# How do you train a dog to fetch that is not interested in toys?



## becksterorange (Nov 13, 2010)

My puppy is 4 months old. He is a lab/border collie mix. I want to teach him to fetch because all the labs I have met seem to love it. But, my problem is, he is not interested in any of the toys I bought him. I have been playing with him with the toys and when I say "get it" he'll halfheartedly bite the toy let go then wiggle around, roll onto his back and want a belly rub. So I rub his belly. Other than that he just ignores his toys. If I bounce a tennis ball, he looks at it like he is bored. He does pick up sticks sometimes just to chew on them. If I try to play with him with the stick he chose, he looses interest and goes to do something else. I really want him to fetch. It would be so much fun. Does anyone have any suggestions?


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## luv2byte (Oct 21, 2009)

You either have the odd lab/BC that doesn't do fetch or you haven't found THE toy. Try balls of different sizes as well as frisbees. Maybe he likes the balls that make noise or light up, maybe he likes a certain color, maybe a certain type of frisbee. You will find it I am sure.


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## Marsh Muppet (Nov 29, 2008)

All dogs aren't equally retrieve-crazed at 4 months old. That the pup seems disinterested now may not have any predictive value wrt to his ultimate retriever-ness. It's common enough for well bred hunting Labs to not develop interest until a bit later (thereby creating minor panic in their owners). At 4 months old, the pup may be beginning teething (seems a little early but not unheard of) and that will definitely put a damper on mouth intensive games. Too much fetching during teething can create an aversion to it and/or teach bad mouth habits--like ball crushing.


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## Loki Love (May 23, 2010)

Your dog may not enjoy playing fetch - not all dogs do


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## becksterorange (Nov 13, 2010)

I do think he is teething because I have noticed a few missing teeth and he loves to chew in the chewing bones I bought. I guess I'll hold off on the fetch thing until he gets older. But I do hope he grows to like it. It is one of the things I would love to do with him. That is one of the reasons why I chose him. Also, because he had border collie in him. He is the perfect dog for me non-the-less.


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## petpeeve (Jun 10, 2010)

Completely restrict the dog's access to toys on his own accord. No toys get played with unless YOU are interacting also. Ideally, it should always be a three-way street so-to-speak, between the dog the human and the toy.

Balls don't "do" much. They're boring. Instead of a ball, have you tried a furry coontail-type toy ? If neccessary play with the toy all by yourself at first ... squeak it, wiggle it around etc like a wounded animal, to get things started and to elicit a prey response in your dog.

Effectively motivating your dog, and teaching a fun retrieve is a fine art.
It takes some people and some dogs a little time to get into the swing of things.


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## TxRider (Apr 22, 2009)

Back chain it with a clicker and treats..

http://www.fun4fido.co.uk/blog/behaviour-chains-guidelines-for-success.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oFO9Z0oHBA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iahx2OGIdbU


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## FilleBelle (Aug 1, 2007)

If you're me, you don't. There are certain things my dog needs to do: stay off my furniture and guests, stop barking when I say so, immediately perform any commands I've proofed with him, etc, etc. Beyond that, everything else is optional. I would prefer to find a game my dog DOES like to play than train him to play one he doesn't like simply for my amusement.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

I don't understand the balls are boring statement as there are dogs all over the country trained with the tennis ball being the biggest/bestest (I know bestest is not proper) reward toy, object ever. The nice thing about a ball is just bouncing it while walking dog can sometimes kick a little prey instinct into dog because you are catching the bounced ball and sometimes dogs/people like to have what they can't have.


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## FilleBelle (Aug 1, 2007)

I don't understand it when people say Shakespeare is boring, either, but people (and dogs) have different tastes.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

FilleBelle said:


> I don't understand it when people say Shakespeare is boring, either, but people (and dogs) have different tastes.


I agree but that's why in my statement I said there were dogs all over the country, but did not say that all dogs, all over the country were trained with tennis balls.

The correction/opinion was on the


> Balls don't "do" much.


 if a newbie reads that they may think that "balls bad" and then not use a tool that is successful in many training programs. 

I would prefer to keep as many options possible open for new owners/trainers to try. I personally don't care if trainers use a toy, a monkey wrench, or a tennis ball. If you keep an open mind in training a dog many things are possible.


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

wvasko said:


> I agree but that's why in my statement I said there were dogs all over the country, but did not say that all dogs, all over the country were trained with tennis balls.
> 
> The correction/opinion was on the if a newbie reads that they may think that "balls bad" and then not use a tool that is successful in many training programs.
> 
> I would prefer to keep as many options possible open for new owners/trainers to try. I personally don't care if trainers use a toy, a monkey wrench, or a tennis ball. If you keep an open mind in training a dog many things are possible.


Yeah Mia completely disagrees that tennis balls are boring. 

Have you tried different types of balls? One of mine doesn't retrieve at all though we're working on clicker training her to. But the other only likes to go after a certain kind of tennis ball with much vigor (it must squeak, she'll drop it if she picks it up and it doesn't squeak). She likes the kong squeaker tennis balls.


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## ben46valdez (Nov 18, 2010)

Every dog is different some like toys and some not , but i am agree with laurelin tennis balls is great , check a lot of info in this video about how to train your dog to fetch http://www.traingermanshepherd.net/train-german-shepherd/get-a-drift-to-train-german-shepherd


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## Horseshoe (Nov 10, 2010)

We've bred border collies (trial lines) for over 20 years and not one has ever been interested in any ball or toy...tennis balls all got defused but nothing else. Some working lines don't play much. The pup we just got is toy crazy..especially toys that squeak so this is all new to me. Each dog is different so you might have one that would rather have a job than play with toys. Maybe do agility or rescue.


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## petpeeve (Jun 10, 2010)

becksterorange said:


> If I bounce a tennis ball, he looks at it like he is bored.


I guess I should have qualified my statement by saying "some" dogs actually do find balls to be boring, and it seems as though this dog is one of those dogs.

Hence, my suggestion to try something a little more realistic and prey-like to help overcome that "boredom".



... and for the record, by coontail I meant one of those tails with a ball attached to the end ..


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## l2andom (Aug 30, 2010)

Sounds like he just doesnt have the "drive" or interest in that field. My first GSD loved it and was psychotic when it came to fetching balls or whatever I threw, my parents current one does not like to do anything other than roam around the house or run around the field and smell things.


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