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Make sure your dog grasps the concept of sit, stay and come before you graduate to fetch. You will rely on these commands throughout his training.
Choose a location for fetch that allows for varying distances of playing toss. In the beginning, the location should be secure (such as a fenced backyard) and free from distractions. With all the excitement of a doggie park, it is unlikely that your dog will learn to fetch in that environment.
Decide on a command that you will use to cue your dog to fetch. "Fetch" seems like the most appropriate but our retriever has always responded well to "Go Get It!"
Leash your dog and take him to the location you've determined. Command your pup to sit and stay while you throw a tennis ball about 20 feet away. Give the command you've chosen and run with your dog to the tennis ball. Pick the tennis ball up and put it in your dog's mouth. Praise him with words or food and repeat this several times, back and forth across the yard.
Once he understands the concept of fetching the ball, train him to do it without you running alongside him. While he is in the sit and stay position, throw the tennis ball, call out the fetch command and then ceremoniously unclip his leash from his collar. He should run to the ball on his own.
Most dogs will catch on to the retrieval aspect of fetch, but will have a hard time returning the ball to you. This is most frustrating for a dog owner! The way to cure this is to have a second toy, preferably something different from a tennis ball but still easy to throw and retrieve. When your dog retrieves the tennis ball, call him towards you with your come command. As he gets close, say "drop it" and simultaneously throw the second object. This take on the good old-fashioned bait-and-switch should have your dog retrieving and returning in no time.
