Teaching your dog tricksPart of · Teaching your dog tricks

Go See & Fetch

9 min read

"Go see & fetch" means teaching your dog the name of each person in the household ("go see Dad"), then how to carry an object over to them and place it in their hand ("fetch it to Mum"). We work in two stages, we build the ending first, and everything is paid out at the person he reaches.

Why this trick is really worth it

This trick stacks up two demanding skills. First, an auditory discrimination: "Mum" and "Dad" are verbal labels the dog learns one at a time, just like the names of objects (Kaminski, Call & Fischer 2004; Pilley & Reid 2011). Then a send away from you, against his natural pull to stay near whoever rewards him. Carrying adds a full chain, taking, transporting, releasing: it's the "transport" link of his predatory sequence, replayed as shared play. The result is genuine mental tiredness, often more draining than a long run.

What you need before you start

Recognising names can be worked on on its own. Carrying, though, only begins once these foundations are solid.

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Ready to start

The right object makes the trick easy and safe. The wrong one creates chewing, conflict over possession, or a risk of swallowing.

Best choices

A fabric tug or a firm but soft toyGentle in the mouth, easy to hold without clamping down.

An object dedicated to the trickWith no possession value, the "give" stays relaxed.

A size suited to the mouthBig enough not to be swallowed, light enough to be carried.

Best avoided

Small swallowable objects (batteries, pens, caps)Risk of swallowing and choking.

Brittle or sharp objectsSplintering wood, rigid plastic: injuries in the mouth.

A favourite toy or a high-value objectThe dog tenses up over possession and the release becomes a tug of war.

If in any doubt about the size, bigger is better than smaller.

Phase 1: recognising the named person

One name at a time, one criterion at a time. You never bring in the second name before the first one is reliable.

Step 1 / 4

Le chien relie le son au déplacement vers cette personne.
- The two of you, facing each other, a few metres apart.
- The person to be recognised crouches down, treat in hand, and stays quiet.
- You say "go see Mum": the dog crosses over, she rewards him on arrival.
Move on when: Il part dès le signal et va jusqu'à elle, 5 fois sur 5.
L'envoi tient sans appât visible.
- The person stands up, still silent.
- Then empty hands: the treat only comes out of the pocket after arrival.
Move on when: Envoi franc vers la personne debout, mains vides, 4 fois sur 5.
Le prénom marche partout, pas seulement dans le salon.
- Vary the positions in the room, the distances, then the rooms.
- Stay neutral as the sender: no pointed look or torso turned towards the target.
Move on when: Envoi fiable, positions et lieux variés, 4 fois sur 5.
Le chien choisit la bonne personne sur le prénom.
- Teach "Dad" on his own, exactly as in the previous steps.
- Then both people present, well spaced apart: send towards the one who is named.
- The other stays silent and ignores the dog if he gets it wrong: no treat, no telling-off.
Move on when: Choix correct entre les deux, ordre des prénoms tiré au hasard, environ 4 fois sur 5.

Phase 1 mastered

Phase 2: bringing an object to someone

For carrying, we build the chain from the end, using back-chaining: the release into the hand first, the transport next. That way the dog is always running towards the link he has mastered best, which steadies the whole sequence and cuts down on breaking off.

Prerequisites checked: calm object holding and release on cue. We raise one criterion at a time, either the distance OR the new object OR the new recipient.

The release into the hand

The dog holds the object right in front of Mum; she opens her hand under his mouth and asks for "give". Mark it with a marker word ("yes!"), then jackpot: this final link should become the most rewarding moment of the trick.

Adding the transport

Hand the object to the dog a step away from Mum: "fetch it to Mum", then the familiar send "go see Mum". Lengthen in stages, two steps, the width of the room. The reward always comes from the person who receives it, after the release.

The complete chain

Object picked up off the floor or held out, room to room, recipients alternated ("fetch it to Dad"), varied objects. One criterion raised at a time, never two together.

When it gets stuck

He turns around halfway

The reward is still coming from you: move it entirely to the person he reaches.
Shorten the distance until the send sets off cleanly again.

He spits the object out on the way

The transport was lengthened before a clean release: go back to the release into the hand, with no distance.
Check that the object is comfortable in the mouth, neither too hard nor too heavy.

He goes to the wrong person

You may be guiding with your gaze or your torso: stay neutral and test in varied positions.
The second name arrived too soon: go back to a single, solid name.

He chews instead of holding

The duration step is too high: drop down a notch and mark the calm jaw.
Go back through the "hold an object" trick before adding transport again.

AVSAB — Position statement on humane dog training (positive reinforcement, no reproach for mistakes) (2021)
Kaminski, Call & Fischer — Word learning in a domestic dog: evidence for fast mapping (Science) (2004)
Pilley & Reid — Border collie comprehends object names as verbal referents (Behavioural Processes) (2011)
Pfungst — The Clever Hans effect: reading involuntary body cues (1907)
Demant et al. — Short, spaced sessions: better acquisition in dogs (2011)

To go further

guideHold and carry an objectThe calm hold and the release, the prerequisite for carrying.Read the guide guideNamed objectsFetching the object named by its name.Read the guide

Frequently asked questions

How do you teach a dog to fetch the ball?

Throw the ball, then go quiet: don't talk, don't chase after him. The dog learns that the game only starts again if he brings it back and drops it. As soon as he puts the ball at your feet, throw it straight back: the throw is the reward. If he won't let go, work on the "give" through an exchange, never by snatching.

How do you teach a dog to "go fetch"?

First make retrieving smooth with an object he loves, then name it just before each send. Mark the good start with a marker word ("yes!") and reward on the return, on the release into the hand. Move on in stages: one object, then a named person ("go see Dad"), then carrying to someone.

My dog doesn't bring the ball back, what should I do?

Most often he picks it up but doesn't bring it back, or drops it halfway. Don't go and fetch the ball yourself and don't chase him, it turns into a game of running off. Stay still: the game only starts again when he drops it at your feet. Work on the "give" alongside if the release is sticking.

How do you teach a dog to bring an object to a person?

Build the chain from the end: first the release into the person's hand, then the transport over a few steps, and finally the complete chain. The person who receives it rewards after the release, never you on the return. One name at a time, one criterion raised at a time.

How do you teach a dog to recognise the names of the family?

One name at a time. The person crouches down, stays quiet, and you send "go see Mum": she rewards him on arrival. Once the send is reliable everywhere, teach the second name on its own, then ask him to choose between the two in a randomly chosen order.

Does playing ball make my dog addicted or predatory?

No: the dog tells a ball apart from a living being perfectly well, and bringing it back proves he treats it as shared play. The real risk is overdoing it. Play for 5 to 15 minutes, add a "that's it", put the ball away and vary the activities: an occasional ball channels the need to chase instead of feeding it.

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