The FASTEST way to teach fetch to a puppy
This video goes over a very simple way that you can teach young puppies to fetch in one training session. This technique does not work for all puppies. Also as puppies get older they tend to want to drop the toy as they move toward you, so I suggest playing this game as one of the first games you play with your puppy. I also suggest first playing the attention game with your puppy to make sure your puppy will move toward you when you entice him.
Here is the video tutorial on how to train the attention game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiziN7mluz8
Here is a more detailed video on how to teach fetch if this technique does not work for your puppy. However I suggest first trying the easy technique first before trying this one:
Puppy safety, a very important video to watch if you have a new puppy:
The game plan:
Get two toys that look similar. Get the puppy interested in one toy, then throw it. Once the puppy has the toy in his mouth make an enticing noise and move backward as well if the puppy does not think to come right up to you.
When the puppy gets to you, you can then either play tug with the toy he has or start to move the second toy around. Once the puppy drops the toy in his mouth to pursue the one in your hand, throw it and repeat the game. If you choose to play tug with the toy the puppy has when he gets back to you, hold the toy still and make the other one move to get him to drop it. If this doesn’t work you can let go of the toy you are tugging with and move away from your puppy with the other toy enticing him to follow you and drop the toy he has.
If you think that the puppy might bite your hands while you move the toy around, you can use a larger longer toy so you can keep your hands away from the sharp needle puppy teeth.
Here is a video on how to teach the cue “drop it”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZvkyAFi7tc
If you throw the toy too far the puppy might not want to get it. If this happens make sure not to throw it too far.
Play this game for an extremely short period of time, to prevent the puppy getting disinterested and to prevent repetition of movement. So perhaps 3-5 fetched items thrown at a distance that your puppy doesn’t built up speed to fetch. Make sure to train on a non-slip surface as mentioned in the video. Fetch can be a very jolting movement, so it’s important to greatly limit this game with your puppy until he reaches adulthood. You can train fetch with your puppy a few repetitions a day for a few days to teach him the behavior so when he has your socks you can get him to bring them to you. Then you can set up the game so your puppy isn’t building up speed before he gets the toy to bring back to you. Using fetch as a means for exercise is not a good idea as it can be too taxing for a young puppies body and can quite commonly lead to injury. It can also lead to injury in adult dogs. Great ways to get around injury is making fetch a calmer behavior, so the puppy it moving at a trot toward the toy or that the toy has been thrown close enough that the puppy doesn’t build up speed. A game I like to play with my own puppies is to give them the toy or tug on the toy with them and then let go and run backward to work on the concept of fetch without there being any fast repetitive jolting movements involved. Take care also when playing tug that you are tugging very gently and limiting the amount of tugging especially if you have an enthusiastic tugger.
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Happy Training!
– Emily Larlham (AKA Kikopup)
#puppytraining #dogtraining #fetch
That’s a great video as always! Really straight forward! May I ask why Kiko has his own blanket/pillow thing?
Lol. Because sometimes shes on a dog bed when I start filming so I just pick it up and put it in the couch so she has her warm spot. She gets cold easily and if I get her to sit on the couch when training she starts to shiver because she is cold.
@Dog Training by Kikopup well that makes sense as well hahaha. I’ve noticed that on a couple of your videos lately and it got me scratching my head. 😁
This is such a cute video! And it is always nice to see something taught through play rather than by clicking and treating, since there are not many videos like that. Thanks a million!
well, there are many reinforcers out there 🙂 And if you see the way I play with the toys its really similar to how I use the food. Basically you condition the reinforcement “process” as something the dog loves. So its not just ‘all about the food’ its about what you do with the food or toy. As you will see, some people have toys for their dogs but their dogs are not interested in them because they are trying too hard, pushing the toy in the dogs face… and the dog finds it off putting. The same can happen with food.
