Teaching Dog To Love Fetch

[deltoid]

I've got a 7mth old Silky Terrier. If I get a ball or toy and throw it around inside he will play fetch with me, even when I throw the ball off into another room he will trot off and go find it then prance back into the room proud as punch and give me the ball.

However as soon as I take it outside he doesn't know what to do. I get him excited for the ball and just throw it a metre or two infront and he will usually go over to it. Sniff it and walk off.

He is an inside dog so the backyard is a fun place when he gets to go out (when we are home we let him go out there as much as he wants)

Do you have any tips? Would be good to be able to play fetch outside to give him a run around as the only way I can make him run around at the moment is to run around with him and sadly he has a greater energy reserve than I do.

[Tassie]

Would he be interested if you put a toy/ball or something on the end of a string and pulled it around, and maybe snatch it away from him - to spark prey drive sort of? I think you've put your finger on it when you've noticed that he's more interested in exploring out in the back yard than fetch. Is he food-oriented? If so, you can get toys you can put food in - might make him more interested in going to get them outside?

But from what you've said, I think atm he's finding just being out in the big wide world more rewading than any game. This could change if he spent more time outside, and so outside became a bit more boring.

Hopefully others will come along with a bit more inspiration :D

[deltoid]

I have a length of rope which I drag around and he will chase that and grab on and try and wrestle it away from me (he is very good with releasing it when I ask him to). So I usually run around with that or spin it in circles and he will run around me chasing it. In fact, he will play fetch outside most of the time if I throw the rope. Just being rope I can only throw it a couple of metres and even then he just trots over to it. He doesn't really run for it.

I guess I will just keep trying with him.

[Pretty Miss Emma]

When Kenzie first discovered the big wide world she was also not interested in playing fetch - now that that outside is old hat we can play fetch forever!!!

I think keep trying. Start with the backyard as that is going to become more familiar more quickly than other places. And maybe try rewarding for even going to sniff the toy for starters (so pup goes to toy, use marker word, reward); hopefully you will pretty quickly be able to extend this to interacting with the toy and then to picking it up and bringing it to you. When I taught Kenzie "bring" it was inside and she learnt it really solidly (and I was fussy - bring meant go get toy and return to me with it and place it in my hand) and she thought it was the most fun game ever. Then we moved it outside, doing this was like going back to step 1 inside!!! But we were only at step 1 for a short time! I also only played it a for a few throws at first when we were outside so that she was left wanting more.

Remember - persevere, be consistent, if they're not getting it pull it back a few steps so that they succeed and know what you want!

[mumto3+2]

I have a simular problem, My 8 month old will play fetch till he can barely see (gets dark) but you take him to the park, he runs to the ball picks it up drops it then comes over to me to throw it again! Errrmmm puppy get the ball dude! NO idea how to fix this one either!!