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There are many reasons we might train our dogs to fetch various objects. Tossing a tennis ball and having your dog come back with it can be great fun for both you and your dog. Some dogs retrieve as a game. Many owners use the toss and fetch game as a means to relieve their dog of excess energy. Fetch can be fun and rewarding. However, fetch can also be quite useful. Some dogs are taught to fetch as part of their job as therapy dogs, for instance. If you have a dog you are training to be useful and helpful around the house or to be a service dog of any sort, training your dog to fetch shaped objects that don't fit naturally in their mouths can be an important part of their service training.
Dumbbell training teaches your dog to retrieve any object you might need. Dumbbells are awkward for a dog to hold in their mouths. Some dogs’ instinct might be to pick a dumbbell up from one side causing the other end, which is as heavy, to fall out of their mouths. Other dogs might be inclined to chew on a dumbbell as a chew toy and be hesitant to bring the dumbbell to you. Teaching your dog to hold the dumbbell properly in his mouth and not mouth it or chew on it is the first step. Once your dog has this down, you can teach him to retrieve any shaped object by starting with dumbbell retrieval first.
You will need a few items at the ready for training.
- Special treats for training purposes.
- Voice commands such as “dumbbell” or “fetch” and objects name; “fetch dumbbell.”
- Enough space to have your dog far enough away from you to make the retrieval process challenging.
- Dumbbells or dumbbell toys - when beginning the training process, your dog may be hesitant to use a metal dumbbell, so you may look for a vinyl, rubber, or plastic dipped dumbbell.
The Games with Retrieval Method
Most Recommended
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Most Recommended
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Encourage familiarity and holding
Encourage him to hold the dumbbell in the proper position within his mouth with a click treat or a treat reward method.
Reward!
Introduce the dumbbell several times, rewarding him each time he has a positive interaction with the dumbbell.
Introduce toys
Using other toys such as ropes, playfully interact with your dog playing tug-of-war with a rope and then introduce the dumbbell into his mouth rewarding your dog each time he takes the dumbbell instead of the rope.
Encourage choosing the dumbbell
Having the rope and the dumbbell in each hand, place the dumbbell on the ground and encourage your dog to pick it up on his own. Reward and treat once your dog can pick up the dumbbell from the ground.
Make it a game!
Once he is used to holding the dumbbell in his mouth and retrieving it from the ground on his own, turn your training session into a game. Mix and match the toy rope and the dumbbell setting one down on the ground and encouraging him to pick it up and then setting the other toy on the ground and encouraging him to drop the first toy and go for the second toy. The idea here is to make him want the dumbbell as much as he wants to play with the rope.
Toss the dumbbell
Begin to toss the dumbbell across a short distance and encourage your dog to fetch. If he is intrigued and interested in this new toy you have introduced, he will chase after the dumbbell.
Reward with play!
To get him to bring it back, begin to play with the rope, encouraging him to bring the dumbbell back to you and drop it at your feet.
Repeat
Practice this several times, rewarding your dog for each positive behavior as he gets used to the texture and weight of the dumbbell and bringing it back to you.
The Click Retrieval Method
Effective
1 Vote
Effective
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Introduce the dumbbell
Get your dog used to the dumbbell by presenting it to your dog and clicking every time he has a positive reaction. A positive reaction would be sniffing the dumbbell or putting the bit part of the dumbbell in his mouth instead of the bell part of the dumbbell.
Encourage familiarity
Repeat this introduction process several times with a click treat reward. Introduce the dumbbell, let your dog sniff, and click and treat.
Introduce holding the dumbbell
Once your dog is used to the dumbbell, have him hold the dumbbell in proper positioning. Avoid allowing your dog to mouth the object. You want the dog to hold the dumbbell in his mouth without gnawing or chewing on it.
Encourage!
Each time your dog correctly holds the dumbbell in his mouth, click and treat.
Move the dumbbell
Distract your dog while placing the dumbbell in a position where he must find it.
Locate the dumbbell
Walk with your dog to the dumbbell.
Introduce command
Using a verbal command such as “dumbbell” or “fetch dumbbell,” and encourage your dog to put the dumbbell in his mouth.
Picking up the dumbbell
Click and treat once he puts the dumbbell in his mouth.
Repeat
Repeat these steps until your dog automatically puts the dumbbell in his mouth without coaxing him to do so.
Reward and encourage
Click and treat after a positive mouth hold.
Toss the dumbbell
Move on to the next step by tossing the dumbbell a few feet away.
