Introduction: Teach Your Dog to Play Fetch
In five easy steps. Supplies: Tennis ball (hollow and bright) Small dog treats (with a strong scent) A long lead (a leash with lots of extra slack) You Your dog
Step 1: Cut a One Inch Slit in a Hollow Tennis Ball
The brighter the ball the better. Use a box cutter to make the narrow slice.
Step 2: Drop Treats Inside the Ball
Use tasty treats with a strong scent (bacon bits and milk bones work well) to drop into the ball, making sure there is enough room for the treats to shake about inside the ball. Your dog can watch you do this.
Step 3: With Your Dog on a Long Lead Toss the Ball in Front of You
Your dog might just sit there and stare at it, if he does encourage him by chasing after the ball yourself and leading him along with you. If he does chase the ball, pull him back on the lead, grab the ball from his mouth, squeeze to release the treat and give it your dog along with lots of praise.
Step 4: Repeat Step 3 & Add a Verbal Cue
Like "Fetch" or "Get it" as you grow more confident in your dogs recall, lose the lead and try off leash. Eventually your dog won't need the treat incentive and will retrieve for the fun of it.
Step 5: Go to the Park and Play Ball
Have fun
7 Comments
7 years ago
whew , now i get it . thanks a lot . its the theory of conditioning , ivan pablov all the time
8 years ago
Great Instructable! Teaching a dog fetch is very hard, but this Instructable made it easy! Well done!
10 years ago on Step 5
This was kind of confusing.
10 years ago on Introduction
How clever and simple! We are having a lot of trouble getting our dogs to fetch. I begin trying this approach today.
10 years ago
All original now.
10 years ago
Is that a rule? I wasn't aware we weren't allowed to use stock photos. To be honest, it's more about teaching through the steps-- the photos are just a visual aide. Thanks!
10 years ago on Introduction
Doing a simple reverse image search, it indicates that all of these images are nabbed from other websites -one of them even from another person's instructable!
Please use your own pictures.