# Sit, Stay, Retrieve and Return (Repeat)



## x2jesse1x (Feb 10, 2011)

Im trying to teach my GSD to play fetch. He is just under a year old right now.
Unlimitly I want to be able to have him sit by myside facing the direction im going to throw the ball. Stay by myside until after the ball is thrown and I release (GO!). Retrieve the ball and either Drop the ball by my feet or in my hand.

The point where I am at now is: 

Lead him to myside by his collar (he wants to face me when I say sit), Say sit. Throw the ball. (I have the have my hand on his collar before I throw it otherwise he will take off before i release him) I say GO! he will run and retrieve the ball, Run back toward me and will play keep away. It takes me a few minutes to get the ball back from him to repeat the process. 

Any help would be great. 

On another note I would like the Sit STAY command to be used with other distractions aswell, Not just the ball but people. If he hears my nieces outside he totally ignores me and runs after them.


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## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

There are a ton of pieces in a retrieve and you have to teach all the parts and not necessarily in the order in which you do them. 

I usually start teaching fetch with some kind of toy that has a rope of a handle attached. I teach my dogs to go get the toy and bring it back to me so that we can play a quick game of tug. A Tug also lets you control the toy even when your dog is hanging on. I don't out my dog off the toy until he is reliably bringing it back to play.

I teach the out by trading. When I have ahold of the toy, I will offer a treat and say "out" and when the dog releases the toy, I give him the food. To keep it fun with a dog that is naturally inclined to be possessive I will out sometimes and other times I'll play tug and let him hang onto the toy when he brings it back. This way he is not inclined to play keep away because I won't always take it. 

I would work the sit and stay separately. Maybe try having him sit and tossing a piece of food in front of him...and then releasing him to get the food. Usually dogs are more into their toys and it can be hard for them to listen at first. Slowly work up to the distractions and the ball.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

x2jesse1x said:


> Lead him to myside by his collar


If you lead him by the collar, he is not learning to go into the position on his own, it's the same as when someone pushes a dogs butt to the ground to make him/her sit. It would be better if you looked into some basic obedience, ever try clicker training?


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## x2jesse1x (Feb 10, 2011)

kiya said:


> If you lead him by the collar, he is not learning to go into the position on his own, it's the same as when someone pushes a dogs butt to the ground to make him/her sit. It would be better if you looked into some basic obedience, ever try clicker training?


Well if I don't show him what to do how will he ever know. I've never done clicked training before. I'm not 100% sure how it works. I know you click when the desired task is performed then give treat. Can you incorporated commands into that? 

As far as basic obedience I be agree. I have taught him basic things. But I don't know how to do a lot obviously. I have tried taking him to petsmart training but I didn't like the environment and it was hard because he was distracted by the other dogs. I've been looking into a trainer that actually trains the dog and then shows u what to do. Instead of the opposite. Is that a good way or is it better for me to teach?


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