Use your fetch command
Using verbal commands, ask your dog to fetch the dumbbell.
Reward!
Once your dog has retrieved the dumbbell and put it in his mouth, click and treat immediately by walking toward him with a treat reward.
Have him return the dumbbell
As he becomes comfortable with this retrieval process and his click and treat rewards, begin to have him bring the dumbbell back to you.
Toss and stay put
Toss the dumbbell. Staying in place this time, ask your dog to retrieve the dumbbell with your verbal command. “fetch dumbbell.”
Encourage
This may take a few times, but if you are not moving, he will be encouraged by past behavior to bring the dumbbell to you seeking the reward of a click and treat.
Reward!
Once you have the dumbbell back in your possession, click and treat.
Repeat
Continue working this process with your dog until it is second nature for him.
The Treat Method
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Least Recommended
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Introduce dumbbell and command
Introduce the dumbbell and the verbal command you choose to use such as “dumbbell” or “fetch dumbbell” to your dog.
Encourage familiarity
Let her sniff it and gently place it inside her mouth for proper positioning.
Affirm command
Each time you place it in her mouth use the verbal command you have chosen.
Reward!
Once your dog is used to holding the dumbbell in her mouth, give her a treat.
Picking up the dumbbell
With the dumbbell on the ground, encourage your dog to pick it up off the ground. Once she has picked up the dumbbell on her own and properly placed it in her mouth, give her a treat.
Toss the dumbbell
With the ability to pick up a dumbbell and keep it properly placed in her mouth on her own, you can toss the dumbbell a small distance and ask her to fetch with your verbal command.
Retrieving the dumbbell
If she is able to run after the dumbbell and pick it up, walk over to her and offer a treat.
Encourage returning the dumbbell
After several times retrieving the dumbbell and giving it to you once you have walked toward her, toss the dumbbell and stay in place, encouraging her to bring it to you.
Toss and wait
With verbal commands, “fetch dumbbell”, toss it, stand firm in your place, and wait for her to return it to you. If she does not bring it to you right away, you may use other verbal commands such as “come.” When she brings the dumbbell to you, offer her a treat.
Repeat
Be sure to repeat the steps often and practice the behavior several times a week once your dog has it down.
Written by Amy Caldwell
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 09/19/2017, edited: 01/08/2021
Training Questions and Answers
I have just introduced the dumbbell to my silky terrier and already he is holding correctly and retrieving it on command and bringing it back to me, however he is dropping it about 10 cms away from my feet and I think for trialling competition purposes he is meant to bring all the way and I take from his mouth? How do I encourage him to bring it all the way and allow me to take it from his mouth? He is quite smart and has amazed me that he has learnt the dumbbell retrieval in about 10 mins of training. I have also hidden it all around the house and asked him to find it and he brings it back every time with a sit in front of me.
July 24, 2021
Barney's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello Jenny, It sounds like he is doing great. Check out the article I have linked below. Specifically check out the sections on Come and trouble shooting. I would use either a long training leash or check cord that drags behind pup that you can pick up and reel pup in with, or when pup starts to drop it, run toward pup a little to get their attention and close the distance then quickly backup to get pup to chase you back to the original spot you called from before they drop it. You could also teach the Hold command, which is included in the article below as well. Fetching article: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-to-fetch/ Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
July 26, 2021
Jessie will not even open her mouth to hold the dumbell. How can I help her do this. She shows no interest in it.
Jan. 14, 2019
Jessie Cricket's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello Betty, Start with something similar to a dumbbell that's easier for her to hold- like a rubber toy that shaped similarly. Tell her to "Hold" and dab a little peanut butter on it. Let her lick the peanut butter for a second, then gently put the tasty toy into her mouth and then take it back out again (it should have a little peanut butter on it when you do this so that it will taste good). Repeat this until she willingly opens her mouth for the toy because of the peanut butter taste. When you can tell her to "Hold" and offer her the toy and she will open her mouth on her own, then transition to the dumbbell and practice the same training with the dumbbell instead- putting peanut butter on that at first also. Practice with the Peanut Butter and the "Hold" command with the dumbbell until she will open her mouth and take the dumbbell even without the peanut butter. When she gets to that point in the training, you can transition to what you want to teach her next. Make sure any Peanut butter that you choose does NOT contain Xylitol - it's extremely toxic to dogs. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
Jan. 15, 2019
Here I don’t find Peanut Butter: may I use “ ham or liver pate?
Aug. 5, 2020
Luisella