Shelties don't fetch?

Some dogs just are not ball motivated. Sadie, my oldest sheltie, will fetch a ball or anything you throw until she's so exhausted she can barely stand.

Ginny gets bored retrieving at about the 3rd throw, or if something else distracts her first.

Toby will retrieve, but seems to get bored quickly too. I'd like to improve his ball drive, but we've been working on more important behaviors right now. :rolleyes2:
 
k9kreationz said:
Do you know anyone with a dog that plays fetch? Personally, that was the fastest, easiest way to teach IMHO.

My XH taught Miko to fetch. We used Miko to show Koji how to fetch. He picked it up within a few minutes and knew to return the ball to us. If you do have someone, let me know and I can write what we did. If you have no one, you've gotten a lot of good advice on how to get your dog to fetch.
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I've love advice on both fronts! We do know someone whose dogs will play fetch, but our schedules don't click enough and we see them maybe once every few months. I would love to hear about what I can do with Pebbles when her "fetching" friends are busy :)
 
Cranboy when smaller would chase anything/everything but not bring anything back. now- most of the time he'll bring the toy back so you can throw it again. Even when Dixie steals it, he'll get it back from her and bring it to me to throw again :winkgrin: must be the growing up thing :yes:
 
pgwiz1 said:
I've love advice on both fronts! We do know someone whose dogs will play fetch, but our schedules don't click enough and we see them maybe once every few months. I would love to hear about what I can do with Pebbles when her "fetching" friends are busy :)
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Shelties are just too smart. :) I'll tell you what we did with Koji (the younger of the two), in case you see your fetching friends soon. You got a lot of other great advice for when you dont' see them.

Hopefully her friends aren't huge dogs. ;)

I held Koji with one arm, while throwing a ball to Miko. I'd give Koji the ball, tug on it, pull it away from him, show Miko, get him to tug a bit, then throw it. I was trying to build some drive with Koji, and he wanted to run after it badly, but I held onto him so he could "observe". Miko would bring it back, I'd tug, praise, and throw it again. After doing this about 6 times, Koji was going crazy so I finally held onto Miko and let Koji go run after the ball. He brought it straight back to me, where I immediately tugged on it with him and praised him. Then held him and threw it for Miko again.

I repeated this about 3 times before I just let Koji go fetch the ball and he's never NOT brought it back since.

I've taught other Shelties this too, by restraining the dog learning, but building drive by playing with it too. I dunno. They seem to get it faster that way IMHO.
(even my breeder wondered how I got them to fetch. But since XH taught Miko and I didn't watch, I have no idea how to start a complete newbie. I only know how to teach by watching)
Oh yeah, I think Koji was only 8 weeks when we started teaching him...he also learned to go on the grass and walk on a leash by watching Miko. So, I'm a firm believer in Monkey See, Monkey Do.

Good luck.
 
k9kreationz said:
Shelties are just too smart. :) I'll tell you what we did with Koji (the younger of the two), in case you see your fetching friends soon. You got a lot of other great advice for when you dont' see them.

Oh yeah, I think Koji was only 8 weeks when we started teaching him...he also learned to go on the grass and walk on a leash by watching Miko. So, I'm a firm believer in Monkey See, Monkey Do.

Good luck.
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just be careful what the monkey sees :winkgrin::yes:
 
Trax loves to fetch! Maverick has learned from Trax but would rather chase Trax than a ball :winkgrin: Smokey never understood the concept of balls or any toy really. He'd run after it cuz it moved, sniff it then come back looking confused :lol:
 
take4roll10 said:
You want to teach your dog to fetch?!?! I'd like to teach Bailey not to fetch. :lol: I've lost count of how many times a day she brings me her ball. She can play fetch for hours and she always brings the ball back. Two weekends ago, I took her to the park and my arm was actually sore the next day.

I don't recall teaching her to fetch. She always just brought the ball back to me. I did have to teach her to drop the ball where I can easily reach it. At first she would drop it 2 feet away. Sometimes, she still drops it a little too far from me. I just extend my arm and say "can't reach". Then she'll pick it up and drop it closer to me. I never get the toy for her. I think that's the key. If your dog doesn't bring it back then play time ends. When she does bring it back, make a huge deal about it! I think it also helps to teach her what the ball is. Then you can say "get the ball."
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you just described Bella to a tee.. even the "i can't reach it' part LOL sometimes i swear i think i can hear her "huff" if it rolls away from me or she tries to put it in my hand and its fail on the hand off..
 
Belladora said:
you just described Bella to a tee.. even the "i can't reach it' part LOL sometimes i swear i think i can hear her "huff" if it rolls away from me or she tries to put it in my hand and its fail on the hand off..
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That describes Sadie perfectly also. I didn't really teach her how to fetch, just to put the ball where I wanted it. She's excellent about bringing the ball right to you and placing it in your hand or at your feet, but she gets annoyed when it rolls away or bounces out of your hand, then she makes the funniest noises. :lol:

Some times if she feels I'm being to demanding about placement she'll throw the ball at my leg. :lol:
 
I taught Revel the 'formal retrieve' as I wanted to compete with him, by first placing the toy in his mouth and getting him to hold it steady, then putting it on the floor and getting him to pick it up and bring it on lead before ever throwing it. It does mean he has a pretty reliable on whatever I send him to. I will also hasten to add we did play fetching as well.

Yogi has a seriously high prey drive and is super motivated to chase after something but because I have never trained him on the retrieve, he is not nearly so good at bringing it back - to hand. Often it is dropped on the floor some distance away. I have never suceeded in getting him to hold something in his mouth while stationary. He cannot see the point if he is not moving:no:

Merlin, well he sort of did a fetch when a puppy and loved to carry something round in his mouth, but my auntie could never get him to do a 'retrieve'. I though I would have more sucess :rolleyes2: but I tried everything and no, he just didn't want to know. He is not a very toy motivated dog at all and that really does make life difficult. Having read the other posts here I wonder if there are some shelties who think it is just beneath them to go round picking up what humans throw away:lol:

When I get the new pup I am going to hopefully teach it by shaping the behaviour using a clicker. I found this to be a very good motivatior when teaching Yogi the down which he was very reluctant to do. I didn't ever try Merlin with the clicker so it might have worked? Could be worth a go, especially with a dog that is food rather than toy/chase motivated.

I will be interested to hear if you do find a method that works. Fetch is so much fun and on wet days my boys have their excersise playing it and they love it! Good luck
 
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