FetchDog retrieves a thrown object and brings it back
A chain of three skills: go get it, carry it back, give it up. Most dogs learn to chase but not to return. The trick is making the return more rewarding than the chase, like a second ball or a high-value trade.
Also known as: Get It, Bring It
At a glance
- Tier
- 2 · Intermediate
- Time to fluency
- 3–8 weeks
- Practice
- 4× per week, 10 min each
- Equipment
- A favourite toy or ball, Small soft treats for trades, Optional: long line
Prerequisites
Your dog should know these words first:
How to teach fetch
Lure
Toss a toy short and trade for a treat when the dog brings it back
- Start with very short tosses (5 feet) so the return is easy
- When the dog picks it up, run backward. Moving away draws them to you
- Trade the toy for a treat, then throw again. The throw is the real reward
- Two identical toys work well: toss the second when they drop the first
Hand Signal
Point or throw in the direction of the object
- The throw itself becomes the cue for the outbound trip
- For the return, use an open hand low to indicate where to deliver
- Start with a long line to prevent keep-away games
Verbal Cue
Name the outbound trip and the return separately
- The fetch cue sends them out; the come or drop cue handles the return
- Only throw when the dog is returning reliably. The throw is the reward for bringing it back
- Keep sessions short; 5–10 throws is a session, not 50
Success criteria
- Unlearned
- Chases but does not bring back, or does not chase at all
- In progress
- Fetches on the word, returns, and drops on cue
- Mastered
- Fetches reliably outdoors, returns past distractions, and delivers to hand
Common mistakes
- Chasing the dog when they will not return, which rewards keep-away
- Throwing too far before the return is reliable
- Throwing 50 times until the dog is exhausted and bored
- Not having a reliable drop it before teaching fetch