Teaching your dog to catch a ball is the same as teaching her to fetch. This trick is easy and most dogs can learn it quite fast.
And like all other training, you just need to have a little patience and spend some time to teach your dog to do this.
Once you are ready to train your dog to do this, here are 2 simple steps you can follow...
1. Teach Your Dog To "Drop"
The first step is to teach your dog to drop what she has in her mouth.
Get ready for a ball or a Frisbee and some treats. Show your dog the ball and she will use her nose to come for the ball.
Now just give her the ball and she will take it with her mouth. Just like a human using hands to touch and feel, dogs will use their mouth instead.
Once your dog has the ball in her mouth, use the "Drop" command and ask her to drop the ball.
Whenever she let go and drops the ball, praise her and give her treat. Sometimes she will hold the ball and refuse to drop it. Just wait for it. Or you can use try to take it from her.
Whenever she let go of the ball and drops it, remember to reward her. Associate the "Drop" verbal command when doing this.
By the way, choose a ball that is not too big that she can grab with her mouth and not too small that she can swallow.
Repeat this training a few times until she learns what you mean by "Drop".
2. Throw The Ball And Let Her Catch It
Now, once your dog learned how to drop the ball, it is time for her to learn to catch it.
What you should do next is to get the ball on your hand and try to show it to her. Toss the ball away and say "Catch".
Just like the "Drop" command, you want her to understand the "Catch" command too.
You don't have to toss it far away that she will have to run and chase the ball. Throw the ball just a few feet away from her.
Always start small and grow from there. Usually, your dog will chase the ball or Frisbee and catch with her mouth.
After that, call her name or do whatever you usually do to ask her to come back to you. You should teach your dog to come to you when called before you teach her how to catch a ball.
When your dog comes to you, use the "Drop" command.
You have to practice a couple of times. Sometimes it may take up a few days for your dog to fully understand what you want her to do.
Have the patience and give enough time for your dog to learn. You simply need to repeat these 2 steps until she learns the command. It is best if you can put away 15 minutes to 30 minutes to train your day a few times a day
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