@Dog Training by Kikopup That’s true! Building a good reinforcer can really be quite intricate. With my puppy right now it’s so interesting to see how sometimes she will sit and stay for a throw and a tug, while at other times I’d have to reward her with food to get her to fetch the very same toy.
I’m also trying to use other reinforcers, but it’s really a work in progress, lol.
Hi Emily! Thanks for the video… just wanted to ask – is gravel okay? My backyard has a lot of large/small gravel, which my puppy loves running around in like a madman. Also, what do I do if my puppy starts growling when I play tug? I’m not sure if he’s just excited to play or if he’s being aggressive about the toy.
I guess it depends on the gravel. I wouldnt do lots of jumping on sand or gravel. Growling doesnt matter if they are showing they are playing- soft expression and blinking eyes and not exhibiting guarding signs. If your dog guards toys I would suggest stopping if the dog growls or gets too aroused. I personally dont like dogs to growl when tugging with me because if I use tugging as a reinforcer for dog tricks, it can cause the dogs to be more likely to be noisey during the tricks. I will just ask them to drop calm them down then play tug again in a calmer way. With eachother I let them play tug and growl.
Thank you so much for the advice! I’ll try to keep him off the gravel. I’ve started dropping the toy and waiting until he’s calmer to resume tugging – and it’s worked!
So cute! My mini aussie just brought everything back to me when I tossed a toy. Or if you asked him to bring you something he would bring something super random! 😂 I’ve gotten water bottles, socks, toys, he once brought me the entire box of tissues
Awe that is extremely sweet! 🙂
So lovely dog, alla of them. Well done with so smart dogs
thanks for always taking the time to comment on my videos 🙂
Thanks do much for another fabulous tutorial. Always an absolute pleasure learning from you. Loving all the explanations on safety/welfare guidance for our 4 legged also. Makes so much sense & so easy to understand & remember.
My very gentle cavalier has never been over interested in the game of tug. That said she has just managed to pull the tail off her soft fox toy after 3 years (10min play for any other dog) She is so proud of herself, keeps going back & shaking it to bits. I feel she has finally made the grade from puppy to adolescence . I am proud of her also, & feel the joy with her.
Love watching the body language/communication of your dogs also, absolutely beautiful. I have learnt so much from your tutorials, & from watching your dogs interactions. Huge admiration. As always absolutely love all what you do & thank you so much.
Hehe love the fox tail story! 🙂
Such a simple way to make use of their natural instincts. And very good point about using a non-slip surface for safety.
I love the way he keeps looking at you. “Momma. Momma. I’m watching you, Momma. What’s next?”
Thanks a lot for this tip!
We thought fetch was a no-go-area for puppies.
But three to four times won’t do any harm, we suppose.
We like the immediate results.
Its no fetch thats bad, its when they jam on the breaks that is bad.
@Dog Training by Kikopup That makes sense!
Love it. Cute. Keep sharing. I love the area rugs too, we work on which one to move to also.
How do you give a dog sufficient exercise if you don’t play fetch with them daily?
Not only is this such a good training video, it’s also suuuper cute <3
Thank you for these useful tips! My new puppy loves fetching.☺️
Good video! Would be helpful to see how you trained from scratch. This cutie seem to have been trained already
No I had him probably 24 hours hes 8 weeks. Most young puppies can fetch immediately when you train them like this. Here is an example of some 6 week old foster staffies doing the same behavior- I think I did 1 lesson before I filmed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=726K56xzKJY
My puppy drops the toy when he returns to me! Any suggestions to get him bringing it to me?
My puppy will become too excited when coming back and drop the toy on her way back. What should I do?
My four month old puppy really has no toy she really likes to carry or fetch despite a large selection
I love all your dogs in the background! At first I thought there was one. Then three. Then I saw the fourth at the end when he moved. LOL
Thank you. Great advice!
Wow such a good video . I watched many training videos and tried to do fetch training with my beagle puppy but none worked. Your method worked like magic .
Oh yay!!!