Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2006 7:02 pm Post subject: Fetch
Sorry of this has been covered elsewhere, couldn't find it!
Our male lab is now 11 weeks and is coming on great, I try to do a few minutes training a couple times a day. He now knows his name, come, sit, stay, leave, no and the down is coming on great! I'm keen to eventually have him fetch and bring the item to me. At the moment I can throw a toy while he is in the heel/sit position and he'll stay until I tell him to fetch, he'll then go pick up the item and then run away with it and play! Great for him, but is there anything I can do at this early stage to encourage him to bring the item to me?
hi, i think your pup is coming on great Brodie is 11 months and has only just learned to sit on command, as for how to taggle the problem of fetch, im not sure im affraid, the rest of mine picked it up really easy, just give the pup losts of encouragement to come to you once he has the toy in his mouth, thats how i did it and it worked for all mine (except Brodie who's lift dont go all the way to the top )
As hard as it is - try not to go and pick the toy up, this will just teach him that he doesnt have to bring the toy back as you will get it for him - instead have 2 toys to play with.
My Paddy is 21 weeks now, and only just mastering his retrieve, he has always chased toys but he is now picking them up and (sometimes) bringing them back, we do practise all the time especially if he is having a mad 5 minutes as this channels his attention to something else and keeps him occupied.
Your pup is doing remarkably well for 11 weeks - you'll have to let us in on your secret
If I were you I would just ease off just a little. Too much discipline to young, even in the name of good basic training can sour a puppy so young. Therefore, if I were you I would do two things to teach your pup to fetch.
Firstly a retrieve is just a send out and a recall. Forget any fetch for now other than chasing balls - don't make him stay for now, let him run in and really enjoy it, and really work on your recall. An 11 week old is a bit young to 'really' work on 'anything' but having your up sit, walking away, sometimes walking back so as to not make him unsteady and sometimes calling him smartly in to your welcoming arms is a start. Then call him in with a sit infront of you (but remember sometimes to return to his side or he will start to anticipate coming to you and start running in). Always use treats for puppy training and have him come, raise the treat as he nears you and give the gentle but firm 'ssssssssssit' command and he will more than likely if you raise the treat.
A good recall is the ONLY way to having a keen return on a retrieve. You then just start to quietly substitute a stay and recall for a stay, walk out, put down an itemof interest to the pup clearly so he can see, walk back, then sending him and then performing that self same recall you did with no retrieve item.
Don't rush it though, if he REALLY knows and understands all the listed commands hes doing terribly well anyway.
Di
Thanks a lot guys, very helpful. i don't want to make out I'm hard on him, he gets lots of play and this 'training' is really just a couple of minutes/half a dozen or so treats, always positive and fun for him too I think. I don't want to push him at all but he's reacting to it very well!
Ok, i'm sure he is, his list of commands is impressive... remember when you get out in the big wide world its very diofferent with a lot more to distract him so getting the basics consistant out with other dogs/people/wide open spaces around is the next step with a puppy generally.
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