Nakia & Bravo hold a sit stay while waiting for the stick to be thrown.
Playing fetch can be a good aerobic exercise for your furry friend as well as a great way to bond with one another. Some dogs will play fetch naturally while others may need to be taught or may have no interest in the game at all. Playing fetch with your dog is a good physical exercise but most dogs lack the mental exercise they need in their daily lives. Fetch for many dogs becomes a mindless game of chasing a ball, stick or other toy. By adding a little more structure to this activity we not only make it a wonderful training exercise but we work our dog’s mind as well as their body. Structured fetch will help wear your dog out a lot faster and will help reduce destructive behaviors like chewing and digging. Dogs often chew and dig because of this lack of mental stimulation.
So, how do you add more structure to the game of fetch? Well, start by simply asking your dog to sit before throwing the ball. As soon as your dog sits, reward him or her by throwing the toy and saying “fetch”. You will find with most dogs that eventually when you have the ball or toy, your dog will automatically sit. Once your dog has become good at this exercise, start asking him or her to sit for longer periods of time before throwing the object. And again when they have this down begin asking him or her to stay while you throw the ball. Sometimes you may need to hold your dog’s collar or have the dog on leash when you begin this exercise. Especially for those dogs who are extremely ball focused. Then begin asking your dog to do different things for the ball, for example “lay down” or “speak”. Be careful with the speak command though as some dogs will then start barking every time they drop the ball. If your dog does this, DO NOT throw the ball. Throwing the ball is a reward for good behavior. Do not reward behaviors you do not want.
Daisy practices her impulse control.
Making your dog work for the ball will help build the bond between you two. It will help teach your dog impulse control and will bring you closer. Your dog will learn that nothing in life is free and come to respect you as a leader providing something he or she values. If you need more assistance with teaching your dog structured fetch, give us a call today. We would be more than happy to help out! http://www.BarkAndBiscuitPets.com
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