Frisbee time with your dog

You’ve seen the dogs in the parks and on the beach playing with a frisbee with their owners and you can too. You have to agree that playing with a frisbee is fun, but even for humans, it needs a little bit of skill and practice. Give your dog time to practise each step before proceeding to the next. Once you have mastered the games with your dog, you’ll have hours of fun, even at home and while in lock down.

How to play:

Step 1 Play with the frisbee in the house by yourself while your dog is watching you, and then put it away. Don’t let him play with it as yet.

Step 2 After a while, take out the frisbee and play with it again, while your dog watches you. Don’t give it to him. Repeat these two steps until your dog can’t wait to play with the frisbee himself.

Step 3 Allow him to play with the frisbee with you supervising him. Don’t allow him to chew it.

Step 4 Start rolling the frisbee on the floor. Ask him to fetch and return the frisbee. If he brings it back consistently, you’re ready for the next step.

Step 5 Stand close to your dog with the frisbee in your hand. Flip the frisbee in the air while he watches you. Allow him to catch it and give it to you.

Step 6 Praise him every time that he brings the frisbee back to you and keep the game fun and energetic.

Step 7 When he continuously catches the frisbee at close range, increase the distance gradually.

Remember, both of you have to keep on practising and make sure that he gets enough water to drink in between. Lots of praise and a treat or two should keep the motivation going.

The rules

Before participating in any games, both you and your dog need to understand that all games have rules that should be adhered to. Because pets don’t always understand the human rules, we have to teach them the rules.

Rule 1 Humans control games and therefore you should start and end the game on your terms. You should initiate the game when you are ready. Set the tone of the game and if it gets too rough, end the game.

Rule 2 Play with durable toys and not human limbs – teach your pet that your limbs are not prey items.

Rule 3 The toy belongs to the human. At the end of a game, put the toy away – offer your dog a high-value treat in exchange for the toy and when he drops it, say a word like “drop”. He will eventually respond appropriately to “drop.”

Always end the game on a positive note. This way your dog will look forward to your next play session. Remember that your dog will not always be in the mood to play, especially if he is tired. Respect that and don’t force him into a game when he doesn’t feel like it.