How to Train Your Dog to Deliver to Your Hand

Hello Augustine, There are a few things you can do to fix this. Choose which one seems to work best for Whiskey. 1. When Whiskey gets within three feet of you (before he drops the ball), quickly back up and act really excited so that he runs over to you. When he gets close, put a hand on the ball, tell him to "Drop It", then praise him when he drops it in your hand. After you praise him, either give him a treat (if he will not forget about fetching because food is present) or toss him another ball. After he eats his treat, then toss another ball. 2. When he drops the ball, run over to him, and make the ball move with your foot (pick it up and bounce it a little if a small kick doesn't get him interested again). When he picks it up get him excited by running away a bit - excitedly!, then praise him when he comes all the way to you while chasing you. Repeat this every time that he drops the ball, until he starts to figure out that he should hang onto the ball until he is in front of you. You can also require him to put the ball in your hand and get him to pick it up again anytime that he drops it anywhere besides your hand. Praise him a lot when he touches it to your hand though and put your hand under his chin to help him learn in the beginning. 3. Practice fetch on a long leash while he is wearing a back-clip harness (in case it gets pulled - to keep his neck safe). When he starts to drop the ball, reel him in with the leash quickly until he is all the way in front of you, then tell him "Drop It" when your hand is under his chin or on the ball and ready for him to drop it. If he needs extra encouragement to drop it when you do this, tell him "Drop It" and show him another ball. When he drops the first ball, then throw the second one. 4. Teach a hold command, then tell him to "Hold" on his way back to you with the ball. Back away from him excitedly if he doesn't come all the way to you while holding it - to get him to come. When he arrives, tell him "Okay" or "Drop It" to let him know that he can let go of it now. You will need to teach him "Hold" and "Drop It" before practicing these things during a game of fetch though. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Thank you for the question. It sounds like Artemis is off to a great start! She has part of the exercise down pat and now it's just the finishing touches. There are a few approaches you can take and they are well described in this article here, found on the Wag! website. The details you need are in the guide. Importantly, I think helping Artemis learn the connection of bringing the toy to you can be learned through an exercise as simple as playing chase. She'll learn that in order to continue the game, she has to bring the item back to you. As well, here is an article with a video on fetching. https://www.robertcabral.com/tag/dog-training/page/2/ Have fun and good luck!

Hello, it looks as though you have an eager play partner! To teach Mako the concept of bringing the toy back to you, you could try the "Retrieve the Treats Method" described here: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-retrieve. The "Dual Toy Method" here involves using 2 toys to teach a dog to retrieve: https://wagwalking.com/training/retrieve. It may work even though you are already trying a similar method. Keep working with him a few minutes a day and always end on a high note. For fun, you could sign Mako up for flyball classes. It's a blast and great for energetic dogs! Good luck!

Hello Richmond, All of those things are things that can be taught to an intelligent, willing to please dog with the right instincts to channel into those activities. Saying yes and no is generally just a fun trick though, where pup is taught to respond to certain cues, like a particular question, with a yes or no indicator. I wouldn't expect pup to actually answer yes or no intelligibility based on what they want, like a person would, but learning to read a dog's body language can help you interpret what they want. Just know that many of those commands and tasks will take a lot of time and dedication to teach. Often the first three years of a dog's life with consistent training. Putting the time in to teach pup how to work with and understand you is great fun though! And can really pay off with a dog you can enjoy, involve in your family life, take more places, and trust to work with you. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden