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fetch with 2

Moviedust

Well-known member
Playing fetch with Cedar and Willow doesnt go as smoothly as I suspect it might. Cedar has always loved to play fetch, and she plays the game very well (she cheats sometimes, but otherwise follows all the rules). ;)

Willow likes the chase part. She and Cedar will take off after the toy at full speed, but Willow never picks the toy up herself, even if she gets there first. She waits for Cedar to get it. But once Cedar picks it up, Willow tries to cut her off and steal the toy from her. Cedar, of course, knows she is supposed to bring the toy straight back to me, and she noticably is irritated with Willow distracting her from that goal. Eventually, Cedar makes it back to me and they both prepare to go again, but I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on how to make this a game work for two.
 
:lol: Your description of their fetching is too cute!

Karlin posted a really fun video of Jaspar and Leo playing fetch, where they share the toy and carry it back to her together. Geordie and India do that too with their AirBone toy. It doesn't work well with a ball because they then try to take it from each other, much like Willow does :lol: Or sometimes if India gets the ball, Geordie grabs India's ear and they return together. :roll:

If you have a toy that is long enough in shape, Cedar may pick it up first and Willow may possibly hold on to it too. I'm thinking Cedar could return it to you with Willow in tow.

My other cav girl Chocolate did not know how to fetch at all when we adopted her at age 4, and in the 8 months we've had her she has made great progress by learning from India and Geordie. We throw multiple toys, so Geordie and India bring back one and Chocolate gets to chase one.

Have fun, and tell us how they're progressing!
 
The fetch toy is the airbone ring. It is THE toy for fetch. Cedar's had it since she was 8 weeks old. Technically, I think it COULD be carried by both, but not the way Cedar carries it. I'll have to look for another airborne toy that Cedar can share. ;)
 
When I'm playing with my two at a public park someone will inevitably ask if Shelby ever gets the ball! If I throw one ball she will run with Jake, let him get it, and they try to get it back from him. Him giving her play growls the whole time. Once in a while she will get it but not bring it back right away...so Jake goes over and starts barking at her "give it back and she'll throw it again...don't hog the ball!". So....I sit and throw two balls, one for each. Wears me out but it's sooo fun to watch.
 
I have never seen Willow actually pick up the toy. A few times, she is got so far ahead of Cedar that Cedar stopped chasing, assuming Willow would get it. But Willow gets to the toy, and then stands and waits. Cedar then realizes she still has a chance and goes and gets it.

If Willow would get the toy, I could easily throw two objects. Is there anyway to teach Willow to pick it iup ?? All the dogs I've ever had taught me to play fetch, never the other way around. ;)
 
I'd say Cedar probably enjoys this process more than it might seem when watching. Leo does this with Jaspar; it took Leo AGES to even chase a fetch toy with Jaspar and he almost never picks it up himself unless they are playing indoor fetch in my house. It took months for Leo to start trying to take the toy from Jaspar and now this is a key part of the game much of the time. Jaspar growls etc but he growls in this type of play and though he has to dodge away from Leo too, he clearly now enjoys all of this. Better yet if Leo gets the toy and they have a tug of war with it -- if Leo gets the toy he tends to stand with it and wait for Jaspar to come grab it. Sometimes they both like to carry it back together. :lol:

Willow will probably gradually learn to try for the toy herself but as like Leo she was never exposed to toys it can take some time for this to happen. Cedar also will learn to have Willow be part of the game too just as Jaspar did.

Incidentally it took Leo probably 6 months to even try and retrieve anything himself and he learned to retrieve by following Jaspar around. It took him a year to try to swim, after watching Jaspar plunge into ponds and the canal dozens of times. Now Leo is always the first one who jumps in for a swim and he gets more excited than Jaspar at water, especially at the beach.

Lily is only just learning to fetch and she won't swim yet. 8)
 
:lol: These pups are so funny with their fetch antics!

I just brought home 3 cute little latex squeaky toys from England. A little black and white sneaker, a fake croissant, and a baby hedgehog. My dogs absolutely love them (they've never had latex toys before)!

Chocolate has finally started to return the latex toys to us TODAY when we throw them in the house! Before the latex toys she would chase the fuzzy squeaky balls from their I-cube hide-a-toy and had started to pick them up in her mouth, but not return them to us. This was a huge step for her because for months before that she would chase toys but not pick them up at all!

In time I'm sure Willow will figure out what toys she wants to pick up and carry! Maybe she would like the latex?
 
my boys love fetch!! they used to play it really well with each other ... now however its like Cedar and Willow...Milo will always get the ball first and Monty will just bark and try and get it off him (though he's never been able to)...i dont think he minds a bit but i start to feel sorry for him and cheat for him a bit... icon_whistling ..i sometimes throw the ball...and hold milo back for a little bit to give monty a head start...Monty usually gets the ball first and milo goes crazy trying to get it back...its quite funny to watch really ;)
 
Okay... Sounds as though I should just be patient and let the two of them work it out. I'll give them some more time to see if Willow grows into a more active player.
 
Maybe she just hasn't found 'her' toy yet? If you get a toy she's passionate about, I would think the rest would follow naturally. Although getting her to bring it back to you might be something else....
 
yes i agree with Lisa. Milo has always liked the ball but Monty is more into stuffed toys and waterbottles etc. maybe willow hasnt found "her" toy yet
 
I think that's one of the problems. Willow is a rescue. As Karlin points out, it can take rescues a little while to figure out what toys are for and how to play with them. Cedar, of course, has favorite toys for all sort of activities, times of day, and for different moods. Willow, come to think of it, still doesnt play with toys a great deal. One of those things, I suppose.
 
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