The key is to make some strict rules surrounding fetch and then build up your dog’s impulse control when toys are involved. Luckily, there are a lot of ways to reduce your dog’s obsession with fetch. So how can you help your fetch maniac settle down and enjoy other things in life? Trainer’s Tip: Create Fetch Rules to Teach Impulse Control Familiarize yourself with warning signs of overheating in dogs – this is important no matter how much your dog loves fetch! If you have a fetch maniac, you’ll need to keep an eye on the temperature as well as his water consumption helps keep him safe. As an owner, it’s my job to keep him safe, and having a fetch-obsessed dog sometimes means you have to work overtime. I have to keep a very close idea on Barley when playing fetch to ensure that he’s not overheating. Your dog plays fetch anywhere, anytime and has a hard time quitting even when tired or hot.įetch can even end up being dangerous if your dog is too obsessed! I’m fully confident that Barley would fetch until he drowned or overheated if I let him.You have to physically restrain your dog to keep him from playing fetch or chasing objects.You have to lock up tennis balls to keep your dog from constantly bugging you to play fetch.Your dog frequently refuses to engage in other activities because he’d rather play fetch.Most will enjoy catching the occasional frisbee or ball and won’t flip out when you move on to another activity.įor others, they get hooked on the fixed action pattern and little bursts of happiness they receive every time they fetch a ball – and this is where fetch can become a problem. I wanted to be able to pet my dog and do things other than fetch!īarley trying to push me into a game of fetch before dinnerįor the vast majority of dogs, fetch won’t turn into this obsessive fixation. As soon as I looked at him or reached for him, he darted off to find something – anything – for me to throw.

When I first adopted Barley, I couldn’t pet him. It’s not nice to have a dog that’s so single-minded about something that he’d be clinically diagnosed as OCD if he were a human! I’m a runner and hiker, but some days it’s nice to just throw a frisbee for your dog. That’s why it was one of my number one criteria when I was looking for a dog. When Fetch is a Problemįetch is a fantastic way to wear out your dog. Today I’ll be covering some of the strategies and tips I’ve used to help Barley realize there is a whole world outside of the word “fetch” and how I’ve managed to retain my sanity.

Together, Barley and I have been working on easing up on his unconditional love of fetch. How could I help him become a slightly more normal member of the household? I’ve owned him for three months and I’ve never seen him actually play with another dog. I got what I was looking for, but when I first got my new dog, he was so focused on fetch that he turned down steak in exchange for a tennis ball.

Catch a lover game dog