my dog won't retrieve?

Answer 1

Some dogs naturally retrieve, some dogs learn to retrieve, and some dogs just look at you like you're an idiot, expecting them to get you something, then just throwing it away again! My dog is one of the latter, I've tried treating, clicker training, backchaining, etc, and he refuses to fetch. It's him, and theres nothing I can do about it. Try playing other games like tug, or teaching your dog some cool tricks.

Answer 2

Perhaps you don't have a retriever.

Perhaps you are not making it fun.

Perhaps you need to change what you throw....try a dog biscuit.
Try whatever treats you have for the dog...next thing you know your dog will watch what you throw....then....

Try to get the scent of the dog biscuit on the ball or whatever you throw....and perhaps it will get the idea.

Sometimes dogs were hit by sticks, so don't try to throw a stick. Make sure you keep laughing and say good dog ...perhaps the dog is shy...yes dogs have personalities.

Patience and love, some dogs never retrieve but have saved the lives of their owners...you never know what your dog will give to you as a gift and a reward.....Love your Pet!

Answer 3

Not all dogs do retrieve. Most can be taught to retrieve however. If your dog will pick up things in its mouth, then you can easily teach it to retrieve. There are many obedience training books that tell you ways to teach a dog to retrieve. Retrieving is required in all but the lowest level of obedience dog competition.

Answer 4

First what is his prey score?

Go here and run the test. If he has a low prey score (40 or less) it will be a fight. 45-55 - well, if he feels like. Over 55, a retrieving fool. Had a Golden from fabulous bloodlines and she could baarely get a 37 on the prey score - thought the breed descripton had a typo and it said 'never' retrieves.

http://www.volhard.com/training/cpp.htm



Second, without knowing what you have oor have not done, I'll give a quick sketch.

The dog MUST be reliable on heel, sit, down, stay, come and go to heel - on and off leash.

Do NOT make retrieving a game. (Unless you are just wondering why the dog won't play chase the stick.) If there is a job they are supposed to do when they are told to do it, you have to teach it that way. "Kitchy kitchy koo whee isn't this fun please go get it" will NOT train a dog to be a 100% reliable retriever. No matter what the breed, follow the steps to the letter.

You have to break it down into steps - all done ON LEASH and then on a LONG LINE until he will do the retireve if he has to wade through a crowd in the middle of a blizzard to get to it.,

Put the object in his mouth, put it against his teeth and make him open his mouth, hold it 1-2 inches from his mouth and make him reach and take it, same from 6 inches out, 12 inches,.....reaching down near your knee level.... reachig as you hold it out and down near the floor, pickingit up off the floor..... off the floor from 2 feet out in front of you..... 4 feet out......

Each of these stes takes 5-8 days repeating it 8-12 times ech day where the dog does it. Do not move on until it does that step every single time without fail.

He is NEVER allowed to refuse to pick it if you are there for 5 hours rolling about on the ground while he grits his teeth closed. (And at some point he will pitch a fit and refuse to make an issue out of it. Might be when he has to pick it up from the ground as opposed to from the floor, might be when he has to go 12 feet from you....but fight he will.)

Cooperation gets mush praise, pets, hugs and tummy rubs BUT DO NOT USE FOOD. (Someday, you won't ahve the food at ahnd so begin as you mean to go on and you won't have to retrain him to work for praise.)

The post from Carson above saves me from having to type out all the "DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU WANT YOUR DOG TO RETRIEVE."

I've gotten everything from Chihuahuas to Great Danes to do 100% consistent retrieve work. My first AKC obedience champion was breed that the general opinion was "those dogs won't retrieve" - at 2nd level obedience there were 2 retrieves and at 3rd level 4. My current youngster is of a breed that even the breed enthusiasts did the "oh, it will be years before you can get him to ever do a retrieve if he will do it at all and these dogs are still never reliable...." so I emailed them all a picture of him doing a water retrieve - swimming to me as he fetched the wooden dumbbell out of a lake at 6 1/2 months old. They shut up.

If you need a good book on how to do this, email me and be sure that your return email form is functioning (you have to set it for that.)

Answer 5

My cat used to retrieve, it just depends on the animal. Your Dog might never bring things back, but continue to play with it, with time it may change, or it may not understand the concept of throwing and bring it back. Work with it and maybe try some different games

Answer 6

he wont retrieve?? just keep playing with himm till he will