# Can Maltese fetch?



## MegaMaltese

Here's another problem of mine: I can't get my Maltese (or not actually mine; I'm dogsitting) to play fetch. 

I've been watching some YouTube vids on how to teach a dog using his favorite toy and treats. But my little guy won't even keep the toy in his mouth. I've tried over and over again, but nothing seems to work. :smheat:

So are Maltese capable of fetching? Or it's just not in their nature?

Thanks!!


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## silverhaven

Maybe it depends on the individual personality. Mine do and really have never needed teaching. Getting them to give up the toy when they bring it needed teaching. I did that with treats.


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## Ryder's Mom

Yeah, Ryder started it on his own and he loves it now. Getting him to drop the ball is the hardest part! Or sometimes even bringing it back to me.


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## Katkoota

silverhaven said:


> Maybe it *depends on the individual personality.* Mine do and really have never needed teaching. Getting them to give up the toy when they bring it needed teaching. I did that with treats.


sure is.

Snowy did not require teaching to go after what you throw far for him. 









Well, Crystal somehow did require teaching. I did not do the teaching to her though. Snowy taught her:w00t:

You see, when I first got her, and when I used to play fetch with Snowy, here is how it always went:

1. I threw ball
2. Snowy ran after ball
3. Crystal ran after Snowy
4. Snowy caught ball
5. Crystal caught Snowy (grabbed his hair)
6. Snowy returned with ball in mouth, Crystal returned with Snowy in mouth:HistericalSmiley:here is a "back then" photo of how fetch games were taking place at the malts' place (malts were wet in this photo)









However, gradually, Crystal turned her interest into toys. It is still more of "doing it because Snowy is doing it" type of thing, that makes Crystal plays fetch. That said, only certain toys and balls, Crystal will fetch. Mostly, the ones that fit her mouth, she will fetch. Whereas, Snowy, will fetch anything even if it was his own whole size LOL

Kat


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## michellerobison

Sasha is my only fetcher,she just loves it.....Emily ,Bitsy and Rylee look at me like ..."you threw it,you go get it". My cocker Amber would play fetch until her feet wore down to nubs.


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## MegaMaltese

Wow, cool pics. But how do I get my Maltese to do the same? Any good instructional stuff out there? Or should I just quit trying to change his nature?


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## CloudClan

I have an obsessive fetcher in Cadeau. He adores playing fetch and every Maltese I have had from puppyhood has been a fetcher because I have always played that game with them starting young. 

Some of the ones I have gotten as adults I have taught to fetch, but they have not taken to it with the enthusiasm that the pups have. I think this is one of those things that has a critical period where it just makes more sense and is more fun for the dog to learn. If it is not done with them until they are adults they tend to "not get" what makes it so much fun. They can learn it, but do not seem to "enjoy" it as much.


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## Lacie's Mom

Tilly loves to play fetch. Lacie, on the other hand, will not play fetch. She enjoys playing with her toys by herself. She loves to throw them in the air and catch them.

Tilly will bring me a toy to throw until she gets tired. In addition, she will play tug of war forever!!!

Secret doesn't play with toys, she prefers to play the "get me" game.


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## edelweiss

Kitzel doesn't like fetch either, although we tried to teach him since he was young. When he did catch it he would not return it to us. :smpullhair: He seems bored w/that whole process. 
He does like to toss & catch his own toys when HE is in the mood. :innocent:He really isn't much of a player w/others, only on his own. He also really wants to play w/our huge cat---but she has claws and isn't interested in his games! :behindsofa:
I think he needs another maltese to play with him!:hump:


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## princessre

My two LOVE to fetch!!! We have so much fun doing it for 45 minutes each day! It's a great exercise option for the winter!


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## educ8m

This is an interesting topic. Gracie LOVES to play fetch and has since the first day I brought her home. She will play until I finally get tired and quit. It makes me wonder if her breeder, Mary, played fetch with each of the puppies in the litter from the time they were babies or does it have more to do with a difference in the prey drive within each individual dog. Gracie has a strong prey drive. She sees the movement of a bird, rabbit, or squirrel, and wants to chase it!


