Frisbee is a newish kind of dog sports. The rules are simple – the owner throws a frisbee disk and the dog catches it. Dogs as well as people like this joyful and entertaining pastime and the breed is of no importance.
Safety Rules
If you decided that Frisbee is what your dog needs, than you need to know some rules that will keep your dog from traumatizing. It's allowed to play Frisbee only on even surface without hillocks and holes. A lawn with short grass, sand or snow will be the best surface for the playground.
The surface shouldn't be sound or slippery like roadway covering, wet grass or footworn snow.
It's forbidden to play on the ground where dangerous for the dog garbage lies: glass, rocks, branches. You should also watch the dog's paws. The dog may traumatize its paws while running and jumping because of too long nails, pieces of ice between pads in winter. And, of course, you should always have a bottle of water at hand to avoid dehydration of the dog.
Dog Frisbee Training
Don't speed up your dog to learn the next exercise until previous one hadn't been worked out well because you won't reach the needed result. Dogs of different breeds and age are trained in various manners and speed. That's why the time for one exercise learning is individual and may take from several days to several months. Maximal age of dog frisbee training is free.
If the dog makes a mistake in a certain exercise, you should back to the previous one and having analyzed it thoroughly to find a mistake. There is a high probability of the mistake repeating in future if to ignore it now.
Exercise 1. Habituation and Socialization
This is the exercise of the first acquaintance with frisbee disk and confidence development to the toy. Feed the dog from frisbee disk. Put some dog treats on the disk and let the dog to eat them. Don't overfeed the dog because the main goal of this action is to set off positive emotions at the disk sight. Don't forget to give the dog to drink in the same way. Frisbee disk can be used as a dog feeder at home too. Minimal age of the puppy for this exercise studying is 2 months.
Exercise 2. Learning to Play with Frisbee Disk
Even a puppy understands instinctively that the toy is a prey and what to do with it. As a rule, it's enough just to tease the dog with the disk and it bites the toy. Praise and reward your dog as soon as it grips the prey. The disk should be in your hands only in this exercise (give it to the dog from time to time), but not throw the disk. Use soft and flexible disk, but durable enough to avoid traumatizing of the dog's teeth.
Sometimes dog clicker is used to "explain" the dog that it should grasp the disk. Click at any movement towards the disk at the beginning, then only when the dog touches the disk and finally when the dog bites and holds the disk. You need to do a "step back" during this exercise returning to the previous stages and feeding the dog from time to time from frisbee disk. Dog command "Get'em" should be used beginning with the first try to snatch the disk. Minimal age of the puppy for this exercise is 2-3 months.
Exercise 3. The Prey Starts Moving
There is a main rule in this exercise: the disk is always moved aside from the dog. All the exercises should be based on this rule as the dog must know the next time how to catch the moving object and not to sit waiting for the prey. This means it's FORBIDDEN to throw the disk towards the dog. The disk should always been thrown away from the dog. If your pet guessed where you would move the disk, change the direction. The dog shouldn't jump at this stage (especially if there is a puppy), so just hold and move your hand with the disk at a rather low height. There is nothing complicated in this exercise. Usually, if the dog has already grasped motionless disk in your hand, it will be rather easy to repeat this making several steps and following the prey.
It doesn't matter whether your education is successful or a bit difficult for the dog, you should always remember that the disk is a prize for the dog and it would always be waiting for the pet ant the end of the exercise. Start encouraging the dog when it catches the disk with its teeth and not with paws after a while. Start moving your hand with the disk aside from the dog, f.e. turn round and the dog will turn round with you trying to catch the disk. Praise and reward the dog for each catch and further for each right catch for the disk's edge. Your dog's speed and yours should be increased with time. The dog's minimal age at this stage is 3 months.
Exercise 4. Roll
Here you have to learn one of the simplest throws – roll. As soon as you can do a roll, start your dog training. The throw is similar to backhand, the difference is that the disk is rolled along the ground and is not thrown. This exercise will teach your dog to catch the prey in rather easy conditions with little effort. As a result, the dog should catch the rolling disk for its edge. Sometimes the disk lies on the ground, on a flat surface and the dog wants to pick it up. This task is not so easy for the dog while it's not sure in its actions. Take this like a test and don't help your dog because if it had learned to catch the disk for the edge, it would finally pick up the toy by itself. If the dog loses is interest after many tries, move the disk a bit with your arm (leg) and repeat the command "Get'em".
Exercise 5. Rolls with Going Around
Teach your dog to go around you so that you had time to throw the disk. Train the dog of going you around as clockwise as against the clock and running forward. F.e., teeth your dog with the disk and move it in the needed direction to go around you. Hold the disk in one hand and move it slowly behind you back taking it with the other hand. The dog will follow the disk moving from side to side and going around you. Then the disk is rolled at a short distance or given to the dog in motion to grab it. The same action is performed the other way round. It's desirable to use a command, f.e., "Go Around". You may use one command as well as two different.
The dog is encouraged for every going around with correct grip (the disk is not beaten down with chest or paws). The dog should go around you reflexively at a command. The dog should understand you fully that it has to run forward (at a command that you give a bit beforehand) after the disk, which is always rolling or being in your hand. You can make a lot of tricks on this basis further.
Exercise 6. Throwing
Start throwing the disk only if your dog and you have successfully passed all previous stages of frisbee training. First learn alone, without your dog to throw the disk standing still. Frisbee disk should fly up vertically and come down flatly (it's better if the disk will come down in your hand). The dog goes around you at a command in the direction you need and tries to catch the disk that was thrown behind it (at a command too). Don't wait for the dog, you aim is to speed it up, but the animal should still catch the disk. When you achieved success in this work, only then you can throw the disk forward, increasing the distance little by little. All the throws are done away from the dog. It's allowed to throw the frisbee disk towards the dog in frisbee freestyle tricks and only if the dog understands the task very well.
Not every disk is suitable for dog frisbee. There are special frisbee disks, which are safe and functional. The best dog frisbee disc is easy glide, safe for dog's teeth and gums because of special patented material. Choose only professional flying disks to make dog frisbee fun, interesting and useful.
Useful tools for dog frisbee training, click on the pictures.
Read more about dog frisbee training.