Retrieving is the best game to play with your dog. It's also both one of the most sophisticated and at the same time valuable things you and your dog can learn together. It's well worth your time, and it's fun, too.

There are many methods for teaching the retrieve, and all of the methods work for at least some dogs. Get to know your dog; retrieving is something you teach after you and your dog have developed some trust in each other. Choose a method that fits your dog, and get whatever help you need to do it properly so that your dog can enjoy it.

If your dog is retrieving in a competitive dog sport, an assistance dog to a person with a disability or has another dog job, you may need to use a specific training method for that job. Be sure to consult experts in that type of work, rather than running the risk of spoiling your dog's retrieving ability by using the wrong method or poor training technique.

The method we're going to describe is just one way to teach retrieving, and it will be effective with some but not necessarily all dogs. It is a method for play rather than "serious" retrieving, and will work best with dogs possessing retrieving instinct that has not been damaged by how the dog was handled when young.

One caveat is never to ask a dog to do anything that will give the dog pain. If your dog has a sore mouth or any bone or joint problem, don't teach retrieving until and unless the pain can be relieved.

Reasons to Take Time for Retrieve Training

In the process of teaching the retrieve with this method, you and your dog gain the following benefits:

1. Your dog becomes accustomed to you handling her mouth, something many dogs will mightily resist until they learn it's not a bad thing.

2. You'll be able to exercise your dog in moderate spaces without having to run all over the place yourself. In fact, you can sit in a chair!

3. Dogs love retrieving. After all, it's natural for a dog to carry items by mouth. This becomes another way to reward your dog and to help your dog accept things that might at first make the dog nervous-such as thunderstorms, strangers, etc. Many dogs find retrieving even more rewarding than food treats. When you develop your dog's love of retrieving, you create a powerful motivator to help your dog love learning all kinds of other things with you.

4. Dogs who retrieve can get to know new people by having that person toss the toy for the dog to retrieve.

5. When a dog is afraid of an object, letting the dog retrieve that object sometimes magically cures the fear in just a few minutes.

6. When your mischievous dog grabs something and runs off with it-something that could hurt the dog, or something you don't want to lose-if you have taught your dog to retrieve, you can simply ask the dog to bring you the object. It works! And you can then reward the dog so that you both wind up happy and ready to do just as well the next time! Compare this to helplessly watching your dog eat something that will result in the need for surgery, or great inconvenience to you (ever have a dog eat your paycheck?).

7. Dogs can reach places that people can't, especially when you're ill or injured. When you drop something and your dog is able to fetch it for you, your thanks from the heart will make your dog feel truly valued. For a lot of dogs, this is a genuine satisfaction that will make them happy through and through. It can also make your life easier and in some cases may even save a life.

8. We wish that dogs wouldn't follow the call of the wild and take off running to chase a cat or a squirrel, but it happens. If you have a dog who retrieves and a ball handy, there's a chance you can call the dog's name, throw the ball, and see your dog break off chasing the critter to fetch that ball and bring it-along with the dog's own furry self!-right back to you! When this happens, you will bless the time you spent teaching your fuzzy friend to fetch!

What is a Retrieve?

Once you truly understand a retrieve, you'll find your dogs just naturally seem to start learning to do it. The biggest obstacle to retrieving for most dogs is that their handlers don't know what a retrieve is. Without being able to visualize the behavior, you don't really believe in it, and fail to reinforce when the dog naturally does parts of it. Much of teaching a dog to retrieve happens in just playing with the dog-but you have to know the game.

To retrieve, a dog goes to the object, picks it up in the mouth, holds it while bringing it to you, and releases it only when you have a good enough grip on it that it won't fall onto the ground. If your dog runs out after moving objects, picks things up and carries things around, the dog has the natural behaviors to learn a retrieve. You simply need to put it on cue. That, and teach the dog to come when called. Retrieving helps with that, too, because the dog's desire for you to throw the toy again makes the dog eager to come to you.

Triggering the Instinct

Whether you're working with a puppy or adult dog, the earliest stage of retrieving is simply to toss toys and look for the dog to show interest in running after them. To prevent bad habits from the start, play in an enclosed area where the dog can't avoid you with the object after getting it.

A hallway with the doors shut is one good place. Or you can use a long line on the dog. When the dog does give you the toy, give it right back to the dog. Never make the dog feel this is a contest with a winner and a loser. Retrieving is cooperative between you and your dog, not competitive. It makes you a team.

If the dog shows no interest in the thrown toy, you can stimulate interest by playing the game on a leash 4 to 6 feet long. Have the toy in your right hand and the leash in your left. Find a safely enclosed area large enough for the dog to run at the length of the leash from you in all directions, and 20 feet or so in one direction. Use whatever safe item the dog finds most interesting.

Jerk the toy out in front of the dog's mouth in a teasing manner, pivoting to your right (clockwise), staying in the center as the dog runs a circle around you. Make the toy really enticing with your jerky movements. When the dog is really eager for it, toss it out for the dog to chase, and let go of the leash. Done right, this will get most any dog to run after the object! (This idea comes from one of trainer Michael Tucker's books.)

Work on building this impulse to run out after the object daily, always for short periods of time. Stop when the dog is eager for more, usually just a few repetitions. Holding the dog back with gentle restraint increases the dog's drive to go after the object.

Use any object your dog likes, but a regular wooden or plastic dumbbell is best. Keep the dumbbell for these special play/training times, not on the floor as a chew toy. When the play-training time is up for that session, trade the dog something nice for the dumbbell and put it out of reach.

Toward the Structured Retrieve

As you continue daily play sessions with your dog to encourage the drive to run after the toy, grab it and carry it, you'll also start to work on the structural elements of the retrieve that need to be more specifically taught. These are to come when called, to hold the object in the mouth until cued to release it to your hand, and to release the object to you on cue. The tasks are best broken into separate parts for teaching.

