Frisbee

    • Gold Top Dog

    Frisbee

    What is the best way to teach a dog how to catch a frisbee?  She already loves them and will fetch them for me all day.
    • Bronze
    I would start with very short distances, maybe even just a few feet away and tossing the disc to her and letting her catch it. Once she understands that's what you want slowly add more distance. Praise for every successful catch.

    Good luck. Let us know how it goes.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Thanks for the tips!  She seems to love her frisbee and could be a good future disc dog.  Or maybe even just for fun in the backyard.
    • Bronze
    She is adorable. Good luck with her and let us know how it goes.
    • Gold Top Dog
    might want to try one of the soft floppy discs for your initial "catch" work.
    • Bronze
    Actually, tossing a disc straight at a dog may intimidate her if she isn't quite coordinated enough to manage a good, clean and solid catch.  If she's already got the idea of chasing the disc, the best way to teach her to catch it is to begin tossing "rollers" for her on the ground. Have them roll away from her and encourage her to go get it.  She'll figure it out on her own, in a non-threatening way, to snag them off the ground while in motion. (A regular hard disc is best for this, but not a Petsmart brand one.  They break and crack and can cause damage to her soft mouth and gums.  We can recommend some good ones if you don't already have a few of your own.)  Once she has the idea of catching rollers and is snagging them quickly and easily off the ground while in motion, you can then begin short tosses very low to the ground away from you.  Encourage her to snag those out of the air.  YOu can also alternate a roller for a short toss, a roller, then another short toss. Once she gets that, slowly increase the distance and height so that over time she is running away from you, snagging a disc out of the air, and bringing it back.  Another great way to encourage the snag out of the air is to play "monkey in the middle" with her.  You and a partner stand about six feet away from each other in the beginning and encourage ANY attempt to jump at the disc.  Throw them just barely over her head so that she has to reach up to get them.  Even if she misses, have a party!  Then, as she's staying in the middle and leaping up to grab them before you do, increase your distance between each other to the point that you are tossing the disc, and she is running out and snagging them out of the air.
     
    Hope this helps!
    • Gold Top Dog
    Another thing I do is I start a dog, just getting them "hooked" really hard on the disc by doing work right at hand - chasing it while in my hand, switching discs, grabbing it out of my hand, chasing me while I'm holding it - in other words taking the hard part out of it and getting them sold on the notion of grabbing that disc. I do a few short rollers too. I work a lot inside on the floor since I do a lot with adult rescues and don't want to factor in the control part. Pair the dog's grabbing the disc with a cue like "GET IT" or "TAKE!"

    Then I start getting the dog to take the disc from the air, and chase. Rollers of course get the dog chasing, and I "hover" the disc right in front of me or beside me - the disc stays more or less in one place, allowing the dog to get the idea of CHOMP! [:D] To hover properly you need a real disc, not a floppy or one of those flies-like-a-rock things.

    I have several discs ready and spin the disc in the air, take a step back, spin another, take a step back, etc, etc. Use your take word to focus the dog on the disc YOU have. The repetition builds drive and muscle memory. You can also start spinning them a bit farther from you when the dog is confident pulling them out of the air - it's very easy then to make the transition to distance tosses.

    Good luck!
    • Gold Top Dog
    Thanks for all the info! She can already catch tennis balls she catches them every time.  I throw them straight at her too and she isn't afraid but i'm sure thats much different than a frisbee.

     
    Also do you think my boston terrier could learn to catch frisbees?  I'm thinking they are too big for her to learn to catch.  She can do this though.
    • Bronze
    Your boston could easily learn it.  ANd there are micro dog discs, too that are smaller in diameter so that the smaller mouths can easily navigate it. Those are sold on the Skyhoundz website or the Jeffers catalog has them a bit cheaper.  Linda can give you that website...I dont' know it off the top of my head.  But sure your boston could play!  Any dog can do disc work if they have a patient owner!