Pet Safety Blog

There’s a neighbor on our street that plays with her dog on fetching whatever she throws, a stick, play toy of some kind, or a ball. It’s really fun to watch because that little dog brings anything she throws back to her for praise. My dog will fetch, but that’s it. I’ve made the mistake of chasing after him, which is really a no-no, but it’s too late now. He will drop his retrieval on command if I walk up to him, but he won’t bring it back to me. Very irritating, but I shouldn’t complain, because it’s my fault. The pet parent may be into playing fetch, but your doggie may not be. In training to fetch,  throw something, but not too far, and the dog most likely will run after it, but what needs to be done, is to turn around and run away from the dog. Chances are the dog will run toward you with his retrieval and if you really, really praise them, they may drop whatever they have. My dog will get so excited when I move his toy around his body (be careful, your dog’s teeth are very sharp) he will start to run ahead, waiting for me to throw something.

I suppose I never gave it a thought that there was a right way to teach them to fetch and return. So don’t make the mistake that I did, and you and your pet will be happy playing together and getting exercise at the same time. Beware of any pet joint pain that may occur if your dog is having arthritic or hip problems. Playing should then be limited to their energy to play. Be Happy!