Your dog loves playing outdoors and catching discs or balls, but the fun starts with a good throw!
There is an absolute art to throwing a frisbee or ball to your dog, and they know it! It begins with the human — as a dog owner, you need to perfect your throw if only to make your dog look like a star at your local dog park!
At The Vet Set, play and exercise is key to a healthy, vibrant life for your dog. Get the most out of throwing a disc and make the experience fun and exciting for your pet. Follow along in today’s post for the best tips for throwing frisbees, balls, and all kinds of catching toys.
It’s The Throw That Starts The Fun!
Have you ever thrown a less-than-perfect frisbee to your dog and watch as the excitement leaves and they stand in disappointment as the disc fall short — way too short? Enough that even your dog is embarrassed? Well, my friend, it’s time to learn how to properly throw your toy of choice to maximize the fun you and your dog can have!
Let’s get started!
Find a toy your dog loves!
First things first, you need a toy you can throw that your dog will enjoy catching. It’s important to find a disc or ball that aren’t too hard, so as not to damage your dog’s teeth and gums in the beginning.
There are many soft frisbees and balls that are great for beginners, and while they won’t fly super high or go extremely far, they’re less likely to hurt your dog.
Start with a slow introduction!
If your dog is new to catching, start out slowly such as a backyard. This way both of you can work out the kinks (your throw, their catch) in the privacy of your own yard! Get to know the toy and throw it around a bit before taking it public!
It’s also important to give your dog a lot of praise when they get it right and to be patient when they stand and stare — perhaps it’s your bad throw, we’ll never know!
The Perfect Throw
The perfect throw is one that doesn’t injure your dog! If you’re using a disc, place your four fingers under the lip of the frisbee with your thumb on top. Follow through the throw with a flick of the wrist, then your hand, arm, shoulder, and finally with your entire body.
Throwing a ball is a little more intuitive — you can throw overhand or underhand, and there are perks to both. Overhand you can get a nice clean, long throw, while underhand helps you pop it up high in the air.
Controlled Throws
It’s important that you are able to direct where the ball and frisbees will be going because your dog will be following it. If you don’t want your dog running every which way — even into dangerous situations like traffic — it’s important your throws are controlled and consistent.
Before even taking your dog out, you may want to spend time practicing your throws with a partner to better understand the mechanics of the toy.
One major pro tip, never throw the toy at your dog, allow them to see the toy and where to go to chase it instead of fumbling trying to avoid it from hitting them.
A good throw not only makes your dog look cool in front of all their puppy pals, but it also keeps them safe. Before embarking on this fun play get the right toys that your dog loves and spend time practicing your throw with and without your dog to get it just right!
And, when in doubt, invest in a ball thrower that does the job for you!
Running and playing keep your dog happy and healthy, to learn more about preventative vet services, call us today!