Fetch (take it & drop)

Teaching fetch is easy. The first thing your dog needs to know for a successful game of fetch is “drop”. Fetch is a super fun game to play with your dog that is also a great way to tire him out. As your dog runs back and forth he’ll burn off energy and will be a better behaved pup. A tired dog tends not to get into too much trouble.

The first part of this exercise is “take it”, this is a wonderful trick that will prevent your dog from exhibiting poor manners and yanking toys, food and various objects out of your hand. 

Begin with a large toy that you can hold onto securely while your dog holds onto the other end. A rope toy, frisbee or toys that squeak are fine, don’t use a tennis ball because it is too hard to hold onto it once it is inside your dog’s mouth mouth.

Say, “take it” and offer it to your dog while keeping a good hold on it. The second your dog’s mouth goes around it mark it with a click (if she is clicker trained) or a “yes”. She should know by now that the marker means a treat will follow. She will instantly drop the toy so you can feed her the treat. Some dogs need to see the treat or smell the treat after you click to be sure they will get something yummy for relinquishing the object. When she does open her mouth, feed her the treat and praise. Repeat this several times in a row until you are pretty sure that every time you offer the toy she will gladly take it.

Now say, “take it” and when she does tell her good girl and start playing with the toy by shaking it gently or moving it up and down so she will tug on it. After a few seconds hold your hands still and say, “drop”. Some dogs will automatically drop when they realize the toy is now static and therefore no fun, while others might need a little treat incentive to want to drop it. When she opens her mouth to release the toy click, feed her the treat and then offer the toy again. She will soon be relinquishing the toy on the “drop” cue.

If you find that she is not dropping the toy consistently, try with tastier treats or a pretty boring toy.

At this point you can turn it into a game where sometimes after she drops the toy you click and treat and sometimes she just gets the toy back and you play some more. Like this, you can begin to play with your dog in a nice orderly fashion where you are not concerned about the dog jumping up or grabbing.  

Now you are ready to play fetch. When she drops the toy, instead of offering it again immediately, play with it yourself and toss it saying “fetch”. As she runs to it tell her how proud you are and what a great dog she is. Let her run around with the toy for a bit and then cue her to drop it. If you find that she is having too much fun to listen, you can start playing with a second toy. When she sees how much fun you are having she’ll want that toy instead of the one in her mouth. Once she is paying attention to the new toy, she will drop the other one, giving you a chance to pick that one up and continue the game. It is important that you make the toy fun, you can squeak it, throw it up in the air, dance around with it, or whatever you can come up with.

Make sure that you end the game before your dog gets too tired and doesn’t want to bring the toy back. You can ask for it one last time and give her a cookie for the last drop or you can reward her with a lot of praise and petting while you put the toy away. 

Once your dog is happy to fetch for you, you can use different toys, balls, sticks, etc. And best of all, if you go a bit further with training you can ask her to fetch the paper, shoes, keys and all sorts of other useful fetching.

How to choose a breeder.

Dog breeders are not all the same, there are mass breeders (puppy mills) and smaller breeders that can be experts in the breed or just back yard breeders that want to make a buck. Finding a great dog breeder can be the best thing you ever do for your family. The right breeder will provide information and a certain level of guarantee of what dog you’ll get when that puppy is all grown up. That being said, you need to do your homework… before you even look for a breeder make sure you read up on the breed you are interested in. Only get a dog when you are ready and get a dog that fits your family’s time and activity levels. Some people make the mistake of getting a dog because they like the look of a certain breed without realizing the dog might be all wrong for them. Choosing the right breed for you is as important as choosing the right breeder. No matter what breed of dog you like, there are always exceptions to the rule in size, temperament and personalities, but by choosing a breeder correctly you’ll be more likely to predict how that pup will turn out. Here are some things to look out for in a dog breeder.

The breeder has as many or more questions for you than you do for him or her. A reputable breeder is concerned for the breed standards, the life the dog will lead, your intentions to breed, the time and space you have available, etc.

Check references, most of the legitimate breeders out there will be happy to tell you about other pups they bred that have gone on to do great things. Most of them keep in close touch with past clients, they know how the puppies turned out, what they are good at, health issues, etc. All you need to do is ask and once you ask, call the past clients. See if the claims match, did last year's puppy actually go on to compete in novice obedience? Is the agility champion actually a champion? Did the puppy from two years ago save the kid from falling in the pool?

They should check your references... The breeder should also check up on you. You should be asked to provide references yourself. Friends, family or coworkers who have seen you interact with animals. Check with your references to see if they were contacted. A good breeder will be very thorough and won't sell a puppy to just anyone.

The breeder does something with the adult dogs other than breeding them. Conformation, dog sports, therapy, etc. Look for a puppy with accomplished parents not necessarily an impressive bloodline. It can be very easy to purchase the grandson of a champion to make a bloodline look good.

The breeder only breeds one breed of dog. It takes a very long time to become an expert in a breed, so most reputable breeders only have that kind of expertise in one dog breed. Some might have a couple of dogs that are a different breed and eventually start breeding a second breed. Puppy mills usually breed tons of different breeds at the same time and since they know you know, they have started splitting websites making it a bit harder to spot them, but with a little research, looking at phone numbers and names listed you can make sure the breeder you choose is a legitimate and responsible breeder.

The breeder should only be mating adult dogs (at least two years old before breeding) and the females should have no more than one litter per year. The breeder should only have one litter at a time. This means you might have to wait to get your dog.

The breeder should be telling you more about the parents, than the puppies. Their  temperament, accomplishments, background and even shortcomings. Once she's covered all about the parents, aunts and uncles, and grandparents even, then they might give you some details about the puppies available. They should have specifics about the puppies interacting, who plays with whom, who's a bit shy, how they react to new things, etc.

Visit the breeder's home if you can. This should be the home where the puppies and mother live, not a kennel. Make sure you visit before you purchase. Look at the place where the pups are kept.

Good breeders can provide health test results. Not just say the dogs have been tested, but the actual results. It is very important that you read up on the breed you are interested in so you can ask to see appropriate health tests. The results of the Great Dane's parents hips x-rays, the heart health condition of that Cavalier's parents, etc.

If at any point your gut tells you there is something amiss, back out! It is better to keep looking, than taking a dog home that you are unsure of. Never buy a dog on a whim, think about the decision carefully. Visit the parents, see the litter of puppies interact, ask questions and then leave. Give yourself time to think, talk it over with all family members and only when you are ready go back and choose a puppy. In some cases you might have to wait, either because all the puppies have been sold or you are just not feeling a connection with any of the puppies available. This is not a bad thing. It gives you time to think and reassurance of the breeder's capabilities. Only take a puppy if you are absolutely sure, also remember there are many mixed breed puppies who need a home and many breed specific rescues who can help you find the breed you like.