How to Play Frisbee With Your Dog
Dogs love to fetch things and bring them back to their owners over and over again. Therefore, playing frisbee with your dog can be a great way for both of you to spend a good time together. Want to know how to do it? Take note of the following tips!
“Playing” is a simple word. But when it comes to throwing something and waiting for your dog to bring it back to you, things can get complicated. In order to play frisbee with your dog, you’ll need to follow the advice we share below.
Learn how to play frisbee with your dog
What’s so fun about this game? It involves more than just throwing something for your dog to find and bring back. The point is for your dog to learn to catch the frisbee in mid-air. Do you think your dog could do it? If you apply the tips below, then there’s no doubt about it. Obviously, your dog needs to know how to go after an object like a ball or something similar. If not, then that’s where you need to start, and we’ll tell you how to go about it.
Buying the right frisbee for your dog
Frisbees for humans are made of a very hard material that can hurt an animal. For example, the frisbee could hit your dog, or your dog could damage its teeth when grabbing it. Therefore, the best thing you can do is look for a special frisbee for dogs that consists of softer materials that reduce these risks.
It’s worth pointing out that there’s a wide variety of brands to choose from. However, the most famous and popular are Hyperflite, Hero, and Aerobie. So, if you can find a soft frisbee made of flexible material, this is ideal .
Associate the disk with something positive
There’s nothing better when it comes to training or disciplining a dog than positive reinforcement. Even if your dog knows how to fetch a stick or a ball, a frisbee will represent something new. So, you need to help familiarize your pet with the frisbee and help him or her associate it with positive things. To do so, we suggest the following:
- Use the frisbee as a food bowl for some time–at least a week. Put your dog’s food there and let him eat out of it. That way, the animal will get used to seeing the frisbee and associate it with something positive: eating.
- Rub a sausage or a piece of meat on the frisbee and have your dog look for it. The scent will attract your pet.
- Give your dog a reward. You should reward any attempt to catch the frisbee, whether it’s successful or not… This is the best form of motivation. Even if your dog wants to take the frisbee out of your hand, this is positive and should be rewarded!
- Don’t ask your dog to drop the frisbee. Rather, use another frisbee to tempt your pet. That way, he or she will drop the first frisbee in exchange for the second.
Make it roll
In order to play frisbee with your dog, the animal must first get used to seeing this toy. If you start out by throwing the frisbee into the air right away, it may be difficult for your dog to catch. So, it’s better to make the frisbee roll like a wheel and let your dog chase after it.
Do this several times until your dog can catch it successfully. Then you can try alternating between rolling the frisbee and throwing it in the air. This way, your dog will get used to the game.
Motivation
Introduce this game as part of your pet’s routine, associate it with positive things, and use rewards as motivation. If you do, you’ll probably reach a point where you’ll dog will want the frisbee so bad that he or she will stop waiting for it to hit the ground. Rather, they’ll jump to catch it mid-air. You just need to be patient and trust in your pet’s intelligence. Sooner or later, you’ll see the result you’re looking for.
Just remember: Positive reinforcement is the key. Don’t be impatient. Don’t yell at or hit your dog if he or she takes longer than you expected to catch on. Just try again on another occasion. Getting to the point where you can play frisbee with your dog isn’t a simple task at first. But with love and dedication, you’ll soon see the fruits of your hard work. What’s more, both you and your dog will enjoy the benefits!