# Bringing the ball back correctly



## GSDnewbieNero (Aug 1, 2020)

I hope I can explain this well enough… I use a ball with rope as a training tool with Nero. It’s his “treat”. At the end (sometimes at the beginning) of our hour walk/hike/training I throw the ball for him (there is usually some more training exercises involved at this point) but it’s becoming super annoying how he drops the ball out of reach of me (like half a metre- but I find it a sloppy finish). He’s not playing keep a way but he just doesn’t bring it to my feet. I usually tell him “get it” “bring it here” - and this sometimes works but usually he just puts it back into his mouth and drops it 1 cm closer to me.

So I brought treats with me but if he so much as sees the ball- he refuses the treats. How do I teach him to finish the exercise at this point (feel like it’s become a habit)?


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## jarn (Jul 18, 2007)

Do you go and get the ball eventually?

When Agis first started playing fetch he wouldn't bring the ball all the way, same as Nero. We'd refuse to pick it up, so he'd bring it closer and then nose it to us (a trick he still does for his dog walker that she thinks is fantastic; I have told he'll bring it right to her but whatever). 

We do not allow that, we hold out our hand and say 'bring the ball' and he has to put the ball in our hand or the game is over. It was a matter of repetition, praise, and patience. We didn't use treats, just his ball drive and that he could not keep on playing without doing what we wanted. 

I don't know how helpful that is - we're not expert trainers - but I think if you keep at it he'll pick up on it eventually. It helps that Agis is mad to chase balls and will do almost anything to do so.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

If the ball is his reward in his mind he's done, task completed. My dog will do this same thing so I taught him a separate bring it command.First on a leash so he couldn't make a mistake, then a long line. Only took a couple of reps until he understood.
As he's running back to me I'll call out "bring it". Sometimes I let him drop it then send him back to get it, which he seems to really enjoy for some reason.Name of toy,bring it - which is a new task separate from the reward he received from the previous task.


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## GSDnewbieNero (Aug 1, 2020)

jarn said:


> Do you go and get the ball eventually?
> 
> When Agis first started playing fetch he wouldn't bring the ball all the way, same as Nero. We'd refuse to pick it up, so he'd bring it closer and then nose it to us (a trick he still does for his dog walker that she thinks is fantastic; I have told he'll bring it right to her but whatever).
> 
> ...


If I don’t go and get it - he just looks at me perplexed. The thing is this ball isn’t really his “catch it ball” which he then does bring straight back to me. I think @dogma13 has it right that I need to work on a second command of bring it. Just need to see how best to do that


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## GSDnewbieNero (Aug 1, 2020)

dogma13 said:


> If the ball is his reward in his mind he's done, task completed. My dog will do this same thing so I taught him a separate bring it command.First on a leash so he couldn't make a mistake, then a long line. Only took a couple of reps until he understood.
> As he's running back to me I'll call out "bring it". Sometimes I let him drop it then send him back to get it, which he seems to really enjoy for some reason.Name of toy,bring it - which is a new task separate from the reward he received from the previous task.


Do I throw the ball a little way - let him put it in his mouth and then tug on lead while saying bring it? Or is there a better way to do it?


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

GSDnewbieNero said:


> Do I throw the ball a little way - let him put it in his mouth and then tug on lead while saying bring it? Or is there a better way to do it?


Exactly this ^^^.A very short lead at first so he can't make a mistake. Backing up a few steps to encourage him to move towards you. Then increase distance as he "gets it".You'll be able to tell the " light bulb moment " when you see it
A secret I learned from others way more skilled than I is how training one task very often actually involves several tasks that are trained separately and strung together.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

You doon't have a ball issue. You have an engagement issue. Have a second ball to lure him in with. He doesn't get the second ball until he comes all the way in witth the first ball and you can touch the string and play tug with him. Then throw the second ball so he releases the first. Repeat with the second ball. Eventually you teach an out after you play with the first ball and just throw that one. The reward shouldn't be the ball. The reward should be you with the ball as an extension of you. 

Because my female's possession is so high and it was causing chomping issues on everythign from the ball to the dumbbell - I taught her to jump on me to interact with the toy and restart the game. The reward is tugging with me so she learned to bring it TO me, not me reaching for the string.


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## melaniep (Jan 28, 2021)

Jax08 said:


> You doon't have a ball issue. You have an engagement issue. Have a second ball to lure him in with. He doesn't get the second ball until he comes all the way in witth the first ball and you can touch the string and play tug with him. Then throw the second ball so he releases the first. Repeat with the second ball. Eventually you teach an out after you play with the first ball and just throw that one. The reward shouldn't be the ball. The reward should be you with the ball as an extension of you.


^^This too worked for us.


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## Jorski (Jan 11, 2019)

Two solutions...
1) as he gets closer jog backwards so he has to come further. Once he gets their reward with some tug play.
2) teach him all three components of fetch.
- go get the ball
-bring the ball
- deliver the ball on the manner you desire.
You ought to be able to put a ball on the ground, tell him to pick it up, have him hold it and then to either give it to you or drop it.

The second method allows you to more easily tell the dog what you want.
The first method simply encourages the desired behaviour. The key is for him to figure out what gets him reward. 
Right now he thinks that spitting the ball out early gets him another toss. He has to understand that only presenting you with the ball in his mouth is the only thing that will get another toss.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Ahhh... Rolf drove me nuts with this. 
What I did was train “Bing” and “Give.”


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