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🐕‍🦺Dog Taining Tips of May

There’s a very specific kind of workout dog owners don’t sign up for…
and that’s repeatedly walking across a park to collect a ball your dog has absolutely no intention of bringing back.

Many will tell you that dogs love fetch…
but you would argue that your dog just loves the chasing part, not the bringing it back part.

So what you end up with is a one-sided game:
you throw → they sprint → they grab it → job done (in their eyes)
…and you’re left doing the “fetch” bit yourself 😅

The fix? Stop trying to force the return… and set the game up so it happens naturally.

This is where the two-ball trick comes in 👇

Start with two balls.
Throw the first one like normal. Your dog runs, grabs it — perfect.

Now instead of calling them back (which most will ignore at this stage), you throw the second ball in the opposite direction… ideally so they have to run past you to get it.

Most dogs will drop the first ball wherever they are at first — that’s fine. Don’t worry about it.

What you’ll start to notice is this:
they begin to run before they drop the first ball
which means the drop happens closer and closer to you each time.

You’re not forcing the return — you’re shaping it.

Once they’re naturally coming back towards you, that’s when you start adding in a “drop” cue as they let go of the ball. You’re teaching it at the exact moment it’s already happening, which makes it much clearer for them.

As this improves, you can slow the game down slightly.
Instead of immediately throwing the second ball, wait a second… then two… then a bit longer — encouraging them to come all the way back to you before the next throw.

Over time, they’ll learn:
coming back to you = the game continues

And that’s the goal.

Eventually, you won’t need to throw the balls in opposite directions anymore. You can start throwing in the same direction, and you’ll still get that return — because your dog now understands the full game, not just the chase.

It’s a small change, but it makes a huge difference.
Suddenly fetch becomes something you do together… not a cardio session you didn’t ask for 🐕

if you need help with walks or more training, contact me to find out how I can help you