Fetch gene! All puppies have it, right? Well, no, not quite… The retrievers out there have it in bucket loads, but for other breed types, fetching often has to be taught. Teaching a puppy to fetch can be one of the most rewarding things you do. Who doesn’t love a game of fetch? It’s also great for burning off any excess puppy energy.
If you’ve ever wondered why it’s important that your puppy fetches or how they’ll learn to fetch if they’re not a natural retriever? Then we get it. Teaching a puppy to fetch can actually be more of a challenge than it sounds. Luckily, we’re here to help you ‘fetch’ the facts.
This article will help you learn:
- Why it’s important to teach your puppy to fetch
- How to teach your puppy to fetch
- Some helpful extra tips in teaching your puppy to fetch
- An essential Pro Tip on why fetch may or may not be ideal for your puppy, and what to do if it isn’t!
In the Zigzag puppy training app, we have a whole week by week program on teaching your puppy to fetch and retrieve items. You’ll also learn how to train your puppy to be happy about giving up toys and other things to prevent resource guarding! It’s all done by breed type, too, so whether your puppy is a natural at retrieving or not, you’ll be able to teach them to fetch. We also have a team of fully qualified and experienced puppy training coaches. It’s a bit like having a dog trainer and puppy agony aunt in your pocket, really.
Why is it important to teach your puppy to fetch?
Playing fetch is a great way to play with your puppy and keeps everyone fit, healthy and active when out at the park, but for some dogs, it’s just not their thing.
The terrier types prefer to chase and grab and tear to bits. The herding breeds like to stop the ball moving at all costs! Of course, your gundog and retriever types are hardwired to retrieve and play fetch, so they usually find playing it very enjoyable. You might just struggle to get the game to stop!
But like any skill, it’s probably worth teaching it to your dog. Why? Because dogs love to learn! Why wouldn’t you want to teach them this fun game? Is it essential to do? Well, I’ll leave it up to you to decide if playing fetch and teaching your dog to retrieve is important. Still, you can also use it not just to play fetch in the park but as part of a fun puppy tricks repertoire, like tidying your toys away. Now, who doesn’t want a dog that does that?
How to teach your puppy to fetch in 5 easy steps
First, you’ll need to find out what your pup’s favorite toy is, then teach them that bringing that toy is going to bring about fabulous rewards and then lastly and very importantly that giving the toy up is a good idea too.
1. Show your puppy the toy and get them interested in it
This is key – you want your puppy to be interested in whatever it is you want them to fetch. Just think about it. It’s different when you are told to fetch a $100 bill than a banana, right? For a retriever, the toy of choice might be a ball. For a terrier, they might be more into something furry. We’ve got some ideas of what toys your puppy might like below.
2. Throw the toy a little way away from you and your puppy
You don’t need to throw it too far. Otherwise, your puppy might lose sight of the toy they’re meant to be fetching and can get tired very quickly. And that’s no fun, is it?
3. As soon as your puppy picks it up and turns towards you, start cheerleading
Get clapping and cheering them on when they’ve picked the toy up! This is important to indicate they’ve done something right and will help make sure they do it again and quicker in the future. Shower them with compliments, with lots of whooping and love.
4. When your puppy fetches, do the swap.
When your puppy returns to you with the toy, pop a really yummy puppy treat on their nose, which would make them release the toy. Swapping helps your puppy let go of what they have in their mouth willingly, and understand that when they back to you, they should let go of the toy.
Yay! Did you see that? You’ve just taught your puppy to fetch. Good job!
5. Repeat the fetch exercise above.
Each time you repeat the exercise, throw the toy a little further away from you. This will help your puppy practice this new skill and even get a little better at it each time.
Remember to keep cheering them on, and swapping the toy for food when they return as they learn.
Useful extra tips for teaching your puppy to fetch successfully
- Find a toy your puppy will like.
For retrievers and gundogs, a larger ball or rugby shaped retrieve toy is what they’ll find comfortable to hold in their mouths. It will also be MUCH safer than regular sized tennis balls.
Terriers may prefer a furry tug toy they can shake and rag on the way back.
Herdy types such as Collies and Shepherds love to stop a rolling Hol-ee ball, and it folds up nicely when they pick it up.
