Sunday, April 25, 2010

Teaching Your Dog Fetch

I was recently asked for some advice on teaching a dog to play fetch. Rather than just explain how I might go about teaching a dog to play fetch I decided to do some research into the range of methods out there. Here’s the result.

What is fetch?

Okay it’s a trick question. We all know that fetch is a game that many dogs enjoy and some even become obsessive about. But it is so much more than that.

Fetch (at least the ideal fetch game) involves:

  • Someone having control over the game – I hope it’s you and not your dog – and therefore the establishment and maintenance of rules. This builds your skills in having a clear picture of what you want and working towards it, consistency in applying rules and even the occasional problem solving activity when your dog’s performance deviates from what you want. In other words a good training session for you.
  • Your dog practicing:
    • A level of self control from your dog even when aroused – to what level determined by you in the rules of the game. A great skill all dogs need to learn and which owners need to learn to switch on (see previous post on arousal for tips on this one).
    • Taking and giving items gently and without argument.
    • Sharing items.
    • Being comfortable moving away from you (something many obedience trained dogs initially struggle with as so much of the training they do can be so focused on being next to or with their owner/handler).
    • Running joyfully back to you over and over again – reinforcing your recall/come without explicitly practicing that behaviour over and over again (which your dog can find boring).
The ideal picture of fetch

It helps (as noted above) to have a clear picture of what you want the game to look like and different people will have different ideals of the fetch game. Here’s one picture of how the game might look:

1. You ask your dog if he wants to play fetch.

2. Your dog indicates yes by sitting in front of you and giving eye contact.

3. You tell him to stay (or wait)

4. You throw the fetch item.

5. You release the dog to chase after the item.

6. Your dog goes directly to the item.

7. Your dog picks up the item gently in his mouth.

8. Your dog returns directly to you.

9. Your dog sits in front of you and holds the item in his mouth.

10. You put your hand out under the dog’s mouth.

11. You ask your dog to release the item.

12. Your dog opens his mouth and let’s the item drop into your hand.

13. You catch the item.

14. Repeat from 3 a couple of times and then take a short break to reduce arousal before continuing with this or another activity.

As you can see the word ‘fetch’ in fact means quite a long chain of behaviours, some of them quite advanced. Then if you consider adding the things you don’t want then the list gets longer. This list might include:

1. Your dog does not move until released – so you are going to need to ensure you have a really really solid stay or wait under your belt before you try this or alternatively change your picture and let the dog move as soon as you throw the item.

2. The dog does not chew on or mouth the item while carrying it – well you need to train your dog to hold things that way for many dogs. So either be prepared to teach it or change your picture of fetch and be happy as long as the item is returned to you (and be prepared to replace the item regularly).

All of this is not meant to turn you off the fun of fetch – but just to get you think about what it is that fetch means to you and how reasonable that might be for your dog’s age, level of training etc and for the situation in which you are asking your dog to play. What might be reasonable at home in the yard with no distractions will generally not translate as reasonable in the middle of a dog park with multiple known and strange dogs and people around (and is explicitly against the rules of some parks). Like everything else you need to teach your dog this trick (any behaviour) in a calm place and then gradually build up to asking for it in more difficult situations. But now onto teaching fetch.

Location, location, location

A hallway or even a longish toilet room are ideal places to start teaching your pup or dog to play fetch. Close all doors. If this is not possible then an area up the side of the house or a small yard can be used. It’s also easiest if there is just you and the one dog to focus on.

The toy

You also want to think carefully about what you want your dog to fetch. It might be easiest to start off with a toy that is not too small or too big for your dog to carry safely, is new and novel (and therefore interesting to your dog) and fairly light in their mouths. You can transfer the new skills to all sorts of items once you and your dog have the basics down pat.

Teaching fetch – option 1 – particularly successful with puppies

  • Get your dog really focused on a novel toy but without letting him have it.
  • Toss the toy a short distance away.
  • Your dog should follow the toy.
  • Praise him as he follows the toy.
  • When the dog picks up the toy and starts back to you praise him enthusiastically .
  • When he gets to you put one hand under your dog’s mouth (not touching) and offer a treat with the other. To get the treat your dog will have to open his mouth and the toy will fall out into your hand.
  • Praise him and give him the treat.
  • Repeat about 3 times and then put the special new fetch toy away until the next session.
For video footage of how this can work check out http://video.yahoo.com/watch/1587190/5372083

Teaching fetch – option 2

  • Wave a toy about two feet in front of your dog’s face (not so close they feel you’re in their face). The movement should attract your dog’s focused attention on the toy. If this doesn’t work you could try bouncing a ball a couple of times.
  • Toss the ball no more than a metre away.
  • If your dog goes out to it and puts his mouth on the toy then softly clap your hands and run the other way encouraging him to follow you. Wait for him to have the ball in his mouth and don’t call his name to attract his attention – as this can make your dog drop the ball and come to you.
  • If your dog comes part way to you with the ball in his mouth then stops or tries to get you to chase him then back up again, clapping and then run away from him to stimulate his coming to you.
  • If your dog does drop the toy anywhere near your feet them pick it up and immediately throw it again.
Teaching fetch – option 3

In a small room without distractions, sit on the floor with your dog. Have a small squeaky toy in one hand and some yummy treats in the other or in a pocket or somewhere else that you can quickly get to them.

