How to Teach Your Dog to Fetch

Wondering how to teach your dog to fetch? Dogs aren’t born knowing how to play this game. We turned to a pro for some advice on how to teach your dog to fetch the right way!

A dog catching a toy ball in his mouth.
A dog catching a toy ball in his mouth. Photography ©Lunja | Getty Images.
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True or false? All dogs LOVE to fetch! I can assure you this is false. While many dogs do love a game of fetch (and others are obsessive fetchers), many other dogs either couldn’t care less about fetching or just don’t get the game. My two Border Collies have zero interest in fetching or tugging on toys. It wasn’t important to me that they fetch, as they are monster herders and excellent, invaluable farmhands, so I wasn’t worried about their lack of desire to fetch. But what if you’re wondering how to teach your dog to fetch?

First off, beware the Google! I Googled “how to teach your dog to fetch” and got 7,300,000 responses! Yikes!

How to teach your dog to fetch — tips from the pros

Fetching is a wonderful shared game between two species — both great exercise for your dog and a great bonding experience, too.
Fetching is a wonderful shared game between two species — both great exercise for your dog and a great bonding experience, too. Photography ©FlairImages | Getty Images.

While my dog snobs sneer at the idea of fetching, I have taught countless client dogs to love it. One reason there are millions of suggested ways for how to teach your dog to fetch on the internet is because there are many ways to teach a solid fetch. I’ll share some of my preferred, effective methods for how to teach your dog to fetch below.

1. Remember that fetch should be fun for your dog.

This is the most important rule when it comes to how to teach your dog to fetch! It makes no sense to teach a fun game in a not fun or a painful manner. Dropping the retrieved object was once trained via pain, but thankfully we are (hopefully) long past those days.

2. Start training with the end in mind.

At first glance, it would seem that the final thing a dog does before you begin the game again is to hand you the ball, Frisbee, toy or whatever object you threw for her to retrieve. There is actually a step that must happen even further back: A dog needs to love to play with objects and put them in her mouth to begin with. I love to start with puppies when I have that option — you can train older dogs as well, but puppy brains are formative and open to shaping new experiences.

I begin teaching toy love by putting a wide variety of toys out of the dog’s reach in an enclosed space to limit distractions. Some toys squeak, some have feathers, some are tied to a string, some bounce, some roll, etc. I train in very short bursts as I work to find which toy is the dog’s favorite. I’ll start, say, with a dog ball and bounce it on the ground while talking excitedly to the dog. If the dog engages or seems interested, I mark that interest with “Yes” and toss the item to the dog. For the moment, I am not concerned that I get that toy back — that comes later.

The dog may very well sniff it and walk away. No problem. I go on to the next toy. If the dog shows zero interest after I try out several of the toys, I stop the session and try again later in the day. For those dogs who may be scared of toys or who just couldn’t care less, I have smeared cream cheese or peanut butter on the underside of the toy to begin getting interest. Once I have a dog interested in toys, I move on to the next step.

3. Teach the dog how to release the toy.

Now that the dog has laser beam focus and interest in toys, the next step in how to teach your dog to fetch is to teach her how to release that toy, preferably into our hand. One simple way to teach this is to hold out your hand under the dog’s chin as she has the toy in her grip.

Hold a smelly meat treat near your dog’s nose. Mark it with an enthusiastic “Yes” when she drops the toy to get the treat — then, of course, give her the treat. Pick up the toy and repeat, repeat, repeat. Once your dog is dropping the ball regularly, add a cue such as “Drop” or “Give.”

It does no one any good to stand above a dog and repeat a cue that is new to her. You are literally speaking a foreign language to her.

4. Get your dog to chase a toy.

After building interest in toys and teaching your dog to give you back a toy, next work on getting your dog to chase a thrown object. You can simply toss a ball a few feet from you and encourage your dog to get it. If she does, praise and take a few energized steps backward, away from your dog so she is coming toward you with the toy in her mouth. Make it super fun! Gradually extend the distance you toss the ball as well as the distance you step back away from your dog as she’s running back to you. You could also work with a second person and toss the ball back and forth and get your dog excited about chasing the moving object. Reward her with that toy now and again so she doesn’t get frustrated.

More quick tips for how to teach your dog to fetch successfully:

  1. Work first in a small, enclosed space to limit your dog’s distractions.
  2. Work indoors in a familiar setting, so tempting new smells don’t pull your dog’s focus elsewhere.
  3. Have fun teaching interest in toys, then fetch.
  4. Work in very short sessions, so your dog wants to play the game again and again.
  5. If you’re getting nowhere with fetch, go back to the point where your dog understood and was engaged, and start again from there.

The bottom line on how to teach your dog to fetch

A dog surrounded by dog toys.
A dog surrounded by dog toys. Photography ©damedeeso | Getty Images.

Fetching is a wonderful, shared game between two species, assuming that both dog and human have an interest and find big joy in this particular game. Just remember that dogs and puppies don’t arrive on the planet understanding this game — you have to know how to teach your dog to fetch.

Thumbnail: Photography ©Lunja | Getty Images.

About the author

Annie Phenix, CPDT-KA, is a professional dog trainer based in Utah. She is a force-free trainer specializing in working with troubled dogs. She is the author of The Midnight Dog Walkers: Positive Training and Practical Advice for Living With a Reactive or Aggressive Dog. For more information, visit phenixdogs.com.

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in Dogster magazine. Have you seen the new Dogster print magazine in stores? Or in the waiting room of your vet’s office? Subscribe now to get Dogster magazine delivered straight to you!

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6 thoughts on “How to Teach Your Dog to Fetch”

  1. The way I teach fetch is to get your dog excited about an object. It could be a bone, a ball, a stick, a frisbee, anything that interests him. Wave it around and use a high, excited voice. Wait for him to appear excited (jumping, following its movements, barking) and then give it a toss. After he has it in his mouth, say “come,” and have a treat hidden in your hand. When he gets to you, say “drop it,” and give him the treat.
    https://esacare.com/top-three-dog-training-myths-explained-by-14-renowned-experts/
    The real trick with teaching fetch is getting your dog excited and interested in the object and having a decent recall (come).

  2. Pingback: How to Teach Your Dog to Fetch – The Dog Delight

  3. Hi my name isGrace Kiley I try and try to get my Dog to play with me her name is Ginger and she is a miniature Goldendoodle but every time I get her a new toy she has no interest to play with me or her new toy

  4. Pingback: How to Teach a Dog to Fetch | Pet Side

  5. I love all the helpful tips from Dogster. You help me keep my pup loving life. My wonderful “Susie” who is mix of min pin/Chihuahua taught me to play fetch. After giving her the first toy, she wanted to play fetch. She brings me the toy (any toy will do) & waits for me to throw it. She chases after it, shakes it side to side a bit, & then comes back to me, puts it in my hand for me to throw it again. We play tug in between and she will play as long as I will! She has me trained well!

  6. We have a 1 year old Westie that lives to play ball. We started her when she was a pup, but really were not intentially trying to train her in ball play, it just seemed to click with her. We taught her to fetch, then to “drop it”. Now she runs and jumps in the air to catch her ball with near perfect accuracy each time, then will bring it back and drop it at your feet or set it in your hand for another throw. She would play all day long if you allow her. She even goes and climbs up on the back of the couch or chair to catch it, then wants you to toss it to her very close and will work her way back each time as if she were testing out how far away she can catch the ball. She loves to run to the other side of the pool to catch a high/long toss. Her two loves is swimming and ball play.

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