Sheltie playing fetch?

[Caro]

It sometimes helps for them to see how other dogs fetch and retrieve at the park. They pick up a lot of things at the park I noticed, humping, kicking dirt after they go, and did I mention humping?

Rinse and repeat.

I agree, sometimes it helps for them to watch another dog fetch a ball.

I also agree with making the ball fun by waving it around and getting the herding instinct to kick in. I taught Tully fetch with a Kong Air Donut (it's a ring made out of tennis ball material) - I teased her with it, held onto it and moved it around the ground, and when she got really excited rolled it along the ground. Nowadays Tully is a fetching machine.

 

[Chris]

Bitsy Boodle: Born to fetch the ball. Constantly. All the bleeping time.

Beckon: Learned from Bitsy; sporadic interest, probably because sometimes Bitsy rips his face off.

Layla: Chases ball just to aggravate Bitsy. Spits it out about halfway back.

Annie Laurie: Puh-leeze.

 

[Cyllian]

None of the dogs i have had needed to really be taught they all seem to enjoy having the ball tossed for them. Including the newest one and he is only two months old. I think he liked the fact it seemed to move on its own.

Also for whatever strange reason they have all liked plastic bottles like from soda or water. Because they will roll on their own and make nice crunchy noises. Lots of scrambling chasing and well I guess they think of it as fun. Have to watch close with those though since they tend to get to chewing whatever wrapper off or want to make it little pieces but for a half hour or so usually they are good.

Back to the other though think more the herding or prey sort of instinct kicking in is what makes the game fun just have to present it in a way that makes it interesting.

 

[mellie]

Bitsy Boodle: Born to fetch the ball. Constantly. All the bleeping time.

Beckon: Learned from Bitsy; sporadic interest, probably because sometimes Bitsy rips his face off.

Layla: Chases ball just to aggravate Bitsy. Spits it out about halfway back.

Annie Laurie: Puh-leeze.

Sally loves her Hollee Roller ball. Tug and fetch are favorite things to do (after eating) I think maybe if you just toss the ball to her from a short distance and get her to catch it might help her too, as well as rolling the ball. Sally really likes to herd a kickball or child's inflated ball. I believe that not all dogs are into fetch though.

 

[Toffee's Mom]

Spruce, aka Leo also didn't really fetch, he preferred to herd the other dog doing the fetching...
but slowly I taught him tug and retrieve and he's getting there. Playing Frisbee now, but he doesn't go very far, same with the ball, can't throw it too far... (yet)
Good thing Toffee will find that ball or Frisbee if I tell him to go get it and find it, he can search the whole football field for 20 minutes and WILL find it
He can't run as fast as Spruce but he certainly makes it up with work ethic that doesn't give up

 

[Justicemom]

Spruce, aka Leo also didn't really fetch, he preferred to herd the other dog doing the fetching...
but slowly I taught him tug and retrieve and he's getting there. Playing Frisbee now, but he doesn't go very far, same with the ball, can't throw it too far... (yet)
Good thing Toffee will find that ball or Frisbee if I tell him to go get it and find it, he can search the whole football field for 20 minutes and WILL find it
He can't run as fast as Spruce but he certainly makes it up with work ethic that doesn't give up

You know why he didn't play fetch, Irene. Because his dad is obsessed with the ball and Spruce could never get the ball. Grizz would have run him over. If Diva was there forget it. So chase and run back was all he learned.

While having other dog to teach playing fetch is sometimes a good idea, if the other dog is crazy it is easier to teach one on one sometimes.

All my dogs except for Ember were natural retrievers from the time their were 8 wkks old. But even then i started out with short throws and rolling it on the ground. Ember retrieves for obedience but she does not enjoy playing fetch.

 

[dblock]

Well hey Mom hate to break it to you, but, your babe is not a retriever

Seriously though, Beau is the same way, everytime, I throw a ball he chase it, pick it up in his mouth place the ball back down and look at me with an expression that says,' Mamma if you threw the dang ball get it yourself!' looks

 

[Toffee's Mom]

You know why he didn't play fetch, Irene. Because his dad is obsessed with the ball and Spruce could never get the ball. Grizz would have run him over. If Diva was there forget it. So chase and run back was all he learned.

While having other dog to teach playing fetch is sometimes a good idea, if the other dog is crazy it is easier to teach one on one sometimes.

...

Well I tell ya the tables have turned! lollll
Spruce has taken over the crazy role, lol. Poor Toffee lets him just go and get it and when Spruce gets confused as in huh? why am I not chasing anybody right now, the ball went too far, hey, what was I doing?...
Toffee very casually finds and steals the ball/disc and brings it back

But one on one is great to teach and yes they most certainly both enjoy it, just that sometimes I take them out one at a time, to ensure they each get their time Funny thing Spruce misses Toffee, but T couldn't care less, he's just happy he can be ball obsessed by himself lol