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Does your dog "fetch"? Whether or not your dog fetches tells you something about your dog and his personality. If your dog does fetch, the way he fetches can tell you things like how focused he is, how reactive he is, or even how bossy he is.

If your dog brings his toy to you and pushes the toy at you, your dog is giving you a command. "Play with me!". You may want to re-evaluate your relationship with your dog if you obey his commands more frequently than he obeys yours! Bossy dogs may also be reluctant to give the ball back once they have it. Dogs that play fetch in these ways should be "re-ranked" and be taught how to play fetch properly as a way to help correct their relationship with their owners. To re-rank the dog, start by not giving him anything he wants for free. This means the dog should be required to do some simple obedience command like "sit" before getting anything he wants like a pet, a door opened, a ball thrown etc. Dogs that play "fetch" in one of these "bossy" ways are more inclined to have other behavior problems like not coming when called, possessiveness over territory, objects or food and may even have aggression problems.

If your dog fetches with little enthusiasm and looses interest quickly or drops the ball half way back to you, your dog needs help with drive and focus. Some dogs that lack drive and focus on activities with you, have found other ways to satiate their needs. Many of these dogs have won "doggie lotto". They usually get everything they want for free. They have all the petting, playing, treats and toys they want and see no need to work for it. These dogs usually benefit from having a bit more confinement each day along with the re-ranking discussed earlier. This dog needs to earn what he wants. If the owner confines the dog in a crate they have de-sensitized the dog to before playing fetch, the dog will have more interest in playing after coming out of the boring crate. Also, the number of times and distance you throw the ball should be greatly reduced. The ball should only be thrown 1 or 2 times in a row. The dog should receive a fabulous treat like a piece of steak for each fetch. Fetch should be the highpoint of his day. The game should stop and the dog should go back in the crate for a while. Dogs that play "fetch" in this manner usually are not very obedient in general because they don't see the point in working.

If your dog won't "fetch", it is probably because he is not very reactive to movement. Some dogs simply can't contain themselves when a ball flies past them. They must reflexively react to the movement of the ball by chasing and grabbing it. Dogs that are not very keen on fetching may be good around small children because they probably won't react to the children's quick movements either. Even these dogs that just sit there and look at the ball can be taught to "fetch".

To teach a dog to "fetch", begin by giving the dog a food treat for just looking at the ball or touching the ball with his nose. Stand in front of the dog and present the ball in front of him. Be sure to start out with the ball behind you so it will be obvious to him when you "present" it. The instant your dog shows interest, say "good" and give him a treat from your other hand. Be sure to keep your treat-holding hand behind you so the dog will look at the ball when you present it with your other hand. Only repeat this exercise 2-3 times and then stop. Remember, you want to increase the dogs interest in the ball so you reduce the number of repetitions and increase the value of the food treats so this little game is the highpoint of his day. In a few days you should notice a change in your dogs attitude towards the ball. His eyes should light up when he sees the ball. The ball should start to signal "good things!". Gradually demand that the dog interact more strongly with the ball in order to get the food treat. Once you increase your requirement, don't go back. For example: If your dog has been doing well touching the ball with his nose, increase your requirement. The next time you present the ball, shake it a bit to try to stimulate the dog to grab the ball in his mouth. When he does, say "good" like you always do and give him extra food treats. From now on, only give food treats if he grabs the ball. If he just touches it, don't give him a food treat. Continue increasing your dogs interest this way until you can place the ball further from his head and he will reach out to grab it. Gradually get to where you can place the ball on the ground and he will pick it up. At this point back away from him to encourage him to turn towards you. Tell him to "drop it" and exchange for a food treat. Slowly increase the distance you toss the ball.

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