Help teaching "Fetch": ball retrieval to my hand.
Al is superb at Fetch, but will not put the ball into my hand. He either drops it so it rolls right to me, or else drops it in my lap, or anywhere but into my hand. He almost seems to avoid my hand.
I want him to drop in directly into my palm, so I don't have to pay any attention, just throw it.
My strategy is to ignore him until he puts it into my palm, but he just doesn't get it.
He is 5.5 years old.
Please respond if you have helpful specific suggestions.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Gromit, Sparkle, and Doug on
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Buy another Corgi, teach the new one to do it. That will make Al jealous and then he will fetch as needed. If that doesn't work, keeping adding Corgis until you get the desired result.
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Permalink Reply by Ray Cronin on
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Tried that! Now I have an ex-wife, alimony, and 7 corgis. I'd love my new life if they would just make room on the bed for me.
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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
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Very funny Doug! I wonder if teaching the Touch command would help. Just hold your hand out and as soon as he touches it with his nose say touch and give a treat. Maybe from there you can get him to do it with a ball or you can do like I do and just bend over....
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Permalink Reply by CorGeek on
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I've been trying to teach Oliver the same thing...with some success... He was a ball/toy dropper/nudger/thrower, too.
Try teaching Al to "hold" the ball (without fetch)...and the partner of "hold", "give".
Eventually, you should be able to incorporate both commands into fetch...ultimately, if you're consistant, it will be come the default behavior. :)
That's my theory anyway, and it seems to be working.
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Permalink Reply by Bax & Zigs & Rosie on
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Baxter doesn't "get" fetch. I went through a similar training process until I realized, I don't care if we ever play fetch.
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Permalink Reply by Kathy Losacco on
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Do you really want a slobbery ball dropped in your palm?? I much prefer it if it is dropped by my feet. Then i can kick it and never have to touch it. Austin loves this game. He likes to chase the ball but does not like to pick it up and bring it back. He doesn't like slobbery balls, either, I guess. He has me perfectly trained to fetch it after he has chased it.
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Permalink Reply by Jenny & Ramji on
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My question is, How do you teach them to fetch in the first place! ;p
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First, ask yourself, do you really want them to learn fetch? Because I taught Oliver...and that's all he wants to do...OCD...big time.
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Permalink Reply by Carol on
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Agree there-we started a game of fetch after supper when Zoey gets her 2nd wind. House isn't that big, but throw out in the kitchen from the living room, hit the TV, knock stuff over-I'm a poor shot, she has every rug wadded up and can go on for an hour. She has learned to at least bring the ball right to me, she used to drop it just out of arms reach and then bark at ME to get it. She's not as bad outside, she gets sidetracked. The living room looks like a tennis court, we live by a park and school so find lots of tennis balls, so we furnish the entire neighborhood, including anyone who dog-sits their grandogs, with balls. But she will sit and stare at me if we don't play-this weird evil stare-like we play-or else. She's more than gotten a few laughs walking past the tennis courts and jumping up trying to get a ball that is inside being played.
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Permalink Reply by Snickmom on
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I love fetch, it is a great way to excercise a dog when you are not up to walking, and can poop them out faster than walking, too. For indoors I use a rope ball; it disperses the slobber, and takes longer to get soaked. For outside I use a Chuck-itfor slobber free retrievals. I throw like a girl, so it is a good tool for me, anyway. I taught my puppies to fetch by tossing a toy with a string attached then reeling them in when he grabbed it. My rescue, Dolly, does not know how to play and so I bought a little toy octopus, put smelly treat between "arms" and rubberbanded them together. Then started clicker training to get her to first touch, then pick up the toy then I could toss it short distances and she would grab it and run to her bed. I have worked her up to bringing it close to me if I'm not by her bed, but she is a slow learner. (she's only part corgi- her brains must be the pekenese part LOL)
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