[jamesonsdad]

I've trained my 6 mo year old Mini Aussie puppy to catch a frisbee in the air, but only if it's a really short distance or if I use commands to move him in position away from me so he's far enough away to catch before I throw. I can't seem to get him to either start running before I throw the frisbee OR, even better, start running fast enough as soon as I let go that he can get there in time.

Does anyone have any tips on how to get him to learn that he needs to run faster in order to be in place to catch the frisbee? He's definitely trying, jumping at it and such but he's also not running as fast as he is capable of. So it always falls in front of him.

Thanks in advance!

 

[3GSD4IPO]

At six months old you do not want him to be jumping up and catching anything... either chasing or catching. His bones are not grown and his growth plates are not yet closed. Let him grow up more. He might be avoiding the taking off ahead because it may be painful for him to jump and land.

Try rolling an appropriate size ball on the ground. Hold his collar and kick the ball.. holding him back.. then release him to chase it. At this age that is a safe exercise. Holding him back will build drive to chase the ball as he sees it rolling away. He should run faster after it if you do this. When he is older (over 14 months) go back to the frisbee.

 

[Canyx]

It's hard to tell your dog's age... 6 mo, or 1year and 6mo? If it's the former, then you do not want your dog to jump as his joints are still developing.

But to teach him to catch discs better, there are a few things to consider. If the disc is always falling too far, then do shorter tosses so that your dog can 'win' and work up to longer tosses as your dog develops the habit of catching it before it falls. There's nothing wrong with a dog playing fetch with the disc when it hits the ground, but if that's how the dog plays then that's what the dog thinks discs are for. You can also try using lighter discs like the Chuckit Paraflight because it glides a little slower and tends to hover rather than fall fast. Those light, hovering discs can give your dog the time to catch up. However, the tradeoff is hovering discs hover so your dog may have to jump up to get it. Even for mature dogs, that upright jumping motion is not great for their joints. So the big takeaway is, you should throw your disc in a way that your dog is catching it efficiently and safely, and build up over time.

 

[Knute]

The "game" may not interest the dog for very long.

I tried multiple versions of fetch with balls and frisbees for my mini-schnauzer. Sometimes, he would chase, find it and bring it back. Sometimes, he would chase it, find it and sit next to it then bark. Seeming to say, "I found it!" Then I would go get it and the game would start again. I called this Schnauzer Fetch. The game was always changing. We started the game inside with many treats, then outside with many treats. I realized he was a chaser and hunter, but not a shred of retriever.

Now, I let him chase the local squirrels. He loves the chase and will sit at the base of a tree. Looking up with intensity, tail all a blur, body tense ready to spring. Inside the game has become consistent. He will chase the ball, then begin gnawing on it. Oh well......

Yes, allow the dog to become full grown to avoid possible injury. Meanwhile, keep things low as suggested.