Fetching half way ??

[waynep]

I have a 5 month old female BC. I have been working on fetch. In the backyard she only brings it back half way, then drops it and looks at me. I want to get her to bring it all the way back.

 

I can get her to bring it back inside the house if I have some treats and start in the hallway without distractions. Sometimes I have to go start in the end of the hallway to just get her to pick it up and give it to me. I have read that I shouldn't use treats while trying to teach fetch so I am trying to work without them on fetch but using them on other things like recall, sit etc. Her recall it doing ok with treats. If she thinks I have treats she does well also, and I can reward every other recall and she'll still do it well.

 

Any tips on getting here to bring it back all the way??

[Gloria Atwater]

I don't know how to help with that, but I would say be careful playing fetch with a dog that young. At 5 months their growth plates are not closed and playing fetch can be pretty rowdy and high impact. At that age, I would only roll a ball for them rather than throw it. The hard dashes, sharp turns and sudden stops can be hard on their joints.

Also, bear in mind that she is very young, period, Her attention span is going to be all over the map. Be sure you keep any kind of training sessions short and low impact.

~ Gloria

[LauraV]

I had it easy. I would tell my BC it wasn't close enough and he would throw it closer until I could grab it without having to take a step. Granted he would always bring it within 3 feet and, I was just being lazy!

[D'Elle]

Be patient, she's only a puppy still. Also, there is no reason in the world not to use treats to teach fetch; don't know where you read that, but I think it's silly. I have taught dogs who had no interest in toys of fetching to fetch using treats. Just don't give the treat unless she brings it back all the way. But as said above, go easy on the running with a pup that young.

[waynep]

I heard no treats for fetch from Zach George on YouTube.

 

It's funny . . . . Since I posted this question, she is starting to bring toys to me in the house to throw. I throw a toy and she'll keep it away, if I ignore her, sometimes she will drop it next to me. A few times she has shoved it into my hand. A couple times she has dropped it and started barking at me. If its not close enough I tell he to go get it and we start again.

[GentleLake]

Dogs are telepathic.