If you want to teach your puppy to track and fetch, but don't want to invest in a trainer, here are a few pointers to help you do it quickly yourself.
There are two things you can do to build rapport between you and your dog while teaching them to respond positively to learning. One is tracking, the other is fetch.
Tracking: Puppy tracking is a wonderful way to get you and your puppy out for a walk. Tracking is natural for a puppy and is relatively easy to teach for short distances.
Start the training by finding a park or a nice open area. Secure your puppy to something solid and let him watch you place tidbits of food on the ground roughly one foot apart in a straight line for about ten feet. Also let him watch you put his favorite toy at the end of this track.
Now walk back through this same track to your puppy and take them to the first piece of food, point to it and say "Track." Encourage the dog to keep their head down and keep it down while pointing to the next piece of food.
They will quickly start smelling the food from piece to piece! When the dog reaches the toy, praise them and play with the puppy and the toy. You get the best results when repeating this exercise three times.
In order for your dog to become reliable at tracking you need to practice at least two or three times a week. he will become reliable pretty quickly. As your puppy keeps their nose to the ground, spread the treats farther apart each time you "track." When they can go forty to fifty yards in one direction, put down another track at roughly a 45-degree angle to either the right or left.
Fetching: For a puppy, fetching is an important and helpful task to learn. It both uses energy and teaches your dog to return to you.
First, find a toy your puppy likes like a soft sock or small stuffed toy.
Now put your puppy on a twenty-foot line. Place the toy in front of the dog and back up, waving the toy gently on the floor as you move backward.
When your puppy first grabs the toy, tell them "good boy" and gently tug it for just a second to make them hold it. Be careful not to make this a game of tug of war. Now let go of the toy and praise them as they carries it. If they happen to drop it, repeat the process.
After they have succeeded a few times, throw the toy a few feet from your puppy and tell them"Fetch." When they get it, verbally praise them and let them carry it around for a few seconds.
Gently pull them toward you and when they reach you, offer them a treat for the toy. When they drop the toy, give them the treat.
Finally, repeat until they understand what you want because you'll both benefit from this game!
Use the tips in this article to teach your puppy to track and fetch and begin to feel good about what you can accomplish though a few simple exercises.
This article is an example of the type of information inside Edie MacKenzie's new ebook "Your Puppy's First Year Made Easy." So if you'd like more great tips on how to raise a healthy, fun loving, well-behaved dog, go to
Your Puppy's First Year Made Easy
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