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## socalyte

Cozette LOVES to play fetch! She would for hours if I accommodated her, lol. Tiffany, on the other hand, gives me the look of, "Look, if you wanted it you shouldn't have thrown it-- I'm too much of a princess to fetch!" LOL.


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## MaryH

educ8m said:


> This is an interesting topic. Gracie LOVES to play fetch and has since the first day I brought her home. She will play until I finally get tired and quit. It makes me wonder if her breeder, Mary, played fetch with each of the puppies in the litter from the time they were babies or does it have more to do with a difference in the prey drive within each individual dog. Gracie has a strong prey drive. She sees the movement of a bird, rabbit, or squirrel, and wants to chase it!


Deb, I do play fetch with each of the puppies separately from the time they start wobbling/walking. Playing with each one separately gives me an opportunity to see how they move and gives them the opportunity to learn in a secure environment that it's fun and safe to explore on their own. I usually start by sitting on the floor with a puppy, gently pushing the puppy away from me, watching him or her run back to me while saying "come". Such a simple way to introduce "come" and a simple way for the puppy to get praised for doing what he or she naturally wants to do. Eventually they want to broaden their world and start exploring away from me ... which is exactly what I want them to do. And as soon as I say "come" they come scrambling back to me. More praise. Then I start teasing them with little toys, playing tug of war, saying "give" while taking the toy from their mouth, and more praise. Once they've got this routine down, I start throwing a toy and saying "get it". It's not like I'm really teaching them anything. I'm just adding a word to what they naturally want to do. The best part is when I can say "get it", "come", and "give" and they do all three. It's not rocket science and they are not rocket scientists (OMG, don't tell them I said that!!), it's me adding words and them responding. I can lay that sort of foundation and so long as the new puppy owner continues it the puppies will probably always love doing a retrieve.


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## mommatee

Katkoota said:


> sure is.
> 
> You see, when I first got her, and when I used to play fetch with Snowy, here is how it always went:
> 
> 1. I threw ball
> 2. Snowy ran after ball
> 3. Crystal ran after Snowy
> 4. Snowy caught ball
> 5. Crystal caught Snowy (grabbed his hair)
> 6. Snowy returned with ball in mouth, Crystal returned with Snowy in mouthKat


How can you not just fall in love with Crystal and Snowy! :HistericalSmiley:Too cute!


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## Lilly's Mommy

Lilly loves to play fetch. She can even go get her toys by name(throw the hippo & the lamb& tell her to get the hippo). She has loved it since the first week we got her and she will seriously play for HOURS if you keep throwing her toys. She's actually dropping them all around the computer as we speak trying to get me to throw them.


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## Katkoota

mommatee said:


> How can you not just fall in love with Crystal and Snowy! :HistericalSmiley:Too cute!


lol I sure find it entertaining to watch them together. I swear, Crystal was a pain for Snowy whenever he played ball in her first 2 years with him. But, Snowy has ALWAYS been a good brother to her :wub: SO VERY patient with her and never moody. This video can explain what I mean  




 
^ that video was taken in 2008 or 2009... now, however, Crystal competes to catch the ball. Mostly she fails at catching it before Snowy, so I give her a lil help - throw the ball to her direction more than Snowys...one throw I help her, another throw I don't. They play nicely together.


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## Ryder's Mom

Man, I can't even get Ryder to go outside to use the bathroom when the grass is wet. It'd be amusing to see what he'd be like if I ever tried to make him play fetch in the rain.


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## Katkoota

LOL 

Give it a try, Kelley - play fetch with Ryder in the rain .. just remember that Ryder's mommy doesn't mind playing in the rain too ^_^ 

Since it doesn't rain so much where we are, the second it rains in winter, the malts have a blast in the rain


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## TheMunchkin

It took Fendi a long time to learn how to fetch. It did not come by nature. I was never really consistent or persistent about it though. One day, at 4 years old, she started getting the hang out of it. And now she does it. 

And telling Peanut to go fetch will be met with a blank stare. Lol.


