The Fetch Game Evolves - Fetch with a Terrier

This is extracted from an email I sent to Neil Sattin, regarding the evolution of Fetch with Marley:

we've tried some new stuff with Marley and fetch, and it seems to be working out.

He would get too wound up to even release the ball, crazy jaw action, he would yelp and lunge if it wasn't instantly thrown, and even slam into you upon returning with the ball. We had a devil of a time getting the final ball from him. I even offered him fresh lamb and he refused it.

The progression:

stop using the chuck-it.
always be in throw position (a non-verbal "ready?!")
switch back to tennis balls
short throws
allow him to keep the ball at the end and kill it and skin it
use the 'dead' ball as the last ball he gets when we end the game (so we just have a few dead balls on hand).

The game is now far, far more rhythmic than it was before, he drops the deadball before we even leave the yard and runs right to his crate for a treat. (no lunging at us for more balls)

I have to give credit to Jan Fennell, she had a terrier client who required the tennis ball to be killed and went into a total panic when he was unable to puncture one particular ball.

From an NDT perspective, I think the ball is full of energy (the bouncing on the ground , AND the feel of it in his jaws) being a terrier he's relentless at the kill, and as soon as it's dead (literally and figuratively - which is the same for him I guess), the fun is gone and he's done.

I have to confess that a few times the cat brought home maimed rodents to torture (we always rescue the birds) we have let Marley have the pleasure of killing and eating them. He's much faster at it than the cat - like lightning. I don't know if all the imprints of killing and ending the hunt have helped with the fetch thing, but things have certainly shifted.