Fetch
Tricks · 12 steps · by Push Drop Stick
Your Dog will learn to retrieve a toy from up to 10 feet away for the cue 'Fetch'.
Fetch is a wonderful way to bond with Your Dog, channeling their natural chase-and-grab instincts into healthy exercise. It can be frustrating when a dog will not bring the toy back, will not let go, or snatches it away again before you can reach it, so this plan builds the retrieve one piece at a time. Whether Your Dog is brand new to toys or you want them to fetch something specific like your slippers, you can teach a reliable retrieve.
**The retrieve is a chain of skills.** Fetch builds on Hold, taking and carrying the object, and Drop it, letting go on cue, so train those first. If Your Dog does not play with toys, start with Hold. Teaching Drop it first also helps a reluctant retriever, since a dog who knows a treat is coming for dropping becomes more invested in bringing the toy back.
**If Your Dog drops the toy, then snatches it up again** before you can pick it up, you have a few kind options. Teach them to Leave it after the drop, practicing Leave it with food first, then bringing it into the game. You can also use a Toy Time Out: the moment they grab the toy back, calmly mark it with 'Too Bad' and end the game for a minute or more, so grabbing makes the fun stop. Or skip the bend altogether and teach Place in Hand, where Your Dog delivers the toy straight to your hand.
For this plan you will also need:
**- A Marker:** such as a clicker or a verbal word like "Yes" to instantly mark the correct behavior. This bridges the gap between the behavior happening and the time it takes to deliver reinforcement, helping Your Dog understand exactly what they did right.
Training steps
Look at toy on the floor
Setup: Your Dog is in any position.
Place the toy on the floor near Your Dog and mark and reinforce the moment they look at it. Place the treat on the toy or 1 to 2 inches away from it on the floor to encourage Your Dog to get close to it.
Success: Your Dog looks at the toy.
Advance on: 7 of 10 successes
Touch nose to the toy on the floor
Setup: Your Dog is in any position.
Place the toy on the floor near Your Dog and encourage them to interact with it. Mark and reinforce as soon as they touch the toy with their face in any way.
Success: Your Dog touches nose to the toy.
Advance on: 7 of 10 successes
Touch teeth to the toy on the floor
Setup: Your Dog is in any position.
Place the toy on the floor and encourage Your Dog to touch it with their teeth. Mark and reinforce as soon as they do, even if it's only for a split second.
Success: Your Dog touches teeth to the toy.
Advance on: 7 of 10 successes
Bite the toy on the floor
Setup: Your Dog is in any position.
Place the toy on the floor and encourage Your Dog to bite or nibble it. Mark and reinforce as soon as they do.
Success: Your Dog bites or nibbles the toy.
Advance on: 7 of 10 successes
Partially lift the toy
Setup: Your Dog is in any position.
Place the toy on the floor and encourage Your Dog to bite it enough to lift part of it off the floor. Mark and reinforce when they do. Position feed at Your Dog's standing height to encourage them to lift the toy all the way off the ground.
Success: Your Dog partially lifts the toy.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Fully lift the toy
Setup: Your Dog is in any position.
Place the toy on the floor and encourage Your Dog to pick it all the way up off the floor. Mark and reinforce as soon as they do. Position feed at Your Dog's standing height to encourage them to lift the toy all the way off the ground.
Success: Your Dog picks up the toy.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Turn around with the toy
Setup: Your Dog is in any position.
Toss the toy a few feet away, then encourage Your Dog to go pick it up. Mark the moment they turn toward you with it still in their mouth and position feed at your location.
Success: Your Dog turns around with the toy in their mouth.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Carry the toy part way
Setup: Your Dog is in any position.
Toss the toy a few feet away, then encourage Your Dog to go pick it up. Mark the moment they take a step back toward you with it in their mouth and position feed at your location.
Success: Your Dog carries the toy part way in their mouth.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Carry the toy all the way
Setup: Your Dog is in any position.
Toss the toy a few feet away, then encourage Your Dog to go pick it up. Mark the moment they return to you with it in their mouth. Be careful not to mark Your Dog dropping the toy on arrival.
Success: Your Dog fetches the toy.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Toss the toy 5 to 10 feet away from you
Setup: Your Dog is in any position.
Toss the toy 5 to 10 feet away, then encourage Your Dog to go pick it up. Mark the moment they return to you with it in their mouth. Be careful not to mark Your Dog dropping the toy on arrival.
Success: Your Dog fetches the toy.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Toss the toy 20 feet away from you
Setup: Your Dog is in any position.
Toss the toy 20 feet away, then encourage Your Dog to go pick it up. Mark the moment they return to you with it in their mouth. Be careful not to mark Your Dog dropping the toy on arrival.
Success: Your Dog fetches the toy.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Add the verbal cue
Setup: Your Dog is in any position.
Say the verbal cue 'Fetch', then toss the toy 10 feet away and wait for Your Dog to go pick it up. Mark the moment they return to you with it in their mouth.
Success: Your Dog fetches the toy.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Good job! You've laid a strong foundation for Fetch.
Now it's time to proof Your Dog's new skill. You can restart the plan using proof steps, or play games with the goals you just earned. Practice both in different locations and around distractions.