  • Toss the toy a small distance (still within your reach) and let your dog pounce on it. Encourage them if need be. When your dog grabs the toy reach out and take it from him praising him and possibly giving him a treat for releasing the toy. Play the game until the dog is enthusiastically responding (but not necessarily in one session).
  • Now add a release cue to the exercise. As you take the toy from your dog say your new cue (give, mine, thank you or whatever you want), then give a treat and praise. Repeat until your dog is happily giving up the toy.
  • Very slowly increase the distance that your dog has to go to get the toy. Otherwise continue as before. If your dog doesn’t come straight back sit and wait until he does – then treat and reward as normal. You want him to know that it is coming back to you that causes the game to continue. Practice over and over until you have a solid fetch.
  • Now you can take your game to different rooms – but remembering to go back to smaller throws each time you change the scene before you work on building back up to distance.
  • If you like you can now add the cue fetch – because you’re confident the dog will actually do the behaviour. If you say fetch consistently a second or two before throwing your dog will make the association. You can also start to fade out the treats as now the game itself should be reward enough for your dog – a quick throw of the ball immediately after it comes back to you will become the best reward of all.
Teaching fetch – option 4

This method is built around the use of a clicker or other marker (such as ‘yes’) that has been primed by being repeatedly associated with food. You click (or say the word you want) and give a treat over and over until when your dog hears the sound they look at you expecting the treat. This can happen in minutes or over days depending on the dog.

You and your dog should be alone in a room with no distractions. Sit on a chair next to a something that you can place a cup of treats on. Make sure the dog cannot reach them. Hold the clicker in one hand (or have your word ready). Place a retrieving dummy (or the toy you want to teach them to fetch) under the arm of this hand, tucked into your armpit.

This game is played in silence until you add the cue word. Do not talk to your dog. Let him focus on the ‘game’.

  • Step 1 – looking at the toy
    • Present the toy by holding it out so that the dog can see it with a fluid and relatively quick movement. Make sure your dog is close enough to see it.
      • If your dog looks at the toy click and treat
      • If the dog does not look – do not click and treat
    • Withdraw the toy by putting it behind you or up under your armpit after 5 seconds or so.
    • Repeat until your dog is consistently looking at the toy or move on when your dog is seeking to interact with the toy.
       
  • Step 2 – approaching the toy
    • Present the toy as above
      • If your dog moves towards you and the toy click and treat but throw the treat back away from you so that dog has to turn away to get it. When he does this withdraw the toy.
      • If your dog does not move – do not click and treat even if he looks at the toy. He now has to work harder for the reward. This might take him some time to figure out so be patient.
    • As your dog gets the idea that he has to come towards you and toy withhold the click and treat until he gets closer and the closer.
    • In a couple of sessions you should have your dog’s nose coming close to the toy (if they don’t jump the next step/s).
       
  • Step 3 – Touching the toy
    • Now you will only click and treat when your dog’s nose actually touches the dummy. Repeat until he is deliberately touching the toy with his nose.
    • Next get more specific – you only click and treat when his mouth is open when he touches the toy.
       
  • Step 4 – Grasping the toy
    • By now your dog will be really worked up about the toy and all those treats and will be working harder to get his click and treat.
    • Now each time you present the toy you will click and treat for contact between your dog’s teeth and the toy – the first step to taking it in their mouth.
    • Gradually withhold the click and treat until your dog is putting his mouth around the toy. Keep hold of the toy at this stage.
       
  • Step 5 – Holding the toy
    • Now you let the dog take the weight of the toy in his mouth. Keep your hand on it but let the weight rest momentarily in the dog’s mouth before you click and treat. If he takes his mouth away before you do this then do not click and treat. Withdraw the toy.
    • Now you let go of the toy – momentarily only! Don’t take your hand away – let go for part of a second only and then hold it again, click and treat.
    • Work to build up the time your dog is holding the toy by waiting just a little longer before you click and treat. Remember to put your hand back on the toy before clicking and treating.
       
  • Step 6 – Adding the fetch cue
    • Say fetch as your dog opens his mouth to take the toy. From now on you say the word every time your dog opens his mouth to hold the toy.
    • Build up the duration your dog s holding the toy before you click and treat until you can eventually get a 10 second hold. But keep mixing up the times with some short some long, some medium duration to keep your dog thinking.
       
