My bitch, who we acquired from her breeder at a year old, has never been really interested in toys apart from the sort associated with food lol! She is nearly six - we've recently started going to training classes again and she does quite well - I suppose she ought to at nearly six! apart from when it comes to the retrieve. She has absolutely no interest & doesn't want to know. The trainer says to play with the toys myself with such enthusiasm that she'll want to join in. She doesn't. Just imagine me, a 65 year old lady, ( today complete with flippy-floppy hat like the dingle dangle scarecrow..;-) ) madly chasing a ball around a field whilst the dog takes no notice whatsoever.....:-) :-) :-)Any ideas, anyone?
Cathy.

Some breeds and some individual dogs just don't do the toy retrieve thing, it doesn't float their boat.

My own bred is like that so you need to associate the retrieve with something that does float her boat, food!!!!

I believe it is called a forced retrieve, not is using force, but because it isn't one from a natural inclination.

As far as I remember you start with tiny steps, with the dog sat in front, and either encourage the dog to take the dumbbell or retrieve article, or put it in their mouth, and immediately give a reward saying hold.  With the aid of treats you should be able to get her happy to hold the item for increasing lengths of time and a good enough reward.

Next step command hold when the dumbbell is an inch from her mouth and when she retrieves it that inch, same as before gradually increasing the distance, then lowering it, putting on the ground and increasing distance etc etc.

To get her interested in retrieve you could get an old cloth pencil case or small nylon purse (about £1 from markets) and put smelly treats inside i.e. spam or cheese.  Throw this for her and when she eventually brings it to you, you can open the purse and give her the treat.  She will quickly cotton on that she has to bring it back to you to get the treat inside it.

This is what was taught when I took my dog to training classes.

Yes this has worked well at our classes, but often once onto a dumbbell it has to be taught again but it speeds the idea of retrieve up.

Clicker training is usually the best way. I have had dogs I'd tried everything with including a sock stuffed full of ham (it was quite nasty when I forgot it in my training bag for a week! :) ), real animal fur, actual bones to retrieve and other food, clockwork mice to trigger the chase instinct -you name it, i tried it! If you clicker train you can reward for each small step the dog makes, i.e. first you click and reward for just LOOKING at the object, then for touching it, then for attempting to pick it up, then for holding it etc etc. (Takes weeks, of course.) I have got a dog of mine to retrieve this way.

Or wrap the item in an old smelly sock with yours or your other halfs scent in it, that sometimes works.

madly chasing a ball around a field whilst the dog takes no notice whatsoever.....  Any ideas, anyone?


:-D  Love to see that!!! Poor you, I'm really sorry, but you have no hope of getting her interested in using that training method, mind you it will keep you very fit. :-) Love to know what she is thinking whilst watching you. :-)

Seriously though, are you just wishing to teach her due to the training class, are you hoping to progress to other classes? It's just that at 6 years of age to be honest if it is not of interest to her I wouldn't be too worried, unless I wanted her to learn for a reason.

But, if you do, aswell as the other advice given, once she was totally besotted with me , I would play retreive with another dog to get her interest going, dogs do have a tendancy for jealousy just like we do and hopefully as well as the other methods mentioned she may become interested in doing it to please you. :-)

Actually yes it is just for the training class. It's just so embarassing when she doesn't want to know. I would have hoped by now that at my advanced age I wouldn't care any more what anyone else thinks - but sorry, folks, I still do. I've definitely decided to just finish this term and then continue to enjoy her as she is - a beautiful laid back friendly bitch, with whom I'm very very happy. :-)

Excellent idea, your company, nice walks and occassional play if she should be interested is all she needs at 6 years, (unless she has some behavioural issues that need addressing) Is she an ex-breeding bitch?  If so, she will enjoy having your sole attention and a nice laid back life. :-)

We had her at a year old because she was unsuitable for showing due to having had some surgery. 2 months later she produced 6 beautiful puppies,  and needless to say was spayed at the earliest opportunity after that. She is a Pat dog and enjoys going to visit in an NHS unit for physically disabled adults.

She's obviously got a fantastic temperament, I would be very proud of her. :-) 

I would have hoped by now that at my advanced age I wouldn't care any more what anyone else thinks - but sorry, folks, I still do.

:-D  You have nothing to prove at all, as a PAT dog you can look at her with the highest esteem, and so will everyone else in training class, I bet some wish if only their dog was so well behaved. :-)