How to Teach Your Dog to Catch a Flying Disc

The sport became very popular with dog owners as well as humans in the 1970s when a 19-year-old college student, Alex Stein, with his dog, Ashley Whippet, jumped the fence, ran out on the field and started throwing a disc during a nationally broadcast baseball game. Everyone was so mesmerized by the dog’s athletic leaps to catch the disc that the game was stopped and the announcer broadcast the novel flying disc action for eight minutes.

 I use a cloth covered disc for my dogs. I used to buy cheap plastic ones but the dogs would bite down hard and make ridges in the plastic that would cut their lips and tongues. I’m sure the ones make for dogs are more durable these days, but we’re happy with our cloth ones.

Color does matter at first. Dogs cannot see reds and oranges and may lose them in the grass. I always try to get a light color to make it easier for them to find it although I've discovered that my dogs will use their nose if they can't see it.

Now that we've been playing for some time, we have a better idea of the discs we like.

We started with some cloth ones and they seemed to work, but I noticed recently that the corners of Moss's mouth was red and raw. The cloth discs have a rough edge to them and he grabs them hard. They aren't causing any problems with my old dog, however.

The cloth ones also wear out and have to be replaced periodically. Some of them are not cheap.

We tried a plastic type of disc from a big box store that advertised it as easy on the mouth. It's a large one with a hole in the center. I can't get the hang of throwing this one and Moss sometimes grabs it funny because of the hole.

We finally bought a couple of plastic type advertised as professional quality. I was simply amazed at how well they float in the air. Moss loves them. After a few days, I am seeing some teeth marks but no sharp edges so far. Interestingly, they are cheaper than some of the other ones I've tried.

I always teach all my puppies to chase a toy or ball.  If they pick it up, that’s even better. I encourage them to bring it back to me. Eventually they learn that to keep the game going, they have to bring the toy back. A game of fetching not only is fun and good exercise, but it fosters a sense of cooperation in the dog.

Dogs won’t intuitively look up if you throw something for them to chase. Their instinct is to look on the ground. I start by teasing them with the disc by dragging it along the ground and letting them chase and grab it. Then I hold it just above the ground and let them grab it. I roll it along the ground on the edge of the disc and let them chase it. Then I begin tossing it straight to them so they can catch it in the air. Gradually I begin to throw it low so they can follow it as it flies. I don’t throw it too far at first. Before long, they will be watching it fly and calculating where to catch it.

It took me a while to learn to throw with consistency. If I can throw it well, my dog, Moss, will always catch it. One trick is to hold it in your throwing hand with your index finger extended along the edge of the disc. This seems to make it easier to get a level throw that really soars.