G'day,
I recently adopted an 8 month old Kelpie named Willow. I have been training Willow every day and she is quite responsive. She is sitting, staying, laying on command and she is getting better at coming when called.
The issue we are having is playing fetch. She isn't interested in the ball itself, just the 'game' - the act of me throwing the ball. It is kind of a paradox - what she wants more than anything in the world is for me to throw the ball, however, once she gets to the ball she picks it up and drops it straight away, or runs with it in her mouth around me to a position about 10 metres away, drops it and gives me a look that says 'I'm ready, throw the ball again'. She is not interested in the ball at all. In fact I cannot get her to even look at the ball. I have tried throwing it up in the air or moving it around in front of her face but she only looks at me. Because she has no interest in the ball until it has left my hand, it is very hard to use it as a tool to make her come.
I'm sure that if I can harness her desire for me to throw the ball it could be a really effective training tool, I'm just not sure how. I have stopped throwing the ball for her for the time being as I am worried that continuing to play in this way will further enforce that if she stays 10 metres away from me I will throw the ball for her.
Any ideas would be very helpful!
Thanks.
P.s. This is Willow and My fiance Hannah