not seem too keen on either, you can also use rope toys to get them interested in the toys.
- Whether your dog is keen on Frisbees, tennis balls, or rope toys, it is best to begin playing fetch with them using not one but two of these toys so that they hold the same value in your dog’s eyes. This ensures that your dog does not end up liking one better than the other, and settles down with one of them.
- To retain the value of the toys, keep the toys out of their reach at all times and bring them out only when you are ready for a game of fetch.
How to Play This Dog Game
1. Start by charging up your toy and making it interesting for your dog. You can start bouncing the ball or swinging the rope toy around in front of your dog.
2. Once your dog’s interest in the toy is peaked, throw it at a very short distance. As soon as they run towards it and pick it up, encourage them to come back to you in a happy and excitable tone. If your dog is picking up the toy and running away from you, have your dog on a leash and practise throwing the toy at short distances and nudging them to come back to you once they pick it up. If your dog is taking the toy to their resting spot, anchor yourself next to it, so they are still returning to you.
3. Praise them generously when they return to you with the toy. You can also pet them, but away from their face.
4. At this point, your dog may or may not willingly drop the toy. Regardless, start charging up the second toy by playing with it yourself to get your dog interested.
5. Once you get them interested in the second toy enough, your dog is likely to drop the one in their mouth and chase after the second. Throw the second toy as soon as this happens and pick up the second one.
And what do you know! You just played a very successful round of Fetch with your dog! Once your dog gets into the habit of fetching the toy and dropping it without any hesitation, you can ditch the second toy!
2. Once your dog’s interest in the toy is peaked, throw it at a very short distance. As soon as they run towards it and pick it up, encourage them to come back to you in a happy and excitable tone. If your dog is picking up the toy and running away from you, have your dog on a leash and practise throwing the toy at short distances and nudging them to come back to you once they pick it up. If your dog is taking the toy to their resting spot, anchor yourself next to it, so they are still returning to you.
3. Praise them generously when they return to you with the toy. You can also pet them, but away from their face.
4. At this point, your dog may or may not willingly drop the toy. Regardless, start charging up the second toy by playing with it yourself to get your dog interested.
5. Once you get them interested in the second toy enough, your dog is likely to drop the one in their mouth and chase after the second. Throw the second toy as soon as this happens and pick up the second one.
And what do you know! You just played a very successful round of Fetch with your dog! Once your dog gets into the habit of fetching the toy and dropping it without any hesitation, you can ditch the second toy!
Fetch is a great way to secretly reinforce the "Drop" command with your dog!
Pro-tip: If your dog does not know the “Drop” command, you can teach it through the Game of Fetch. Once your dog is comfortable bringing and dropping the toy for you, simply start adding the “Drop” cue right before they are about to drop it. With enough consistency (and Pavlov’s grace), your dog will slowly start dropping the toy when you use the cue word.
Benefits of Playing this Dog Game
- For breeds such as Labradors or Golden Retrievers, the game of fetch helps them channel their inherent retrieving instincts, meaningfully.
- Playing fetch with your dog also encourages them to happily share things with you, which can help reduce behavioural issues such as resource guarding.
- Fetch can also be a good way to teach your dog the “Drop” command.
- It also exercises and reinforces your dog's recall.
- It gives them a good outlet for your dog to burn off some excess energy by allowing him enough scope to run around.
So, what are you waiting for? Go play this fun, dog game with your dog today! And do share videos and tag us @thepack.in to be featured on our Instagram page!
Happy Pet Parenting!
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About the author
Shivani Kuthe
Dog Behaviourist, 5 yrs exp
Shivani is a dog trainer & behaviourist based in Bengaluru. She helps parents live more enriching lives with their dogs and is passionate about the cause of community dogs. Post-grad in Literature, Shivani also leads all content efforts at thePack.in
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