I have a Golden Retriever(female)?

Question

Are there any good ways to teach her to retrieve? She will run for what you throw sniffs it then walks away?

Answer 1

Hello, First Question I would like to ask back to you is, "What age is your Golden Retriever?"

The next question, is "Do you live near a loch, a pond, or the sea?"

Retrievers tend to like to swim, and she will perhaps be more willing to retrieve, if you throw her favourite toy ( that floats! ) or a stick into the water for her to go and get and bring back to you.

The other part of this, which is the most important thing to remember, is to try not to get frustrated or sound angry if your pup doesn't retrieve as you want her to. She will sense your unhappiness, and probably doesn't understand why. Your dog just knows when you play this game with her, she's not doing something right, and so, she moves on to do something else.

I have listed a few sources below that might be useful.

I hope this is helpful. Keep me posted, and good luck. :-)

Answer 2

You start to teach retrieve by getting the dog to hold something in her mouth while she is sitting in front of you. It could just be a soft toy.

When she will happily hold the toy you start to add a command while she is holding it like 'fetch' or 'hold'.

You then make the dog sit about three feet away from you with the toy on the ground between you and tell her to hold it. She might come forward and scoop the toy up. If she does - praise her and then take the toy off her without dropping it.

Try increasing the distance with her always coming towards you. When she is doing it properly try placing the toy on the ground then send the dog away from you giving her the same command that you have been using all the time.

Eventually you should be able to throw the toy and tell her to fetch it (using the same command).

Some dogs are not natural retrievers because they lose interest as soon as the article stops moving as you describe in your question. Others seem to realise that if they bring the article back then the owner will throw it again.

ALL dogs can be taught to retrieve using methods similar to the one I have given you but it takes time and patience and you can't move on to the next stage until the dog has learned the previous one.

All my dogs do a formal retrieve where they sit by my side and only fetch when they are told to do so. They then bring the article to me and sit in front holding the article until I ask for it

But they all also do play retrieves where they run after the toy - usually a ball - pounce on it - and run back to fling it at my feet.

I think they prefer the second version!

Answer 3

My female golden retriever learned fetch by the time she was 3 months old. However she will not do anymore than what your dog does when we are at the dogpark. I figure she doesn't like picking up the balls that other dogs have had in their mouths. She also gets distracted outside. She learned to fetch inside the house. Now she is getting good at catching.

Answer 4

How old is she? Try to understand what makes her decide to retrieve. Start with playing with her, and a toy. Get her excited about the both of you playing with the toy. Then just toss it a few feet away, and Wait until she brings it back, then praise her. Continue this for a while, over a period of days, so that she knows that if she wants to play with you, she has to bring the toy back. During this playtime, as she's retrieving the toy, tell her,"Bring it here! Good girl!" Then play with her some more. Over a period of time, she'll get the idea, and you can switch objects, as long as she knows that you're playing with her, and she's getting rewarded(praise) for it.

Answer 5

I have a half Golden that does the same thing. She just does not like to retrieve. She much prefers to play "tug". She will swim to a floating toy, pick it up (or not), spit it out and go on about her business.

My last dog LOVED to chase balls, sticks, Frisbees, anything. This one does not. Instead of making her do something that is clearly not enjoyable to her, I find things that we can both enjoy doing.

Answer 6

Te he. I feel your pain I have a golden mix who was the same way now she can't get enough of it. Here's what you do. Pracitice by rolling the ball to her. Maybe even hollow it out and put a treat in it. Praise her like crazy every time she picks it up. Then get a really long leash. Throw the ball when she picks it up, you can use the leash to lure her back to you instead of running away with it. It takes sometime, but it works. My dog and I play ball and frisbee every day and she can not get enough. Once you get the ball down you can teach her to retreive most anything. Good Luck.

Answer 7

We have a golden retriever who just loves her frizz bee, we bought it at Pets at Home, its called a Disc-o-Dog and she carries it everywhere herself outside and we spend hours throwing it for her to catch or chase, we had to try all sorts of toys first with Amber to see what she would or wouldn't retrieve, grab a selection of cheap ones from a pet shop and see if she will take to any of them, you have to laugh at them really don't you as they are supposed to be retrievers and they do the opposite, just persevere she will come round and have you fitter than you expect with all the exercise she will want when she gets an outside toy she likes.

Answer 8

My females are *itches. They just want something if one of the other dogs has it.

My male flat coat I will throw things over a desk that seperates two room and he will go all the way around find it a bring it back. Some dogs just aren't into it.

You can train but all of mine that do retrieve its just been what they wanted to do.

Answer 9

I have 3 dogs and I started by taking a ball and playing and wrestling the dog with the ball. I would try to take it out of there mouth. They love to play like that. I would then get so I would wrestle it out of there mouth and then throw it a few feet. They would run after it and get it so you can try and take it away. You might have to call them to you a few times but they soon learn how much fun it is. I hope this work for you..Take care Jane

Answer 10

My Golden Retriever was the easiest dog I have ever trained. She was housebroke in only a week. She can "sit", "lay down", "play dead", "speak", and "fetch". I bought tennis balls that were scented (and had little doggie paw prints on them). I threw the ball and ran with her to go get it. She liked to try to beat me to the ball, so she would pick it up quickly. I gave her a treat and praised her when she picked it up. Eventually she started picking it up without me running with her. I would then call her back to me. When she brought the ball back, she got a treat. She does it now just to play.