Playing with your dog is a way to bond and enjoy your time together. Teaching your dog to play cooperatively is a way to motivate your dog to work with you cooperatively. EYD believes play-based training is the best way to establish and/or stregthen your relationship with your dog.
Fetch is AKC's newest sport in which dogs can earn four levels of AKC titles
by demonstrating retrieving skills at four different titling levels, each requiring
two qualifying scores from 2 different judges.
View video of novice and intermediate practice.
NOVICE
Novice dogs must perform 3 30' retrieves of a toy/ball/bumper.
There are 4 obstacles the dogs will see the toy being thrown to the left, center and right after each throw the dog must return the ballwithin 3 feet of handler.
INTERMEDIATE
Intermediate dogs must perform 4 50' retrieves of a toy/ball/bumper. There are 8 obstacles the dogs will see the toy being thrown to the left, center and right after each throw the dog must return the ball within 2 feet of handler.
ADVANCED
Advanced dogs perform 70' retrieves The course has 3 blinds which are screens at least 24 inches tall, and 10 ft. to 12 ft. wide.As the dog sits at the handler’s side at the start line, a helper drops a bumper behind each blind as the dog watches.The handler may also choose to throw 3 bumpers/balls over the blinds.The dog must do 2 single retrieves and 2 double retrieves. The order is chosen by the handler.
The 2 single retrieves will be one to the center and one to the right or left.
For the Double:
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The dog is seated at the handler’s side.
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The dog sits (and stays) and watches as the event helper drops the first bumper behind the blind. The helper gets the dog’s attention just before dropping the bumper by saying, “Hey, Hey, Hey,” or “Hey-Hey, Hey-Hey.”
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The helper then says, “Hey, Hey, Hey” (or “Hey-Hey, Hey-Hey”) and drops the 2nd bumper as the dog stays and watches.
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The handler sends the dog to fetch the first bumper (in the order chosen by the handler).
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When the dog returns the first bumper, it is directed to sit, and then it is sent to retrieve the 2nd bumper.
If the handler chooses to throw the bumpers rather than have them dropped, the handler may use a helper to throw. A Chuckit! may also be used to throw balls over the blinds
RETRIEVER
Retriever dogs perform 80' retrieves as described below. The blinds are at least 24 inches tall and 10 ft. to 12 ft. wide.In Retriever, the dog must do 2 double retrieves (“Doubles”) and 1 Triple retrieve. The order of the Doubles and the Triple is chosen by the handler.The 2 Doubles will be to the center, right or left. The Triple must be 1 center, 1 right, and 1 left (with the order chosen by the handler). Bumpers may be dropped by the helper, or the handler may choose to throw the bumpers/balls or have a helper throw. A Chuckit! may be used.
For the Triple retrieve,
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The dog is seated at the handler’s side.
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The dog sits (and stays) and watches as the helper says, “Hey, Hey, Hey” (or,“Hey-Hey, Hey-Hey”) and drops the first bumper behind the blind.
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The helper repeats, ”Hey, Hey, Hey” and drops the 2nd bumper, then the 3rd.
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The handler sends the dog to fetch one bumper.
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When the dog returns the first bumper, it is directed to sit, and then it is sent to retrieve the 2nd bumper, and after that the 3rd bumper.
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The order in which the bumpers are retrieved is the handler’s choice.
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The handler may choose to throw the bumpers or balls.