Recently Injured Doggo Owner Seeks Advice On How To Encourage Dog To Fetch And Move Around Sans Frequent Walks During Recovery Time

Author image for kalila courban
kalila courban
Aug 7, 2023 12:00 PM EDT

Hey, canine enthusiasts. Today we're featuring a doggo training story that may just hit close to home for some of you. In the quest to teach their canine companion to fetch, one dog owner and the original poster of today's featured post encountered a hilarious challenge. The dog, seemingly uninterested in fetching, had eyes only for the tempting treats. Despite the owner's injury restricting physical activities, they were determined to find a way to bond with their playful canine.

The pup displayed boundless energy when it came to chasing a ball or stick but retrieving it? Not his cup of tea. Initially, the owner tried to lure him with training treats, which worked for a short while. The dog enthusiastically chased the ball, earning rewards. However, the following day, it was a different story; he became fixated on the treat bag, ignoring the ball altogether. OP felt disheartened, as their previous bonding activities involved outdoor play. Seeking advice, the owner turned to the dog-loving community for suggestions on quirky and fun ways to tackle the fetching challenge or find alternative ways to connect with their doggo. 

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to start your Caturday with the funniest felines on the internet!

Advertisement
  • 01
    Font - Posted by u/steveisblah 3 days ago Trying to train my dog to fetch, but he's refusing. He only wants the treats. S
    via u/steveisblah
  • 02
    Font - My dog has always been playful, and if I throw a ball or stick, he'll chase it. It's the bringing it back part that he doesn't get. And I'm currently injured, so chasing after him or playing tug of war isn't exactly an option. I can't really walk him, so I'm trying to find ways of connecting with him, preferably where I can be stationary.
    via u/steveisblah
  • 03
    Font - The problem is he is TOO food oriented. I got a ball tosser and training treats yesterday, and we got as far as him chasing the ball and reinforcing that with a treat. But today, he refused to the chase the ball, and only stared at the great bag. I tried to encourage him, but he straight refused. He wouldn't look at the ball, only the treats. And hiding the bag didn't help bc he knows they're still there.
    via u/steveisblah
  • 04
    Font - He's a very smart dog, and I've trained him to do other things like sit, down, shake, and speak. But for some reason this is really hard for both of us. And it's hurting because I feel like I'm losing all ways of connecting with him, bc how we connected before involved walking and running around outside.
    via u/steveisblah
  • 05
    Font - Refined EmoPhase 3 days ago Ⓡ What breed? Some, especially non-retrievers, just don't care about fetch lol Reply Share 137 Astarkraven 3 days ago edited 2 days ago Owned by Greyhound Some people just CANNOT quite grasp this. Not even my trainer, who is lovely and brilliant with dogs, quite appreciates the true extent to which my dog absolutely and completely does not care about balls and fetch. It's the quintessential dog thing, duh! They want the ball, they want you to throw the ball aga
    via RefinedEmoPhase
  • 06
    Font - madeupsomeone . 3 days ago No advice, but my dog only learned to retrieve because if she didn't, we would immediately leave the toy and stop playing. And she loves to play. She figured out on her own that we will not go get the toy, she has to. It took her MONTHS to figure it out, though. Like 5 months. Every other command was fine. 181 Reply Share steveisblah OP - 3 days ago Yeah. I did that previously. And if I could still connect with in other ways, I would try this again. But he alrea
    via madeupsomeone
  • 07
    Font - madamejesaistout - 3 days ago Have you tried using two balls? Throw the first ball and when he gets it, call him back to you. Show him the second ball. Don't throw the second ball until he brings the first ball back to you. He might drop the first ball, if that happens, stop playing for at least 10 minutes. Go get both balls and try again. I have been somewhat successful with this. My dog loves fetch and she caught on pretty quickly that I won't throw the second ball unless she brings me
    via madamejesaistou
  • 08
    Font - Dubious Melons - 3 days ago . Get a sock (or some other breathable bag), put some treats in it. I know you said you can't play tug but if you can gently play tug with the sock so he gets the idea of holding onto it. Then give a treat. Do a few reps of that. Then, put the sock on the ground. When he picks it up, lightly tug then treat. Few reps of that. Then, toss the sock a little ways away. Keep building up where he's grabbing the sock and bringing it to you from a greater distance. Even
    via DubiousMelons
  • 09
    Font - Twirlingbarbie - 3 days ago A lot of dogs don't understand the appeal of fetch. They rather run away with their toy while you are chasing them, which is a more natural behaviour between animals. I think dogs play fetch because they think their owners like to throw balls.
    via Twirlingbarbie
  • 10
    Font - colieolieravioli - 3 days ago He don't like fetch! Lol Is there a purpose to this or you just want him to move around so you're trying fetch? If you just want some movement, let me tell you my dogs favorite game: FIND IT toss kibble/treat into the grass and find it! He gets so into it and I've even taught him hot/cold as a way to help guide him because I saw where the treat went. Not to mention the added activity of sniffing which is GREAT for dogs. My boy gets amped and panting playing f
    via .
  • 11
    Font - oxalis_sp 3 days ago First, stop tossing the ball far away. Fetch is actually a complex string of behaviors so "backchaining" is the way to go. Basically teach your dog to pick up and drop the ball right while the ball is right in front of you. Then gradually add distance. To get that behavior, there are many methods depending on what motivates your dog. If your dog likes tug, you can grab the toy when he picks it up and shake it a few times. Your dog will associate 'picking up the toy in
    via oxalis_sp
  • 12
    Font - Coonts 3 days ago You can train retrieve, but it can take quite a bit of work if it's not instinct. If your dog doesn't like carrying stuff in their mouth, that's the first step, teaching a "hold" command.
    via Coonts
  • 13
    Font - barbaq24 3 days ago Based on my observations as someone who fosters young dogs. Some dogs like fetch, some dogs don't. Some pups demand fetch and want nothing more than to play games with toys, others will just want the food and will not pursue a toy. Instincts and interactions with other dogs seems to be the biggest factor in personality and development. So if instincts aren't doing it maybe try to find a dog buddy that likes fetch and see if your dog can pick it up.
    via barbaq24
  • 14
    Font - biosc1 3 days ago Could depend on the dog. A retriever will love to retrieve...a dachshund (like mine) will just murder the tossed toy instead.
    via biosc1
  • 15
    Font - superworking 3 days ago Have a doodle and a poodle. The doodle may go get the ball once or twice, may or may not return it, and then finds something else to do. Tried training with treats and rewards but he couldn't care less. He can do a ton of more stationary commands and is well trained otherwise. The standard poodle on the other hand retrieves and returns the ball like his life depends on it, with little to no training ever done. Dogs aren't all the same.
    via superworking

Check out our Instagram for more hilarious animal content!

Love our stuff? Shop for some of our pawsome merch here.

Tags

fetch dogs thread doggo silly training Reddit funny
Scroll Down For The Next Article