Running away from your dog encourages the dog to come to you, and this tactic fits well with play retrieving. The dog wants to chase the object again, and getting you to throw it becomes a goal, a reward! Don't go after your dog to get the object back. Instead, get your dog to come after you and beg you to take it back! This comes in really handy when your dog is running around the house with somebody's shoe or remote control. Use every opportunity to make retrieving FUN, no matter what the dog has swiped.

It's often said that coming when calledis the most important thing to teach any dog, and it's certainly a reasonable belief. Use a training class and plenty of practice to teach your dog to LOVE coming to you. Come-when-called is necessary for retrieving, and retrieving makes the come-when-called stronger, too. You want to teach your dog both!

Now we come to handling the mouth. If your dog has issues with this, start gently, a few minutes a day, getting the dog used to you restraining and opening the mouth.

Once the dog is comfortable having you handle the mouth, you can start teaching "hold it" and "give." 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 the mouth without causing any discomfort, and say "hold it," as you support the dog's chin.

Your left hand can hold the back of the collar if needed to keep your dog stable. Later you may find that to remove something from your dog's mouth, all you have to do is touch the back of the collar. It seems to transmit a message to the dog that you are taking charge.

Count 5 seconds the first time, then say "give," and remove the dumbbell from your dog's mouth. Praise "Good Hold It" while the dog is still holding, and when the dog "Gives" on your cue, praise that, too. Repeat this very few times before ending the session. Put the dumbbell away between sessions. These do not make good chew toys.

Teaching "give" along with "hold it" in this way neatly solves a common problem of the dog who refuses to let you take things out of the mouth. In this situation, the dog is quite happy for you to take the dumbbell, because it wasn't the dog's idea to hold it in the first place. Soon you'll be able to remove anything from your dog's mouth with a calm cue and praise.

Do a short session of "hold it" and "give" each day, and another short session of building the dog's love of running out after the object in play, grabbing it, and carrying it back to you. Keep using enclosed areas or a long line for the play sessions, so that you don't accidentally shape "keep away" instead of retrieving.

Long sessions are too stressful for the dog, and learning would be delayed, rather than made faster. The retrieving behavior comes together very well when taught over a long period of time in short sessions. It seems to "set" in the brain better this way, without emotional stress getting in the way.

Many learned behaviors in both humans and dogs become more reliable when they are taught over longer periods of time rather than shorter periods. Retrieving is a fairly complex set of behaviors that you want to become set into habit. The high number of repetitions over a leisurely long time will work in your favor when teaching it.

Gradually increase the time you have the dog hold the dumbbell, and gradually take your supporting hand away. If the dog drops the dumbbell, simply 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 plenty of support, not by punishment. One minute is long enough for the dog to hold it, no need to go longer.

When the dog is steady at one minute without your supporting hand, help the dog to stand up while holding the dumbbell and take a couple of steps toward you (guide with a leash). This will probably be stressful, because the dog doesn't realize it's possible to hold the dumbbell and walk at the same time! This confusion passes quickly. Be prepared to support the chin again to help your dog through it.

Now start having the dog walk along on leash beside you, carrying the object, about 20 to 40 feet at a time before you say "give" and take it from the mouth. Also spend a little time doing "hold it" while gently jiggling the object in the mouth, so the dog will learn not to release until you say "give."

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 your dog get it right. If the dog fails to go to the object, excitedly run to it yourself, gently slip it into the dog's mouth and support the dog's chin as you excitedly go with the dog back to the starting point. With your help, your furry pal will soon be doing it all, and will think it's the best dog game going!

The Don'ts

Don't ruin your dog's understanding of the retrieve and love of retrieving by chasing the dog when the dog has something in the mouth. Don't ever punish your dog when you take something out of the dog's mouth. Make it always a good thing to come to you with an object and to give that object to you.

Trade the untrained dog to get any inappropriate item from the mouth with something the dog likes, perhaps a treat or a game. Swallow your annoyance and think about your dog's future safety-and the future safety of your stuff!

Also think about your dog's future temperament, because many a fine dog's good temperament has been ruined by repeated punishment from angry people chasing the dog down and punishing for what is the normal behavior of a smart and active dog! Be glad when your dog steals stuff-it's a wonderful training opportunity! Make the most of it!

Do not throw anything for your dog to retrieve that causes the dog to jump up in the air and land on just the hind legs. This can cause devastating injuries, because dogs are not built for it. Some dogs have even come out of a landing like this paralyzed in the hind legs. Keep those throws low.

Such Fun!

Chances are you can develop a lot of ball drive in your dog, and in the process build a powerful motivator for training and happy times. It's both valuable and deeply satisfying to create in your dog deep enjoyment of healthy things such as looking to you for treat rewards, retrieving, associating your praise with other rewards, and enjoying the touch of your hand.

Once you understand retrieving, you can start laying the groundwork for it with your dog. Be prepared for the process to take quite awhile, perhaps several months to a year, before it all comes together into a fairly reliable behavior. Avoid pressuring the dog or putting in long sessions that would spoil the dog's enjoyment. Spend a little time every day, making sure the dog feels a sense of accomplishment in every session.

There are a truly surprising number of well-thought-out and effective methods for teaching the retrieve. If you don't find that this simple method progresses naturally for you and your dog, seek out a different one that feels right.

Food methods can be faster, without the risk of ruining the dog's desire to work-a risk that does exist with some force methods, especially when applied by an unskilled trainer. Using food treats is a wonderful way to compensate for lack of experience and timing on the part of the trainer. And with food treats involved, you can be sure your dog is having fun!