Retrieval Games for Spaniels: Five Ways to Make Fetch More Fun

• Traditional dummy retrieves build focus and tap into your dog's natural instincts

• Scent-based retrieval games provide mental stimulation

• Water retrieves offer low-impact exercise for confident swimmers

• Memory and directional retrieves develop impulse control

• Short sessions prevent injury and obsessive behaviour

Spaniels were born to work and tapping into those instincts through retrieval games means they can focus on purposeful activity that brings them joy and stimulation. Moving beyond repetitive ball throwing and into proper retrieval work is also great for your spaniel's physical health and mental wellbeing.

Ball chasing is an instinct-driven pursuit behaviour that is self-rewarding and the more a dog does it, the more addicted they become. Retrieving is the better alternative because its structured sequence of find, pick up, return, release and wait channels the same natural drives in a controlled, cooperative way.

Traditional dummy retrieves build focus and tap into your dog's natural instincts

Canvas gundog training dummies are brilliant for spaniel retrieval games. Unlike balls, which trigger the prey drive and send dogs into a mindless, adrenaline-fuelled chase, dummies encourage calm, controlled retrieves and help develop a "soft mouth" – the careful, gentle hold that gundogs are bred for. Because your spaniel has to find the object, return it to you gently, and wait for you to send them off again, they are actively using their brain as well as their body, building problem-solving skills, memory and focus alongside their commands.

Start in your garden: show your spaniel the dummy, toss it a couple of metres and give a cheerful- "fetch!" When they bring it back, make a real fuss and let them have a moment to carry it proudly. That parade around the garden is completely natural and worth celebrating. Build gradually to 10–20 metres and mix up your locations.

Scent-based retrieval games provide mental stimulation

A spaniel's nose is their superpower. Scent-based retrieval transforms fetch into a mental puzzle and taps into a deeper part of your spaniel's natural instincts. When a dog uses their nose to find something, it completes more of their natural predatory sequence (search, stalk, find). This is why scent work does the opposite of the dopamine-and-cortisol spike that repetitive ball chasing produces, leaving them calm and satisfied rather than buzzing with adrenaline.

Hide a dummy in long grass, behind a tree or under a garden bench. Ask your spaniel to "wait," then release them with an enthusiastic "find it!" A successful hunt, even in the garden, is deeply fulfilling.

Try these variations, perfect for rainy days, older dogs or spaniels recovering from injury:

• Scatter retrieves: Toss three-four dummies in different directions

• Blind retrieves: Hide dummies without your spaniel watching

• Scented dummies (when your dog is more confident): Add a little game scent – which you can purchase from gundog training suppliers – for an extra challenge

Water retrieves offer low-impact exercise for confident swimmers

If your spaniel loves water (as so many do), water retrieves are a wonderful addition. They're gentle on joints and hugely satisfying. The steadier, slower movements of water retrieval are kinder on muscles and bones than the sharp turns and sudden stops of land-based ball chasing. Start shallow, with a floating dummy or rubber toy just one-two metres away and build distance as confidence grows.

A few essentials for keeping your dog safe around water:

• This is for confident swimmers only – never push a nervous dog in

• Avoid stagnant ponds (leptospirosis and blue-green algae risk)

• No rough seas, fast rivers or reservoirs

• Keep sessions to 10–15 minutes

• Rinse the coat and dry ears thoroughly afterwards

• Always bring fresh drinking water

Memory and directional retrieves develop impulse control

These games showcase what spaniels are truly capable of and deliver the kind of structured mental engagement that keeps dogs calm and settled.

Memory retrieves: Your spaniel watches you throw a dummy, then waits (starting at just three-five seconds, building to a minute or two) before you send them to retrieve. Add gentle distractions (walk in a small circle, clap once) to strengthen focus. As a next step, throw multiple dummies and ask for a specific retrieval order.

Directional retrieves: Using hand signals and verbal cues ("Left!" "Right!" "Back!"), you send your spaniel to find hidden dummies. Start with two clearly visible dummies at roughly 10 and 2 o'clock, then gradually increase distance and reduce visibility.

Both games give your spaniel the working satisfaction they were bred for, and the impulse control they build like learning to wait, to focus on you rather than their surroundings and to release the object calmly on return, carries into calmer, more settled behaviour every day.

Short sessions prevent injury and obsessive behaviour

Ball launchers are actively discouraged by vets and canine behaviour professionals, and the science is clear on why. Repetitive high-speed ball chasing can pose a risk both physically – sprains, soft tissue injuries, joint strain from tight turns and sudden stops and the elevated risk of cruciate damage – and psychologically. The fast movement of the ball triggers a rush of dopamine and endorphins that puts dogs into a state of high arousal, making it harder for them to focus, listen or calm down after play.

Over time, some dogs become "ball junkies," entering a hyper-focused, adrenaline-driven state where they find nothing else satisfying and the frustration of waiting for the next throw can lead to barking, jumping and sometimes even biting. Structured retrieving avoids all of this. The steadier pace, requirement to think and wait, and the reward of a partnership with you mean your spaniel gets both physical exercise and mental stimulation.

Principles for safe, happy retrieval play:

• Short sessions: 5–10 minutes maximum with rest breaks

• Variety: Rotate dummy work, scent retrieves, water and memory games

• Warm up first: 5–10 minutes of gentle walking before any retrieval work

• Grass only: Never on concrete or hard surfaces

• Impulse control: Practise "wait" before release and "drop it" on return

• Watch for fatigue: Stop if your spaniel is panting heavily, slowing or limping

Done thoughtfully, retrieval games can be really rewarding for your spaniel. It’s a chance to create a partnership built on trust, communication and everything they were bred to do.