Fetch!?

[Darcy & Millie]

How many of your doodles love to play fetch?  Millie is 6 months old, and I think that was one of the very first things I taught her..However, now I'm wondering if that was a good thing!  She CONSTANTLY wants to play fetch and is bringing me her ball.  I know you are not suppose to let them initiate play, but it's too hard to resist.  UGH.....   I am so tired of being interrupted with a doodle at my feet and a ball in her mouth though..LOL..

Can you relate???

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Oh yes....our Fudge would play ball forever, but I had to stop it in the house, because she kept purposely shoving that darn ball under furniture to get our attention. Now, we go outside and play and when we are done, I have her drop it at the door and put the ball up high where she can't get it before we enter the house. This seems to work as it signals we are done.

[Darcy & Millie]

I love that idea.  I have not played with her outside in awhile because I get nervous she's not going to listen and run off on me.  We used to let her go out and trust her.  Anymore, she chases chickens, and is venturing into the woods where she INSTANTLY picks up those small burrs...GRR....  Maybe I'll try it again though, in the morning before the chickens are out at least.  :)

[Deborah Brown]

Wayne is an OCD ball doodle.  I believe it is all he thinks about day and night.  You know how people wonder what the dog would say if it could talk?  Well mine would say "throw the ball!"  He will drop it in my lap, at my feet, anything to get attention.  He does entertain himself in the house with a number of "ball" games.  Or outside, he will push it under the gate and works to get it back.  He is relentless.

I, too, limit the amount of time we can play.  I take him out in the yard 4 or 5 times per day.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Our first two, Lucy and Sophie neither one cared for fetch.  Lucy would do it a couple times in the house and get tired of Sophie trying to stop her by getting to the item first and taking it somewhere else.  Outside, no interest.  However, little AnnaBelle (I'm going to have to stop calling her that soon) loves to fetch.  Normally though before she brings it back she has to run over and go past Lucy to see if she can engage her before bringing it back to be thrown again.  If Lucy does happen to think she might like to play a little and jumps up, it startles AnnaBelle so much she drops whatever it is and thinks she has to run.  It is really funny.  I think having one that fetches is a lifesaver down the road because they will get lots of exercise to keep them from adding unwanted pounds.  If for some reason you needed to rehabilitate for a knee injury or something it is a great way to do that.  So, incorporate Laurie's suggestion for ball outside or put the ball up where she can't get it and use it for rewards. 

[Pat and Traveler]

Trav loves playing ball, but like Laurie I have to keep all the balls up inside the house or he'll knock one under a piece of furniture and have a fit until I get it out.  He also doesn't like the dropping part of fetch, and would like for the game to morph into chase, which is just as fun.  In the park, I carry two balls, so when he gets back to me with the first one, he'll drop it when I throw the second one.  I'm very well trained.  :)

[BG and Gavin]

Like Pat and Laurie, the ball comes out for as long as we are willing, then gets put away.  Gavin is not pushy with the ball, just the opposite in fact.  He brings the ball over to you and then goes and sits in the "waiting positiion" until you throw it.  If you are distracted he will sometimes walk over to where he left it, look at it again and then run back to "waiting position."  If you remain distracted, he will eventually lie down in "waiting position" and after a while he appears to be asleep. Note, the sustained and heart-breaking eye contact during the "wait" is also part of his game.  However, the moment you move for the ball he pops back up into an expectant sit.  It is rather pathetic.  Sometimes by the time you throw it he is so worn out from waiting that after he chases it he lies down for a sleep with the ball.

[Robin and Libby Louise]

BG, you have captured the pathos of the waiting and eye contact perfectly!  It could be almost heart breaking if it wasn't so funny most of the time!

[Janie, Jackson and Jilly]

Sounds a little like Jack! If it's not a ball, it's a Frisbee or a toy! Jilly could care less about playing catch! Go figure!

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

It's hard to play fetch when you have to coax and cajole to get him to drop!  Truth be told, he would rather play CHASE, but I was told that detracts from a willing COME command.  I have to try the 2 ball approach that Pat mentions with Traveler!  bait and switch! 

[Angie, Hudson and Lily]

I have one non-fetching doodle (Hudson) and one ball loving, fetching doodle (Lily). Hudson isn't really great at catching a ball and when he does would rather you chase him around trying to get it. Lily loves to fetch over and over, and like your doodle, she brings the ball to us in the house and puts it in our lap or at our feet. She often brings her ball to bed with her or snuggles with it on the couch....:)

[Doris]

Bodi does not play fetch.  He does not like balls.  He has one toy that looks like two tennis balls with a bar in between.  We throw that and he gets it.  We don't get a second chance!  I would LOVE a little bit of fetch!

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Murphy is ball obsessed and has been since he was a puppy with his first ball. He loves playing so much that we used it for a reward for training. He learned to lay down, drop it, and "get the ball "very early with playing fetch. He has gotten so good at bringing it back that we can literally sit or stand in one spot and he will bring it right to our arms length. If it's short of his target, we don't reach and he will pick it back up and bring it closer! That totally amazes me everyday. I think he can even judge how far it's going to roll when he drops it on tile because he can be 4-5 ft away and drop it and it rolls right to us. Just so smart and so fun. We just came in from playing out back, so this was a timely post.