The Mikki Chukka Stick is ideal for long walks in the countryside or even just to play in the park. This lightweight and durable toy is the ultimate fetch and retrieval aid. It will also keep hands clean and free from slobber! Ideal to teach your dog to fetch or simply just to have fun.

1. Play with your dog and the Mikki Chukka Stick – getting him to mouth and chase the toy as you move it around in front of him.
2. Once you have gained his interest in the ball and he’s happy to pick it up, put it into the Chukka Stick, use the Stick to throw the ball a short distance away and tell him to “Fetch”.
3. When your dog reaches and picks up the ball, bend down low, open your arms and call him back to you enthusiastically – using his name to get his attention and then the command “Come” to encourage him to return.
4. Be very enthusiastic when giving this command so your dog comes to you and doesn’t run somewhere else to play with the ball.
5. As your dog returns towards you, keep calling and praising him so that he doesn’t run past you with excitement.
6. Once your dog has stopped in front of you, gently put your hand under the mouth and say “Drop”. You may need to use a treat to get your dog to drop the ball. The Mikki Deluxe Training Bag allows you to reach your treats easily with one hand whilst holding the toy with the other! Your dog will learn that treats come after good behaviour. When he drops the ball, give him lots of praise, then repeat the entire exercise.
7. If your dog does not want to come back to you with the ball, attach a Mikki Recall Training Lead to his collar. Once he has retrieved the ball and is heading off in the wrong direction, restrict his movements by gently guiding him towards you with the lead. Make sure you and your dog enjoy the game by praising and making a fuss of him when he gets it right.
8. As you practice, and your dog starts to learn the technique, you can increase the distance that you throw the ball.

What treats should I use during training sessions?

It is important to choose an appropriate treat to reward your dog’s good behaviour. Different dogs will be motivated by different types of treat and it is important to determine what your dog loves the most.

Try a variety of dog treats or cooked meats. Dogs that are extremely keen on food may be happy to accept their normal kibble as rewards. However, most dogs will prefer a more special reward for harder tasks.

Always break the treats into suitable sized pieces for training before you begin your session.  Treats should be tiny so that they are easy to eat and swallow; pea-sized pieces are normally ideal.  Avoid treats that are large or which require much chewing as this will slow down your training.

Avoid giving your dog large amounts of new treats as this could cause a stomach upset.  If your dog has done a lot of training during the day, you may wish to reduce the amount of main meal you offer later on. This will help to balance out his calorie intake for the day. Of course, if your dog has been doing a lot of activity, he may have burned off the extra energy already.