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## Ryder's Mom

Katkoota said:


> LOL
> 
> Give it a try, Kelley - play fetch with Ryder in the rain .. just remember that Ryder's mommy doesn't mind playing in the rain too ^_^
> 
> Since it doesn't rain so much where we are, the second it rains in winter, the malts have a blast in the rain


Haha! I've tried taking Ryder out to the bathroom when it's raining and he sits on the porch staring outside and sits down then won't budge! After it rains I try to take him out to go potty and he'll do everything possible to avoid getting his paws wet on the grass. Last night he decided to stand right at the spot where the driveway meets the grass and lift his leg just so, so that he could pee on the grass but not have to step on it. :HistericalSmiley:


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## jodublin

i will send shiloh over she will play fetch with you from dawn to dusk .


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## Marbleslite

My Marbles loves to fetch but as many have posted, does not like to give up the ball, even with treats! Now my very first Maltese before Marbles would not play fetch. I would throw the ball and he would look at the ball and then at me as if to say, "Well aren't you gonna' go get that?" LOL . . . . I guess it depends on their personality. My first Maltese really thought he was human.


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## MegaMaltese

I just got a clicker and tried to use it with treats to teach my Malt. But this little guy is so schizoid he's AFRAID of the clicking sound! He retreats as if he just heard a big angry dog.

Has this happened to anyone else? At this point I'm about to throw up my hands. Not just about fetching, but every issue about this guy: peeing, separation anxiety, etc. Oh, well, he's not my dog. I'm just looking after him.


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## Katkoota

MegaMaltese said:


> I just got a clicker and tried to use it with treats to teach my Malt. But this little guy is so schizoid he's AFRAID of the clicking sound! He retreats as if he just heard a big angry dog.
> 
> Has this happened to anyone else? At this point I'm about to throw up my hands. Not just about fetching, but every issue about this guy: peeing, separation anxiety, etc. Oh, well, he's not my dog. I'm just looking after him.


I know that some dogs can be noise sensitive and, therefore, are afraid of clicker noise. 
The three tricks that can work is:
1. Buy a softer sounding clicker (The Karen Pryor "i-Click" clicker is not as loud as the traditional "box" style clickers. Check it out --> CLICK here to read info about i-Click). 
2. Muffle the clicker sound by clicking the clicker in your pocket. 
3. Also this is for the traditional "box" style clickers: 


> Some dogs are afraid of the sound of the clicker. There are a couple of solutions to this. One solution is to put several strips of adhesive tape over the dimpled end of the clicker. The more layers of tape, the softer the click. As the dog becomes used to the sound, you can begin removing layers of tape. Another solution is to use a different marker. Click the end of a ball point pen. Use the "bubble" on the lid of a baby food jar. Use a whistle or a flashlight.


ClickerSolutions Frequently Asked Questions 


by the way, are you dog sitting this malt? for how long? It is a pitty that his owners didn't/don't take the responsibility to train him.


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## Katkoota

Ryder's Mom said:


> Haha! I've tried taking Ryder out to the bathroom when it's raining and he sits on the porch staring outside and sits down then won't budge! After it rains I try to take him out to go potty and he'll do everything possible to avoid getting his paws wet on the grass. *Last night he decided to stand right at the spot where the driveway meets the grass and lift his leg just so, so that he could pee on the grass but not have to step on it.* :HistericalSmiley:


well your Ryder is SO adorable and precious in looks and act :wub: and smart too :thumbsup:


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## Canada

Can Maltese Fetch?
.... If they feel like it!  

I have two fetchers (Paris & Tucker) and one non fetcher. (Coco)
Tucker also likes to play fetch with himself. :wacko1:
He'll toss a chew bone, run at it, and toss it again.


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## silverhaven

My Lola was scared of the clicker at first too. She ran and hid. As Kat says just muffle the sound somewhat and give a treat every time you click. Then start to lessen the muffling as you continue to treat and click. Shouldn't take long at all.


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## Chalex

You can teach a Maltese to do anything they want to do - with the exception of pulling a sled.


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