Teaching your Miniature Schnauzer to play Frisbee

Virtually all dogs have the overwhelming desire to chase moving objects. The Miniature Schnauzer is no different. Depending on your dog, teaching him to play Frisbee should be pretty easy.

The first question is does your dog come when you call it. If not, you need to train it to do that.

This would also be a good time to teach your pet a release command. Good command words are “Release”, “Drop It”, or “Let Go”.

Now that your dog will come when called, and will drop an item when told to, it’s time for the Frisbee.

For starters, you want the dog to associate the Frisbee with something that they feel is good. Try using the Frisbee for a food or water bowl. After a few days of this, begin sliding the Frisbee around on the ground in front of the dog. Let him catch the Frisbee. When the dog catches the Frisbee, let go of it. You don’t want the Frisbee to be used for tug of war.

Now you’re ready to begin rolling the Frisbee on its edge for a short distance. If your dog doesn’t seem interested in chasing it, put a tasty treat on the Frisbees inside lip.

One of the best treats is cheese in an aerosol can. It may be junk food, but it really does the trick for motivating the dog.

Once your Miniature Schnauzer is bringing the rolled Frisbee back and releasing it, you can begin doing short throws.

If you have a young dog, rolling the Frisbee or doing very low throws is for the best. Too much jumping while young can damage joints and tear muscles.

What if there are just too many distractions? You know, your dog chases the Frisbee, picks it up, but then stops to sniff every rock and blade of grass it passes. Again the answer is a food treat.

When the dog does bring the Frisbee back, give him a little treat.

If that doesn’t work, try putting a retractable leash on your dog’s collar. Roll or throw the Frisbee, keeping the toss short. If the dog gets distracted when retrieving the disc, give a little tug on the leash. You’re not trying to drag the dog back to you. The little tug is just to get their attention back on you.

When the dog makes it back to you, praise it and give it a little treat. With treats the idea is anticipation. Don’t give a treat every time the dog performs correctly. You want your Miniature Schnauzer to keep trying to please you so that, just maybe, he’ll get a treat.

Use common sense when choosing an area to play Frisbee in. Make sure that the area is free of holes in the ground or anything else that might harm your dog. Never play on a hard, paved surface. This can lead to injuries.

Your Miniature Schnauzer can be playing Frisbee in no time. All it takes is a little patience and smart dog training.

Comments? Questions? Email Here

© HowtoAdvice.com

How to Advice .com