My dog won't drop the ball. How to teach fetch without treats?

Question

I am trying to teach my dog to play fetch. He goes and gets the ball but will only give it back when I have a treat for him and even then he will try and get it before I can get to it then he won't give it back. How can I teach him to do it without having to have a treat to trade with him? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 7 years and 7 months old

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Many dogs have trouble letting go of the ball when playing fetch! :) I would suggest playing the game with two balls for now. Throw one, then when he brings it back, throw the other one for him. Most dogs will drop the one in their mouth when you bring out the second ball, and will chase the one that you throw. Pick up the first ball as he runs away to chase the second one, and continue to repeat this so that you always have a ball waiting in your hand to throw as soon as he gets back. Over time, many dogs will get into the habit of dropping the ball when they come back to you, so that you may not need to use both balls forever.

My dog won't drop the ball. How to teach fetch without treats?

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