# Fetch and drop the ball at my feet



## Cero21 (Jun 5, 2008)

I can't seem to teach my dog how to properly fetch. She used to (and still is) a little posessive so I have to play the 2 ball game. Throw one, get her to drop the one in her mouth before I throw the second. The problem is, she automatically drops the first ball like 15m away from me and come running up waiting for the second. How can I teach her to drop it directly at my feet? Any ideas?


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

My pup is 10 months and he's been playing fetch since he was old enough to put a ball in his mouth. He lives for the ball. He sleeps with his ball! Still, he doesn't bring it right to me - I have a hockey stick I use to bring it closer to me. 

If I ignore his scooting tail waggin butt and his ball that's 5 feet away, he'll bring it right over and put in in my lap. Maybe that's your answer.


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## kelso (Jan 22, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: Cero21I can't seem to teach my dog how to properly fetch. She used to (and still is) a little posessive so I have to play the 2 ball game. Throw one, get her to drop the one in her mouth before I throw the second. The problem is, she automatically drops the first ball like 15m away from me and come running up waiting for the second. How can I teach her to drop it directly at my feet? Any ideas?


Not sure if this will work for you, but it has for me. It has been awhile since I first did this but I think when I was playing two ball and one of the dogs would drop it before they got all the way back, I would just say "ball" and point to the ball that dropped while holding the "fresh" ball still in my hand (in the beginning I had to walk over to the ball to point it out, then mark with YEAH! or something like that to let them know they have done the right thing when they picked it up). It didn't take them to long to figure out that "ball" meant go get the ball, so overtime I just began saying "go get the ball" and they know they have to go run and get the other one and bring it back to me if they have dropped it before the second ball will get thrown.

Not sure how old your pup is, and depends on how focused they are on the "game." But I just wouldnt throw the second ball until the first ball is at my feet. So they just learned...leave the ball...another ball does not get thrown..ball to person=game on! Eventually they just started bringing it back all the time. And at the same time say "drop it" when they drop the ball...so you are working on fetching and "drop it" at the same time!

Then it sortof just evolves into them knowing the "go get the ball" phrase so even when there is not a second ball involved they know the phrase. But both of our dogs are ball nuts, so I am sure it might be harder if the dog isn't that interested in the second ball, or the first ball in the first place?? But doesn't sound like that is the case with your girl

Hope this makes sense, I am not good at explaining technical training things, but it is just something to work on and do what works! Good Luck I am sure you will have a great fetcher in no time!







Just keep it fun!


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## adas (Nov 22, 2008)

Aloha, I get the same "Drop Ball" at about 10m too. It gets worse as Rasa gets more tired and finally she will not give up the ball at all and I have to show her a higher value ball to get her to drop it so we can go home. Someone suggested to use a long line and just throw that distance and have her come back and sit with the ball. (you have the other end of the line) and then do all the treats, excitement and "good girl" routine. Rasa will spit out a treat if she sees a ball in it for her. I usually play the 2 ball game and really don't insist on discipline as it is Rasa's game and she is having the fun. And we combine, "find it", hide and seek, chase the Mongooses, and throw the ball over a fence and let her figure out how to retrieve it." As long as I see her tail waging in approval, I play her mind and exercise games but keep always changing the games and out of sequence.

frank


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## adas (Nov 22, 2008)

Aloha, I just started a new approach to get Rasa to bring the ball all the way back to me and drop it and it looks very promising.

I find a nice spot. Shady, grassy, and with a good vantage point for Rasa, (I watched her and found her favorite type of spot.) I then "set up camp there". I put down her water dish, several balls, any pack, chuckit, etc. just to make it the "Base Camp". Every time Rasa came for water, or just to lay there or check out the scene, I rewarded her with another ball. I just started this today and it is amazing the progress and I rarely use treats, only on difficult tasks or only very intermitantly.
frank


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