Fetch is a great way to help a dog get much needed exercise. True it's not quite as a desirable as a good long-lead hike or a meandering sniffari, but since those are not always options, fetch can wear a high energy dog out in a fraction of the time. Fetch training, then, is an important early lesson. There was a time when I was concerned that Gimli would not learn to fetch successfully. I look back and laugh at myself for that now, and then I set April in the yard to watch the master. 
