[nagdu] Fetch training

Thu Aug 1 00:24:55 UTC 2013

Some people, for various reasons, prefer not to use squeaky toys, but that
is a personal choice.

The food method also does not work for me as food is more interesting than
toys.

I did not have to use the two toy method with Lexia, but I did use with the
family pet.

If your dog is picking up the toy and not coming back, just go do something
else. Your dog will figure out that toys don't throw themselves, and, if he
wants it thrown, he is going to have to bring it to you. I often have the
opposite problem. I call Lexia, and I get not only Lexia but a toy along
with her. Luckily, she does not do this when I pick up her harness.

Nicole and Lexia
Toys, anyone? 

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie J.
Sent: Wednesday, July 31, 2013 5:57 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fetch training

If you just need to know when he has picked up the toy, then I'd agree that
using a toy that squeaks or crinkles or jingles would be the easiest
solution.  It will take a bit of practice for you to notice the change in
noise of when the toy is picked up though.  I'd suggest using a special toy
that your dog really likes only for these fetch play sessions.  It will keep
up his interest and enthusiasm for the game.

If the problem is him relinquishing the toy when he returns, then the treat
method might work.  It didn't with my current dog though.  Food is way more
exciting than toys.  As soon as he discovered that there was food involved,
he lost all interest in toys.  That could be a training failing of mine.  I
don't know.  You could try food rewards and see what happens.

I have used the two toy method to minimize the frustrating game of keep
away.  It is based on the principal that the grass is always greener on the
other side of the fence, or in this case, the toy I have has to be cooler
than what he has.  So I'd toss one toy.  He'd get it and bring it back,
dancing around in a victory lap.  I'd show him the second toy.  He'd drop
the first toy at my feet in anticipation of the much cooler second toy.  I'd
toss toy #2 and pick up toy #1 while he was off getting toy #2.  Rinse and
repeat.

If the point is for some exercise and fun, I honestly wouldn't be too
concerned with a perfect retrieve.  Just have fun with it.You could even
hide toys out of sight and then send him to find them.  Make it really easy
at first, working up to more difficult hiding places.  Use treat dispensing
toys for extra incentive if you like.  Monty loves this game, but he's not
super good at it and he only plays it when I use one of his favorite toys.

Have fun!
Julie

-----Original Message-----
From: minh ha
Sent: Wednesday, July 31, 2013 3:30 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fetch training

Hi Andrew,

I don't know if the method I'm about to suggest would work as I don't allow
my dog to play fetch, but this has work for me in terms of calling my dog
back to me with her tug once she's wrestled it away from me (she's strong).
You need some form of food reward in order for this to work, either kibble
or a treat that your dog likes. After you have thrown the toy, call your dog
back to you and when he does, give him a reward and praise him. It's
basically just another training session in which you're conditioning him to
the fact that " I come back with the toy, I get yummy delicious food, yay!"
I hope this helps; like I said, I'm not sure of its effectiveness, but it
worked for me with having Viva come back to me.

Best,
Minh

On 7/31/13, Andrew Webb <awebb2168 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
>
>
> I hope people will forgive me if this question is outside the normal 
> scope of discussion for this list.  But here goes anyway.  Like any 
> dog, my guide dog needs and benefits from play time, and in that 
> spirit I'd like to work with him to play fetch, at least a lot better 
> than he presently does.  As I think is pretty standard for dogs, he's 
> always quite excited to go run down an object or toy that I throw for 
> him, but getting him to actually return the item to me and relinquish 
> is another matter; that doesn't come naturally (even though he's a 
> retriever).
>
>
>
> I've read and researched enough to understand what are the usual steps 
> in training a dog to play fetch properly, but I can't get past the 
> fact that the process seems to rely pretty heavily on vision.  Most 
> critically, I find it rather hard to know whether my dog has actually 
> gone to run down the object that I've thrown, and certainly it's hard 
> for me to know the moment at which he has picked it up in his mouth.
>
>
>
> Anyway, I'll bet there are some folks on this list who have found ways 
> of teaching dogs to play fetch  without the benefit of vision (on the 
> human end).  If anyone could give me any pointers, I'd be very grateful.
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Andrew
>
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--
"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty
recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity:
but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their
dreams with open eyes, to make them possible." T. E. Lawrence

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