The Hol-ee balls are good with apartment-faced breeds like Bulldogs, Frenchies and Pugs, too, as they can still breathe, and you can get slightly tougher versions if your dog is a bit of a chewer.
- Always swap the toy for a piece of food so that your puppy understands that giving things up willingly will bring fabulous rewards, and you still get to play.
- Add the cue to ‘fetch’ when your puppy has started to get the hang of going and getting the toy.
- If your puppy is more ‘foodie’ than ‘fetchie’ you sometimes get a dog who decides ‘no I’d rather have the food thank you very much’. In these instances, I swap from one toy to another so-called ’two toy drop’ so that they’re more interested in toys than food.
- If your puppy is more toy motivated than food motivated and doesn’t fancy swapping the toy for the food, try having two identical toys and swapping between them instead. You can also try using super high value treats like cheese or chicken.
- Start off easy. Don’t make fetching the toy a marathon. It should just be close by, to begin with. That way, you get lots of easy wins and your puppy won’t find it too hard and give up quickly.
- Once your puppy has the hang of fetching in one room, change locations and try a different room in the house.
- Build up the difficulty by teaching your puppy to fetch longer distances and by hiding the toy in different places.
- Start to use fetching as a reward for other things if your puppy enjoys doing it. Can your puppy sit for a ball throw? Maybe they can even do a down on verbal cue a bit later on? These are all excellent ways to fade out food rewards for exercises and get your puppy involved in play rewards instead.
PRO TIP: While playing fetch is often hugely rewarding for puppies and their owners, some dogs can get a little obsessive and manic about fetching. You know when they get that ‘wild’ look in their eyes when the ball comes out. If this sounds like it could be your puppy’s style, then think about constructive exercises you can do around retrieves. Blind retrieves are still fun but use your puppy’s brain more. We have this exercise in the Zigzag puppy training app under the ‘find a toy’ section.
How to Teach a Puppy to Play Fetch FAQs
How long should you play fetch with your puppy?
When it comes to how long to play fetch with your puppy, keep sessions short and sweet—about 10-15 minutes is good enough. Puppies have short attention spans and tire out easily, so we want to avoid overdoing it to avoid injuries or even them burning out!
Let’s stop the game on a high, rather than waiting until your pup is too tired. Your goal with fetch is to make it a fun and engaging game, and not an exhausting marathon. Balance is key, even in the game of fetch!
What age should you teach puppies to fetch?
Wondering what age to teach puppies to fetch? You can start as early as 8-10 weeks, and what’s even better, is that there’s no age limit to learning how to play it. Puppies are little sponges at this age, soaking up new skills like pros, but you want to start with gentle, short tosses and lots of praise to encourage them through.
If your pup isn’t catching the rules right away, don’t stress—every puppy learns at their own pace. The key is to keep it fun and pressure-free. Remember, patience is part of the puppy parenting package!
Is playing fetch in the park a good idea?
Playing fetch in the park is a great way to provide your puppy with exercise and plenty of socialization. But first, you want to make sure the areas you go in the park are free of any risky roads or too much business in general – joggers, other dogs, and pedestrians included.
Start playing fetch in a quiet area with little distractions to help your puppy focus. You can then gradually introduce them to busier parts of the park as they become more confident. Fetch in the park is great fun—just be prepared for the occasional squirrel chase!
What are the best treats to teach my puppy to fetch?
When it comes to playing fetch with your puppy, the best treats for puppy training are those that are small, tasty, and irresistible. Go for treats that are rich in flavors to keep your puppy motivated and engaged. Small treats are perfect because they’re easy for your pup to eat quickly, so they can get back to fetching faster. Avoid anything too big or messy—nobody likes to wait around while your puppy chews!
For more tips on the best treats to use, check out our guide: Best Healthy Puppy Training Treats.
We hope that answers some of your questions on how to teach your puppy to fetch. We’ve also got a great article on when to start training your puppy anything if you’re wondering when to start puppy training.
For a more structured puppy training journey, with expert support from fully trained puppy training coaches, why not download the Zigzag puppy training app and get started with having the best behaved and most well-adjusted puppy around.
