Geyser Catches The Ball

[leih merigian]

Too bad I can't throw a frisbee for beans, as this girl would be an Ace frisbee dog...

Zeroing in...






Going for it...


Got it!

[Sugars Mom]

Awesome pics!!

[Dutchringgirl]

excellent!!

[Marjolein]

love the pics!
Practice on the frisbee moves, I can throw in the direction I want to about 5% of the time now!! *real proud* yesterday it ended in the pond...and so did Ivil

[Raven]

Go, Geyser! Love the intensity....

When we first brought him home, Thor couldn't catch the side of a barn, but he quickly learned. The husband is the disc thrower in this household and Thor goes airborne, catching it every time. (I WILL learn how, though. It's just not right when the husband and dog do something that I can't.)

His favorite outdoor toy, though, is still his big horseball.

Liked the bit about the Ivil and the pond.

[Kristie E]

Go, Geyser! Love the intensity....

When we first brought him home, Thor couldn't catch the side of a barn, but he quickly learned. The husband is the disc thrower in this household and Thor goes airborne, catching it every time. (I WILL learn how, though. It's just not right when the husband and dog do something that I can't.)

His favorite outdoor toy, though, is still his big horseball.

Liked the bit about the Ivil and the pond.

Bahhahaahahah laughing my behind off...... Gwen still can't catch the side of the barn or the car or house... food just hits her in the face if she isn't already looking for it on the floor.... Izar, well he just opens his big GIANT MAW which is quite like the black hole and catches everything..

any hints on teaching her how to catch?

[dutchringdog]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, Neither can Sadie!

[leih merigian]

...any hints on teaching her how to catch?

Start with something smallish and very soft. I used a plush egg at the very beginning, about the size of a tennis ball.

Have some great treats, too, of course. Then get her attention, holding the ball right in front of her a couple of feet, and just toss it very gently right to her...if she already knows something like "get it," you could say that, but I would just say, "here it comes...".

No catch? No problem. Smile, get it, try again. Sooner or later, she'll try for it, and sooner or later she'll catch it. BIG PARTY when she does. Once she gets the idea, keep using the same toy until she's become adept at that, then start using other toys. Make a very big deal out of it when she catches it for a while, until it's really easy for her.

These holley balls are very easy for them to catch, when you've worked up to this kind of thing, as they're very flexible and lots of holes .

Now, we're working on catching little treats...a totally different behavior, it seems

[leih merigian]

Practice on the frisbee moves, I can throw in the direction I want to about 5% of the time now!! *real proud* yesterday it ended in the pond...and so did Ivil

I can throw a frisbee well enough to play catch with someone else, but man, if you've watched any frisbee dog competitions or demos, that's a whole 'nother skill level.

You're too funny!

[Kristie E]

[

These holley balls are very easy for them to catch, when you've worked up to this kind of thing, as they're very flexible and lots of holes .

Now, we're working on catching little treats...a totally different behavior, it seems

Man does she love those balls!! the last one we had was ripped apart in no time flat. this will have to be our special catch toy I guess..and we will go baby steps...

[Raven]

Here I go again with the magical properties of "leave it," but how strong is Gwen's "leave it?" If you are working on catching and it's a tasty morsel that's just bopped her in her pretty little head to then fall on the floor...and she goes for it: "leave it."

The "leave it" may seem counter-intuitive while teaching catch, but if she can pick it up off the floor, she has no motivation to do the real work to get it. If you set the stage cleanly for learning catch, she's smart enough to figure it out.

How I wish I could post photos. Have a wonderful one of a small baby carrot way up in the way and Thor reared up and zoned in--mouth wide open.

He actually learned on homegrown strawberries. (Go figure.) Loved 'em. First one thrown bopped him in the head. He didn't know "leave it," so I snatched it (how I ever got it before he did is beyond me, but he did know a noise I made that meant stop it, so I had that in my favor). Second throw, he figured he wasn't going to miss out again and the rest is history.

[Kristie E]

Food hits her in the head on a regular basis...maybe I need to get closer and do baby catches. She has a very good "leave it" so I can't complain about her tearing up the toys. I can drop food on the floor and she waits for me to tell her to get it.. .. I can have her leave them while I gather them up but ... sometimes mom is too lazy...

She is being a real booger to Tyco right now but he rather seems to be enjoying it...

[Raven]

When I wrote yesterday that Thor's favorite outdoor toy is his horseball----he doesn't catch it: it's far too large. But, I was thinking that wouldn't it be nice if he could zone in on the handle.

So, what does the boy do tonight when I go out after work to play with him? He was catching the horseball in the air by the handle. Weird.

Get outta my head, boy!

[Kristie E]

hmm such smart dogs....

[Raven]

Our neighbors must have thought that he'd found a cure for the common cold, the way I was applauding and rooting him on. He was very proud of himself and quite charged up about it. (Hmmmm? Had this been a secret goal of his?

By the way--I went to show Geyser's photos to the husband, and I can't view them. Other recent photos can't be viewed any longer, either. Old one are fine. Can't find the post where someone else mentioned a recent viewing problem...?