Teaching A Dog To Retrieve Items

[Quickasyoucan]

Can someone point me in the right direction as to how to teach a dog to fetch items other than the ball.

My dog is ball obssessed, and will retrieve any ball big or small perfectly. However he has no interest in frisbees or anything else that is thrown.

In any case what I am actually interested in is teaching him to fetch items for me that are not thrown, such as his lead, my shoes, etc on command, I am just not sure how to go about it. He won't pick anything else up, so I don't see how I get him to fetch them.

Actually, thinking about it, he will play tug with a rope toy too but since I don't want him to fetch and damage items I presume that is not the way to go to make things interesting?

I know this is a very basic question training but any links/thoughts would be much appreciated, we are trying to learn new things :p

I would also like to teach him basic scenting. He will seek out the ball blind if I hide it using his nose, but nothing else, again no interest in other items.

[Steve K9Pro]

K9: Show the dog the ball, through steps you teach the dog to fetch the "insert your desired item here" & you will give the ball..

[Quickasyoucan]

K9: Show the dog the ball, through steps you teach the dog to fetch the "insert your desired item here" & you will give the ball..

Yep except I didn't really teach him to fetch the ball in the first place, he already did it when I got him, and he hasn't got any interest in any other item. Obviously the ball is a prey item to him, but I can't get him to make the connection about picking up another item, that's where my difficulty lies.

Edited January 9, 2009 by Quickasyoucan

[Steve K9Pro]

K9: Its only difficult if he had no interest in the ball.

teach him to hold a piece of wood, do this with food say, its a calm step.

Then when he will hold it, teach him to stay.

Walk backwards then call him to you, take the item & give piece of food.

When he is doing it well, swap the food for the ball & he will do it in drive...

[shoemonster]

Yep when I taught Molls the retrieve I thought it would be easy as she will fetch a ball, but I went back to teaching her purely to touch the item, then hold the item, then heel with it in her mouth etc. Then when I introduced gloves I thought easy she knows the retrieve

Errr wrong, had to go back and teach her to hold the glove first, but we got there

I used food as the reward

[Quickasyoucan]

Thanks guys will give it a go

[whatevah]

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