General Question Teaching Fetch

[cali baker]

Do you play "fetch" with your bulldog and if so, how did you train him/her to do this?

I really want to play fetch w/Tate and Finn. Right now, when i throw a ball they will retrieve it but not release and so we end up playing "chase" instead and then tug-o-war. As I'm ageing, I'm finding this to be very hard on my back and knees. I know, sad isn't it?! Anyways, if you have any tips, please share!

 

[TyTysmom]

Do you play "fetch" with your bulldog and if so, how did you train him/her to do this?

I really want to play fetch w/Tate and Finn. Right now, when i throw a ball they will retrieve it but not release and so we end up playing "chase" instead and then tug-o-war. As I'm ageing, I'm finding this to be very hard on my back and knees. I know, sad isn't it?! Anyways, if you have any tips, please share!

Henny, I totally laughed out loud at this because you are fortunate to have gotten that far with them, LOL. Our fetch goes a little something like this, " I throw the ball and say "Tyson go get it" ------------- Tyson just stares back at me, then at the ball I just threw.

 

[dalmatina38]

Tips? Buy some knee pads and roller blades so when you hit the dirt you don't hurt yourself and the roller blades are to keep up with them.I am soooo funny today!! hehe Seriously, they never give in, they will go get it and keep on going, chase is the expected result of their fetching whatever you gave them. Tug of war is the ultimate next best thing. Enjoy!!

 

[g8erjackie]

I have no advice to give. Ruckus and I play what I like to call "tug-o-fetch." I throw the rope, he retrieves it, we battle for it, I throw to again.

 

[cali baker]

You guys are too funny!! thanks for all the "tips"...I think!

 

[harveyspecter]

Do you play "fetch" with your bulldog and if so, how did you train him/her to do this?

I really want to play fetch w/Tate and Finn. Right now, when i throw a ball they will retrieve it but not release and so we end up playing "chase" instead and then tug-o-war. As I'm ageing, I'm finding this to be very hard on my back and knees. I know, sad isn't it?! Anyways, if you have any tips, please share!

here is my version. I say Harvey fetch. Looks at me and the ball as if to say, you want me to do what?, for free? Realistically, he goes for the ball and runs with it. Now I have to chase him to get it back.
Not helping huh!

 

[Donnam]

Winnie is obsessed with playing fetch! I have had the same problem as you. She is getting better though, because I refuse to try to get the ball from her. She knows I won't throw it until she drops it and eventually she does. Still, she won't put the ball in my hand and let go. You could offer to trade at treat for the ball when they bring it back?

 

[cali baker]

Winnie is obsessed with playing fetch! I have had the same problem as you. She is getting better though, because I refuse to try to get the ball from her. She knows I won't throw it until she drops it and eventually she does. Still, she won't put the ball in my hand and let go. You could offer to trade at treat for the ball when they bring it back?

Yup, treats go a long way, especially with Tate; the problem with this is, he seems to have telepathy for he knows that i have a treat in my hand so he'll drop the ball way before he even comes back to me b/c he wants his food. I need to learn to be more discreet and sneaky with those treats!

 

[dolphin]

When Buster was a little guy I would sit on the floor and roll a ball and then crawl and get the ball and go back to where I was originally bringing it ball back, took like a month but he finally figured it out. Now every single night and morning once I sit down he'll bring his ball or doll and I say drop it and he drops it and then I throw it and he grabs and brings back. It took 2 years for him to get the drop it command down but he's got it now. It's odd but I always said "let it go" and his Aunt is the one who always used "drop it" and he picked up on that. He'll only do it in the house though I could never ever convince him about retrieving outside.

 

[brutus77]

Brutus will play fetch with his ball and he does bring it back. I taught him to drop it because there is no way I could get it out of his mouth and I do not play tug of war with either of them because I always felt it makes them crazy. I taught Brutus to drop it. If he did not drop it I ignored him until he did what I asked. If he did drop it and then tried to lunge after it, I told him "no Brutus, now I'm not playing until you leave it alone" and sure enough, he understands and he will leave it for me to get it and throw it. Now my Frankie Tank, is another story. He was never taught to play, so after having him for a year and a half, he brought me his bone one day and I took this to mean he wanted to play. I threw it and he went and got it, brought it back, and then jumped all over me when I tried to get him to leave it. I made him sit, wait for me to throw it, and when he came back, I made him sit again and drop it. He understood what drop it meant after a few times. He was so happy to be playing that he would do anything I asked him to do. Of course, after seeing him play like a happy guy, I cried all day! lol, I'm such a loser!!

 

[2BullyMama]

I taught Banks and now working with Lambeau by using the 'drop' command. They would run to get the ball... come back, I command 'drop' with a treat and then throw again.... works pretty well

 

[jenzaar]

When he didn't have the Drop It command down pat, it helped to have two of the same ball. Normally he would bring it back, but either not drop it or guard it. But! If i had another one in my hand he would be a lot more willing to drop.
Also, to get him off the guarding thing, i eventually started to take the ball back before throwing the new one. I'd tell him "Wait" and slowly reach to get it. If he tried to grab it, a firm no, and then try again. When he does it, THEN the ball is thrown. (not sure if this is an issue but figured I'd throw it out there)

It also helps to switch it up a bit. He hasn't been playing much with his usual favorite, but after reading this i grabbed another that we haven't used in some time (a rubber Chuck It, I think it's called Erratic or something along those lines. Odd shape so it bounces all over) and what do you know, he's playing fetch this morning!

 

[cali baker]

Well, last night I started the "fetch" training with Tate. There was progress in that when I yelled Fetch, he ran to the toy (most of the time), would grab it, turn to me, and then he would drop it even though he was still quite far from me. I rewarded him with a treat for grabbing the toy but how do I get him to bring the toy to all the way to me and not just drop it right away? Should I walk towards him, where he dropped the toy and reward him, so that he at least gets this positive reinforcement for grabbing toy? I don't want to confuse him.

This takes lots of patience, doesn't it?!

 

[brutus77]

I would try to tell him to come to you when he has the ball in his mouth so he gets the concept of bringing it back.

 

[Enjoimangos]

I used a treat ball to teach Boris how to fetch. Granted he will only cooperate for 5 to 10 minutes before he just starts to give me the "what do you want from me" face. He's also not always the best at "dropping" when told, but you throw it and he'll get it.

I used to fill the ball with kibble, but plug the whole so no food falls out and throw it. If he returned it I would unplug it and give him a treat.