Dealing With Your Dog’s Fetch Mania
The good thing about a fetch-loving pooch is that fetch can utilized as great reward during training time!
For example, reward your dog for letting you trim his nails by tossing his favorite Frisbee after each nail clip. This is more effective than treats for many fetch maniac dogs.
Why Does Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior Develop in Dogs?
Chasing a ball does a lot for dogs. It doesn’t matter whether you have a large German Shepherd or a tiny Pomeranian, all canines have that urge to chase. It’s an instinctive response that stems from their early ancestors.
In the past, dogs were hunters that had to chase down prey to survive. While modern dogs are heavily pampered, that prey drive still exists. It’s why dogs love to chase squirrels and play fetch.
That innate urge to chase prey is hard to stop. It feels good for dogs. Their body releases endorphins, giving them a feeling like they’re on cloud nine!
It’s not hard to see why obsessions develop. They love the feeling of chasing a ball, so they want to replicate those feelings as much as possible.
Trainer’s Tip: Create Fetch Rules to Teach Impulse Control
Luckily, there are a lot of ways to reduce your dog’s obsession with fetch. The key is to make some strict rules surrounding fetch and then build up your dog’s impulse control when toys are involved.
Stick to your guns – at least at first. Inconsistent rule making will just confuse your dog. If you occasionally break rules, your dog might just think he has to try harder in order to get what he wants.
The good news? As your dog learns impulse control with fetch, you can slowly start to ease up on many of these rules.
Hide the tennis balls. Keep keep all fetch toys under wraps unless it’s time to play fetch. Your dog will have to learn to entertain himself other ways, breaking the cycle of constant fetch. This will make it much easier to follow the next several steps.
Time your fetch sessions. Set a five-minute timer for rounds of fetch. Use a cue like “last one” before throwing the ball for the last time, and then use a cue like “all done” before tucking the ball into a bag and heading home. This will keep your dog safe from heat and help teach your dog how to calmly end the game. As your dog gets better at this, you can gradually increase the time that you play fetch.
No fetch inside. This rule is really, really important for your sanity – and your floors! Keeping tennis balls locked up will help immensely, but you probably still want to leave out some other toys. If your dog starts giving you squeaky toys or tug toys for fetch, just ignore him. Eventually, he will give up and go do something else.
Only fetch when human initiates. This rule is ultra-important for teaching your dog how to entertain himself in other ways. This might mean stepping over seemingly endless sticks while on walks. It’s ok if your dog carries the stick around, but if he drops it at your feet you have to ignore him.
TOO excited? or OBSESSED with TOYS? – Dog training by Kikopup
Dogs and tennis balls go together like peanut butter and jelly, but can too much of a good thing be a problem? There are pups out there who are more than fond of their ball toys — whether it comes to playing fetch or simply having a comfort item to carry around — though their obsession can leave their owners feeling tired and confused. Contents
Even if you’re not engaged in a constant game of fetch, your dog’s ball obsession can get old. Luckily, we’ve consulted a few canine behavior experts, and we’ve learned a few strategies for using your dog’s favorite toy to your advantage.
Is your dog obsessed with balls? Here’s why — and what you can do about it.