A: He's old enough now for you to gently but systematically put structure on his retrieve and teach him the elements, which include delivering the object to your hand. Here are basic directions for teaching this for play purposes. If you wanted to teach a competition retrieve, you would break it down into more steps, to make it perfect. But for play, exercise, and occasionally fetching things for you around the house, this works great:

Training to Retrieve

One place you can work on this is a hallway with the doors closed so that the dog can only go down the hall and back, can't divert into any rooms. Another thing you can do is have the dog on a long line when you practice it, so she can't run off with the toy.

If the dog is not running out and grabbing the object, one way to stimulate her is on leash--not a long leash for this exercise, just 4 to 6 feet. Hold the leash in your left hand and the ball in your right. Turn around and around to your right (clockwise), encouraging the dog to run around you and keep reaching for the ball in your right hand, by jerking it in front of the dog. When the dog is really turned on to it (won't take long at all), throw the ball and let go of the leash. Most dogs will go for that ball.

If your problem is getting the dog to hold onto the ball, bring it to you, and/or give it up, then you can spend a few weeks, a few minutes a day, gently teaching her to "Hold It." When you also teach your dog to come when called--and the "Hold It" training also includes releasing the ball on your command to "Give"--then you have the elements of a retrieve.

There are many force methods of teaching the retrieve, but you don't need them to teach a play retrieve for the purpose of exercise. To train the "Hold It" command, you simply start with your dog sitting, wearing a collar, and you have a comfortable dog dumbbell. Gently slip the bit of the dumbbell into her mouth without causing her any discomfort, and say "Hold It," as you support her chin. Your left hand can hold the back of the collar if needed to keep her stable. This is useful because later you may find to remove something from your dog's mouth, that all you have to do is touch the back of the collar. It seems to transmit a message to the dog that you are leader. Count 5 seconds the first time, then say "Give," and remove the dumbbell from your dog's mouth. Praise "Good Hold It" while she's holding, and when she "Gives" on your command, praise that, too. Do this only a few times before ending the session. Put the dumbbell away between sessions. These do not make good chew toys.

You can do this once or twice a day, but keep sessions short. Otherwise, it's too stressful for the dog, and learning will be delayed, rather than made faster. Gradually increase the time you have the dog hold the dumbbell, and take your supporting hand away. If the dog drops the dumbbell, put it back in the mouth and start the time again, giving more support with your hand. You want to pattern your dog to do this correctly by providing all the support she needs. One minute is long enough for the dog to hold it, no need to go longer.

When the dog is steady at this stage, have her stand up and take a couple of steps toward you while holding the dumbbell (use a leash). This will probably stress the dog, because she doesn't realize she can hold it and walk at the same time. She will quickly get past this. Be prepared to support her chin again to help her through it.

Now you start having her walk along on leash carrying it, about 20 to 40 feet at a time, before you say "Give" and take it from her mouth. Also spend a little time having her "Hold It" while you jiggle it in her mouth a little so she will learn not to release until you say "Give." This helps her understanding of the words. With your dog stimulated enough to run out and pick up the object, knowing the commands "Hold It," "Come," and "Give," you're ready to put it all together. Use a long line at first, so you can help her get it right. She will soon learn it's the best dog game going! Do not throw anything for your dog to retrieve that causes her to jump up in the air and land on just her hind legs. This can cause devastating injuries, because dogs are not built for it. Some dogs have even come up from a landing like this paralyzed in the hind legs. So keep those throws low. Chances are you can develop a lot of "ball drive" in your dog, and in the process build a powerful motivation for training. It is also a constructive and healthy game for dog/human interaction, and of course great exercise for her while you can stay in one place--seated, if you like!