  • Step 7 – Add the give cue
    • Say ‘give’ or whatever other release cue you want to use just as you take hold of the toy and before you click and treat.
    • Gradually reduce the times that you click and treat. Start to not click and treat the slackest responses – when they are slower to respond or to give up the toy. So you get first maybe 2 clicks out of three times and then eventually only the best responses get clicked and treated. This makes the game something like a slot machine to play – when will you get paid? Dog’s will work harder for the reward.
       
  • Step 8 – Pick up the toy
    • Gradually start to lower the height at which you present the toy to the dog until it is on the floor at your feet and the dog has to pick it up.
    • When the dog will pick up from your hand on the floor work to having your hand just touching the toy, then just near the toy and eventually with your hand nowhere near the toy.
    • Take this step slowly – if your dog starts refusing back up and move more slowly.
       
  • Step 9 – Fetch
    • Stand up and do a couple of fetches from your hand. If successful move the toy back down to the floor. If successful move on. You should go back to clicking and treating all successful responses at this stage – the whole picture has changed from your dog’s perspective.
    • Gradually start to place the toy further out and away from you and your dog.
    • Then start to drop the toy.
    • Then start to throw the toy just a few centimeters.
    • Build up the distance slowly and ensuring that your dog stays successful. Back up if they start to falter.
Teaching fetch – other options

These are not all your options for teaching fetch but I seem to remember something about Paws for Thought postings being brief……hmmmmm.

Problem solving

There are a number of common problems you might experience:
  • Your dog is not interested in toys
    • If your dog is not food aggressive you could:
      • Try stuffing a hollow toy with food a couple of times a day for up to a few weeks and toss it two to three feet away from him. Let him go after it and then let him settle with it or take it away to chew on without following him. The goal is to get your dog started in running towards a toy you’ve tossed.
      • Then start tossing the toy with food in it and encouraging him to get it.
      • Continue using this toy as the fetch toy.
  • Your dog does not follow the toy – You could try:
    • Making the toy more appealing to your dog by playing with it yourself and then putting the toy away safely – such as on top of the fridge. On occasions over a couple of days again bring out the toy and play with it loudly and with obvious enjoyment and lots of movement but do not let the dog get it. Once your dog is showing intense interest in the toy you can go back to trying to teach fetch with it.
    • Not throwing it so far away to start with.
    • A different approach – such as teaching your dog to target the toy.
       
  • Your dog does not pick up the toy
    • See the tips above for not following the toy
       
  • Your dog will not return the toy to you
    • Do not chase him!
    • Encourage him back to you by playing with another toy
    • Consider the double toy approach where you have two toys and when your dog comes back with one but won't give it up you throw the other
    • Check that everyone in the house is playing by the same rules – no one should be chasing him for the toy.
    • When the dog drops the toy anywhere near you get it quickly and immediately throw it again. This is the best reward for the dog – not food, praise, etc.
       
  • Your dog takes the toy and then runs or moves away from you
    • If your dog walks away from you turn and walk away from him in the opposite direction.
    • If your dog runs away from you turn and run away from him.
    • Keep the golden rule – Your dog moves towards you. You do not move towards him.
       
  • Your dog will bring the toy back to you but then won’t give it up.
    • Trade the toy for a treat (but beware some dogs will then be more interested in the treats then the game).
    • When he gets near you, fold your arms and turn your back on him, refusing to face him or reach for the ball. If he drops the ball the immediately pick up the ball and throw it.
    • Have a second toy to throw immediately your dog is back near you.
    • Teach give or drop the toy on cue in a less arousing setting before trying it here. Check out http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/all-or-none-reward-train-off-and-take-it for some tips to start with.
       
  • Your dog will only play once or twice or for a short time. This is not unusual for young dogs or when dogs are first learning. It’s okay that just means the game is over. Fetch the ball and put it away. Next time don’t play as long - leave him wanting more.
Taking it to the next level

If you want to take it up a notch or two check out the Kong Cup Challenge which is one of the games in Dr Ian Dunbar’s K9 Games which are played around the world – but not yet in Australia. You can read about it at http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/kong-cup-challenge hear Ian talk about it at http://www.dogstardaily.com/videos/kong-cup-challenge or watch the world record retrieve at http://www.dogstardaily.com/videos/kong-retrieve-record-long-beach-03996

Alternatively consider the Distance Catch. Check it out at http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/distance-catch and don’t forget to view the videos listed on the right hand side of the page.

Video clips online that you might find useful

A search of the internet found the following amongst the many videos available to give you a sample of what is out there. One or more of them might give you some useful tips. Warnings relate to methods or advice given that cause me some concern.

References

1 comment:

  1. Excellent incredible blog layout on how to teach your dog to fetch! How long have you been blogging for? you make running a blog look easy. The overall glance of your website is magnificent, let alone the content!

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