Fetch Your Leash

“Fetch Your Leash”

Purpose:  Fun way to interact and communicate with your dog.  The more your dog knows the more they will look to you for direction in all situations.

Prerequisite:  ‘Fetch’

Criteria:  Your dog will get their leash from a hook on the wall and bring it to you.

Que: 

Verbal:  ‘Fetch your leash’

Visual:  Point in the direction their leash is hanging.

What you’ll need:  leash and hook or straight peg on wall.

Steps:

  1. Play fetch with your dogs’ leash.  You may want to tie the leash in a loose knot to make it more desirable to fetch or attach the buckle end of the leash to the hand loop to prevent the buckle from hitting your dog in the head.
  2.  When tossing out the leash say ‘fetch your leash’.  When your dog brings back their leash to you either play ‘fetch your leash’ again or take them for a walk.
  3. When first starting out only toss their leash away a short distance.
  4.  Slowly increase the distance you toss their leash.
  5.  Once your dog is reliably ‘fetching their leash’ move to the area where your dogs leash will be hanging.  Toss the leash towards the wall under the hook where the leash will be hanging.  Say ‘fetch your leash’.  When your dog brings the leash to you attach the leash to them and go for a walk.
  6.  Place the leash on the hook.  Take one step back and say ‘fetch your leash’.  TaFetchYourLeashke your dog for a walk immediately.
  7.  Slowly increase the distance between you and the hanging leash.

Troubleshooting:

  1. Help!  My dog will fetch a ball but not the leash.

Solution:  As you are playing fetch toss the leash a short distance for your dog quickly after they bring the ball back, reward with treats or another game of fetch with the ball.

2.  Help!  The leash gets stuck on the hook.

Solution:  Use a straight peg out of the wall to make it easy for your dog to get their leash off the wall.

3.  Help!  My dog ‘fetches his leash’ without me asking. 

Solution: That means your dog has learned ‘gosh if I get my leash I get to go for a walk’.  What a great way to communicate instead of barking or scratching at the door (how cool is that!?).  BUT if this bothers you put the leash out of your dogs’ sight.

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