Teaching a puppy to retrieve?

[Toller_08]

Does anyone here know how to teach a puppy to retrieve and have them actually enjoy it? Out of four dogs in my house, only one retrieves (Dance). I've never been able to teach a dog how, and I'd really like for Ripley to learn. The only dogs I've ever had that would retrieve stuff were Tango and now Dance, and only because they naturally did it. It would be nice if Keira could learn as well, but I'd like to start with Ripley. He's only 10 weeks old right now though -- is that too young? He doesn't have much ball interest at the moment, but he likes most other toys. I'm sure his ball drive can be worked on, but right now he just doesn't seem to know what to do with one. Any help would be great!

In the past with Keira I tried a long line to make sure she had no choice but to come back to me with it, and then if she did bring it back I'd give her a treat. But most of the time she'd drop it halfway back and never did learn to bring it all the way. Now she chases the ball, sniffs it, and then leaves it there. Sometimes she'll pick it up and then she runs around with it for a few seconds, but won't bring it back. So obviously I did something wrong, haha. I don't want to make the same mistake with Ripley.

[lizzybeth727]

Are you talking about a play retrieve (toys, frisbees, etc.) or a more formal retrieve (like for obedience work)?

I taught my dog play retrieve by first teaching her how to play tug. Once she realized that tug was a fun thing to do, I'd start tossing the toy a foot or two away from me, and not tugging with it until she picked it up and came toward me. Then gradually I'd throw it farther and farther away, so that she'd go get it and bring it back so that we could tug. The tug was her reward for bringing me the toy.

I also taught her a more formal retrieve, for picking up objects off the floor. I basically just shaped it - look at the object, touch the object, mouthe the object, pick up the object, etc. - although "Shirley Chong's Retrieve" is also very useful (I use a variation of that at work, though with those dogs I want the hold and delivery to be much more precise than is necessary with my own dog). The "formal" retrieve is also very useful for teaching her to retrieve toys that we can't play tug with, such as tennis balls.

[Toller_08]

Thank you! For now I'm just looking for play but eventually a formal retrieve would be useful too.

[lizzybeth727]

IMO, 10 weeks is the perfect time to start play retrieve.

[MericoX]

I have been working that with the poodles. Lincoln is a natural.. Tsuki is learning it's fun. I hope to try someday for a working title on Lincoln, it's been raining the entire month of June it seems... he's never been introduced to water and I want to get him in before he's older. LOL

[AgilityKrazii]

10wks is NOT to young thats really perfect, I started my lab at 8wks I think, I took his fave toy and would throw it just right in front of me, tell him good boy once he got it and then buy that time he was in my lap and I gave him lots of verbal praise and treats and petting and I never touched the toy I didnt want him to learn that bringing it to me meant he would loose it after he got a big reward then I had him drop it, for another treat and repeat, after he was a pro at that I would add more distance. It didnt take him long at all I always kept sessons short, fun, very rewarding and always stopped when he still wanted more!
Now he is a fetching freak, his fave game ever, thats how we play, we go out and play fetch together, he was my first dog I trained with that method and boy did it work, I used to have Golden who wouldnt fetch if he life depeneded on it but I didnt use the above method.

[DanL]

Gunnar started as soon as we got him home.

I'd slide the frisbee upside down across the rug and he'd scamper after it and bring it back. I guess we were lucky (if you can call it that!) to have a dog who was a natural and enjoyed it. Now, he's a machine with it. The first thing he does when we go outside is find a toy so you can throw it for him. If he can't find one, he'll search all over the yard, and even bark to go in the house and get a toy if there isn't one outside.

This is barely 8 weeks old: