Dog Community

Improving ball catching abilities?

Posted : 9/19/2011 8:53:21 PM

So, Luke is currently learning fly ball. He's making some nice progress since starting earlier this summer. He runs all the jumps (wouldn't when he started) he triggers the box, and the box turn is coming along nicely. Between the trainer and myself, we've gotten him past everything that he's had trouble learning. The thing he is struggling with now is catching the ball of the box. He has yet to actually catch the ball, the closest he got was getting it before it went behind the box (but he does now return the proper lane when this happens). Is there a tip or trick to helping him learn to catch, or something I can practice with him at home? He's never caught anything. We tried teaching the dogs to catch treats in a tricks class once, and Luke was the only one who never got it. We used popcorn, since it gets more air time, and he let it bounce off his face, which is what is currently occurring with the ball. It bounces off his face, and goes behind the box. Even not bouncing off his face and behind would probably be better.

JackieG

Posted : 9/20/2011 7:57:15 AM

practice, practice, practice

rwbeagles

Posted : 9/20/2011 10:11:55 AM

typed up a response and the stupid forum EATS IT! Ellie is about the same size as Luke I think, just shy of 20lbs? maybe 12" tall?...she loves tennis balls, and will try like anything to catch them but they are JUST a smidge too girthy and almost always pop off a tooth and away. When she has one on the ground she can easily pick it up because she has the time to adjust her jaw. On the fly she just cannot do it. You might have a similar issue with Luke? He might not even like the feeling of something bouncing off his teeth/mouth if he ever has something tossed at him.

I might start with food on a long blunted skewer...tap his muzzle and mouth with it and I bet he'd open up. When he does say CATCH IT! Bring it in from above, below sideways etc and say that phrase the second he opens his moosh to get the food off the stick. Use something he really likes and doesn't haveto lick, like marshmallows or hot dog pieces. He will probably start to grab at the food...then perhaps the transition to CATCH IT without the stick or perhaps from a more unpredictable moving string type set up??

Other dogs learn by watching or from excitement...have another dog catch food in front of him and don't let him get in on it. Make sure the other dog isn't snarky tho around food of course. He may "get it" then or be so stirred up that when you let him go he just tries out of excitement.

Once he is sorta trying for food or even doing food...try rubbing a small ball (large enough not to choke him but small and light...maybe a ping pong ball? and toss it saying CATCH IT!...

Perhaps then you can move up to a tennis ball and have that command and he'd know what to do?

Boxermom2Marley

Posted : 9/20/2011 1:59:01 PM

rwbeagles

Other dogs learn by watching or from excitement...have another dog catch food in front of him and don't let him get in on it. Make sure the other dog isn't snarky tho around food of course. He may "get it" then or be so stirred up that when you let him go he just tries out of excitement.

This is a great way to help him learn to catch. Marley has always caught things in the air-I never really taught him, he just figured it out, so I guess I got lucky Smile
However, my mom's dog, Pugsley was never a catcher. Just this past weekend I hate some leftover movie popcorn and threw one at Marley for him to get which he promptly snapped his mouth down on and threw one at Pugsley and watched it tink off his face. My brother laughed and said that he cant catch anything. I told him that he just needed to be shown how and told Marley "catch" when I tossed it (which he did) and then said "Pugsley, CATCH". He actually opened his mouth after the first try~! It was within maybe 5 pieces of popcorn, Pugsley was already catching like a pro. Smile

Good luck to you! I was going to do flyball but didnt feel right about leaving Marley in a kennel for the times he wasnt performing. Its just too hot down here in FL for that.

Jewlieee

Posted : 9/20/2011 5:51:23 PM

In frisbee, you throw rollers before you expect the dog to catch from the air. Rollers teaches the coordination,confidence, tracking and timing. Once a dog is an expert and cartching rollers then you have the dog grab out of your hand, from there you do small releases as the dog is trying to grab from your hand, and finally moving tosses.

I would follow this method for tennis balls with a few modifications. Roll the ball short distances on the ground to build up drive, coordination and confidence. Do small toss and grabs (never throw at the dogs face, always away). Then moving throws.....once the dog builds confidence then catching a ball being thrown at him (or towards him like being ejected from the box) should be no prob

griffinej5

Posted : 9/22/2011 11:00:34 PM

The having another dog model it for him method, that's didn't work for him when we did it in class. I think maybe it was just easier for him to let it hit the floor and get it from there. He has never really made attempts at catching anything, except in fly ball. Otherwise, he lets it hit the ground first before he gets it. I'm wondering though if putting it on a stick might just do it, since that will prevent him from getting it from the floor.

Stephanie, at the moment, we have no intentions of competition. I work on the weekends, so that clearly doesn't work. I think the earliest possibility of change on that is 9-12 months away. It's a pretty fun way to spend a Friday night (that's how you can tell I'm really cool, I take my dog to fly ball). Luke is highly motivated by tennis balls, and I think we could probably get to competition level, but if we never get there, that's fine too.

Boxermom2Marley

Posted : 9/23/2011 12:53:01 PM

griffinej5

It's a pretty fun way to spend a Friday night (that's how you can tell I'm really cool, I take my dog to fly ball).

Ha! I must be the coolest because all I do is dog oriented things. Wow...thanks for bringing it to my attention that I really need some friends LOL Wink

griffinej5

Posted : 9/24/2011 10:16:34 PM

Haha... I have dog friends. Actually, if I didn't live 45 minutes away from the facility and have odd work hours, I would do things with one of the people we started with in the first fly ball class.

griffinej5

Posted : 10/8/2011 8:54:33 PM

So, I finally remembered a small ball for him, and there was much improvement. He didn't lose the ball behind the box this week, and he's running without gates around his jumps. There might be some single dog racing in the near future if my schedule allows.