How to teach my dog ​​to bring the ball

Search and bring the ball is one of the most common games that we usually resort to when we walk our dogs or take them to exercise. However, we do not always get them to pay attention to us and it can be difficult for them to search or bring the object we have launched. So that you know how to educate your dog correctly in this practice and obtain the expected results, in this article we show you the keys so that you know how to teach your dog to bring the ball .

one

The game of finding and bringing the ball consists of 4 phases that you must teach your dog if you want to do it correctly:

• Go find the ball
• Catch the ball
• Trear the ball
• Drop the ball

two

The first two stages of the game are the simplest to teach, the problem always lies in the last two, because dogs usually own the ball and not bring or release it. So, this will be the first thing we will work on. To motivate your dog and get him interested in playing with the ball or any other object, you must dedicate a few minutes to play with him without releasing it . So, order him to sit down and shake the ball near his nose to get his attention and focus on the object. You can let her take it, in fact it is good that she does it so that she gets used to it and it is much easier to teach her how to treat her when we throw her out.

3

When you take the ball, give it an order, such as 'Take', to associate it and take the object whenever you order it. If you do not catch the ball instinctively, you must incite it. To do this, press lightly with your hands between the upper and lower jaws of your dog, causing it to open its mouth. When you open it, put the ball inside while you say the command 'Take' and compliment it effusively. Positive conditioning is essential when training a dog, so you should congratulate him every time he does something right. When you do this fluently, leave the ball on the ground and give the order to take it. Reward it every time you do it.

4

Now we will teach you how to release it . To do this, do not let him release the ball without you telling him. Let him have the object in his mouth for a few seconds, place your open hand under his nose and give him the command 'Let go' or the word with which you feel most comfortable. Since what we want is to leave the ball on its own, we should not take it out of our mouths, because we will be creating the opposite effect and the dog will think that it should wait for you to take it off. You will have to repeat the order several times during 20 minutes, at the most, and practice it several days until you learn it. You will find that at first your dog will have a bit of trouble releasing the ball but, with insistence and patience, will relate the hand and the word with the act of dropping the object.

5

Each time your dog releases the ball without you having said it, you must tell him a clear 'No' and give it to him again, and when he does it well congratulate him. When you have learned the orders to 'take' and 'drop' the ball, we can proceed to launch it. To do this, look for a large place, where you can run, and make it feel. Then, throw the ball not far away and give the command 'Search' to associate it with the act of chasing the object.

6

If when throwing your dog chases the ball but does not take it, give the order that you taught to take it and, then, indicate that it comes to you. When you have it in front of you, tell it to sit down and give it the 'Drop' command that you previously instilled. Prémialo when it does, uses trinkets for dogs in order to motivate more.

If you have not taught your dog the order 'Come', you must do it. The best way is to take advantage of everyday situations, every time your dog approaches you, whether to eat or anything else, say 'come' and congratulate him. This way you will learn to associate the act of going towards you with the word.

7

Put all these instructions into practice and play with your dog every day until he learns to bring the ball . If the breed of your dog is hunting, it will be much easier for you to learn to go and find the object and catch it, but it will cost you more to get it to come and release it, because it will take it as its prey. You must insist on the last steps until you internalize them. The exercise of the dog is essential so that it releases tension and does not accumulate stress.

• It is very important that you reward your dog every time he does something right.
• The sooner you teach your dog to bring the ball, the easier it will be for the learning process, as they grow up it is harder for them to internalize the orders.