# Sticky  Recalling with balls



## nezzz

Any tips on doing this? I've been attempting to train her to recall with the ball but whenever my girl gets the ball she wants to run away. She does come back if I play ball with her on leash but off leash she will want to run away and not one back.

Her verbal recalled fine though.


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## MaggieRoseLee

You using TWO balls? That's what seems to work better for me. 

I throw one and my pup goes to get it. Then when she's got it I start running in the opposite direction with the other (my  ) ball. Then when my pup gets back to me with 'her' ball and I'm brandishing 'my' ball I can usually get her to drop it and then throw 'my' ball for her. 

Then I pick up the ball she dropped and we start again. 

Running AWAY from her (and not chasing her for the ball in her mouth) is key. 

Train a Dog to Fetch a Ball - Dog Training Tips






Another method Training Your Dog To Fetch a Ball | Retrieve Dog Obedience Training Command


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## Castlemaid

SUPER video MRL!!! This is also an excellent way to teach the dog "drop it" as an additional bonus. 

Once the dog has the two-ball game down pat, I play outside in open areas with a ball launcher for a really good work-out session for my dog, and a really easy lazy way for me to not have to bend down to pick up the ball. (Hey, being lazy is an art! Lots of thinking goes into finding ways to avoid having to do stuff).

I also made this a sticky - hope it helps all new puppy owners!


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## nezzz

MaggieRoseLee said:


> You using TWO balls? That's what seems to work better for me.
> 
> I throw one and my pup goes to get it. Then when she's got it I start running in the opposite direction with the other (my  ) ball. Then when my pup gets back to me with 'her' ball and I'm brandishing 'my' ball I can usually get her to drop it and then throw 'my' ball for her.
> 
> Then I pick up the ball she dropped and we start again.
> 
> Running AWAY from her (and not chasing her for the ball in her mouth) is key.
> 
> Train a Dog to Fetch a Ball - Dog Training Tips
> 
> Villa La PAWs - Teaching Two Ball Retrieve - YouTube
> 
> Another method Training Your Dog To Fetch a Ball | Retrieve Dog Obedience Training Command


I would use the 2 balls method and my trainer suggested I try it but when I ran in the opposite direction, she didn't follow and was happily chewing her ball


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## eddie1976E

I need to try this. My boy will not retrieve. It would be so easy to tire him out playing retrieve.


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## HOBY

I always started a young pup with a fetch and retrieve in a closed off hallway or fact simile. No where else to go kind of thing. Handing the ball to the dog first to get him familiar with it. Then start at a close distance and work farther away in short increments. Always worked like a charm and it was always a fast learn.


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## ZiggytheSheprador

i tried the hallway but no response yet to the ball but we'll keep trying.


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## Wolfenstein

nezzz said:


> I would use the 2 balls method and my trainer suggested I try it but when I ran in the opposite direction, she didn't follow and was happily chewing her ball


Our pup did NOT care at all at first about the balls and retrieving. It's been getting better, though! We do it inside so (like the hallway) there isn't much room to go anywhere. I only ever do it when she seems really energetic and engaged, too, sometimes playing a little tug first helps get her excited. The way I throw it, she has no choice but to at least START coming back towards me when she gets it, so I get all crazy and high pitched and call out "Good Girl!!" and other crazy nonsense to get her excited, haha. Then I start waving the other ball around, hopping back and forth, anything to get her excited about ME, which helps her want the ball I'm holding.

At first, I'd just wait for her to drop the ball on her own, then I'd mark it with a "Yes!" and immediately throw the other ball, and pick up the one she dropped while she was running. Not being too strict about it at first got her drive up more, and I always quit while she's still pretty excited and go back to tug. After a bit, we started pairing an "Out" command with the dropping, to the point where she knows "Out", now, and we use it for other things as well. When we use "Out" for things on walks or around the house, we always make sure to reward it heavily, too, so it makes it stronger for playing ball. We've been doing this for a bit, now, so I've been trying to work on her outing closer to where I'm standing, but it seems like she's starting to lose that drive a bit, so I think I need to pull back with how strict I am and just get her excited to run and chase more. I think not being too strict with it at first and really, really encouraging the CHASING of the ball rather than the HAVING of the ball is what helps for us.


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## joeinca

I do the 2 ball fetch too because my pup wants to play keep away and be chased. It works well..even with both my dogs out there. My older dog is a ball nut and he drops it upon return everytime..but the GSD pup then picks it up and prances around the yard hoping someone will chase her. 

For ball drive a tip I read ..maybe from somewhere on these forums..not sure, was to remove the balls completely about halfway through the session, while the dog is still very interested in them and put them away until next fetch session. I believe this has worked well for my GSD pup...the balls are now something special. She's become a very motivated retriever.


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## Chris1N1A

Another tip I've picked up from a very good trainer:

Never take anything away from your dog. Never reach for the toy when your dog brings it back. If the dog comes to you with the ball and the first thing you do is reach for it the dog learns that you take from it. You don't want that.

Always praise and pay attention to HIM when he comes to you with a toy. Ignore the toy. You want him to know you're happy with HIM.

Having a second toy / ball like others have suggested is a good idea. Distract the dog so that he looses interest in the toy he has and drops it. Then scoop it up while he's distracted. Then you didn't "take" from him.


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## Chasegsdlove

My gsd Chase who is almost 8 months, brings the ball if I say "Bring it" if he doesn't drop it I'll tell him "Drop it" and he is slowly getting that one. But he does bring his ball and doesn't run away I started "bring it" with him at about 4 months and followed it with "drop it" 8/10 times he'll do the bring it but not drop it but he is getting better every time we play fetch.


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## Findlay

I learned about the 2 ball fetch on this forum. 

We've been playing for more than six months.
Lately, I have Finn bring the ball directly to my hand, as soon as the ball is securely in my hand, I toss him the second ball so he can catch it, he thinks the 2nd ball is a prize so I let him prance around with it, which is fair cuz he won it. LOL


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## Steve Strom

Findlay said:


> I learned about the 2 ball fetch on this forum.
> 
> We've been playing for more than six months.
> Lately, I have Finn bring the ball directly to my hand, as soon as the ball is securely in my hand, I toss him the second ball so he can catch it, he thinks the 2nd ball is a prize so I let him prance around with it, which is fair cuz he won it. LOL


And now if you want to, you have a large part of a motivational retrieve:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dQO_Rnd0D4

Its basically you bring me that one and you can have this one.


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## Findlay

Steve Strom said:


> And now if you want to, you have a large part of a motivational retrieve:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dQO_Rnd0D4
> 
> Its basically you bring me that one and you can have this one.


Is your dog on a short leash in that 1st video?

Do you carry something to keep the dog in that tight heel.

A staff member where Finn is trained, carries a rag under her armpit and her GSD heels like yours.


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## Steve Strom

Findlay said:


> Is your dog on a short leash in that 1st video?
> 
> Do you carry something to keep the dog in that tight heel.
> 
> A staff member where Finn is trained, carries a rag under her armpit and her GSD heels like yours.


Yeah, its a tab so I can correct him. The ball is inside my sweatshirt there, its what he's trading the dumbell for. I used a ball for heeling, starting with it in sight, then under my arm, now it can be in a pocket or inside the sweatshirt, or on the ground.


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## JLB tank

I started with Shelby at around 10 weeks old, when I threw the ball she would go get and look around. I would then call her and start clapping my hands, she now returns the ball sometimes with out clapping ( she is 12 weeks)


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