How Can I Teach My Ziggy To Catch A Treat In The Air?

[Guest lala22]

I'm new to greys and we haven't really taught him anything yet...except that dinner and breakfast are at 6!

 

So, i got him a new treat that i can break apart into small pieces, and i'm trying to toss them to him and get them to catch in his mouth....but he just lets them fall to the floor and then chases after them.

 

i figure we'll teach him this and then move on to Stay! LOL

[TheFullHouse]

You do it 1,000 times over and over and over again. He'll eventually catch on (pardon the pun). You might make the pieces good size so he can see them well. One of mine just finally caught a small dog biscuit the other night and I swear we had a party!

[OwnedBySummer]

I keep trying... I threw a whole slice of bologna at her and it landed on her head and she just wandered off. Didn't care, wasn't looking for it. These dogs are WEIRD!

[Guest lala22]

I keep trying... I threw a whole slice of bologna at her and it landed on her head and she just wandered off. Didn't care, wasn't looking for it. These dogs are WEIRD!

 

OMGosh! That is so funny!!

[GeorgeofNE]

Swap him for a Lab or a Golden?

 

 

But seriously--if you find something he likes enough, and he WANTS to catch, he will. Or he won't. Popcorn is a good thing to try, cause it won't make him fat in the process.

 

Good luck!

[greysmom]

I used popcorn because it's bigger pieces and they fall slower. Once they get the idea that they *can* catch it, and that Mom really likes it, and then throws more, they do catch on really quickly! I taught 3 of mine to catch that way and now they'll catch just about anthing - including toys, which they didn't catch before. So we've also created a game to play with them.

[Guest SpicyMom]

My lurcher will catch anything but my grey (aka the princess) will only catch rabbit feet. Not only catch them, but leap up into the air to catch them! I guess you just have to find one thing that they REALLY want!

[GreyTzu]

I just hold a piece of treat, get their attention and toss it to them, like a bazzillion times. They figure it out because they get tired of getting hit in the head with their treats. :rofl :rofl

 

Sometimes, dogs never figure it out though. Dancer just stood there, intently watched the treat sail through the air, hit her in the head and fall to the floor. Then she pounced on the treat and ate it. But she was so cute doing it, that we never cared either way.

[GreyPoopon]

A couple of other things that haven't been mentioned: make sure it's a soft lob that goes above head level and drops toward him. It's much easier to watch--and eventually catch--like that. Also, once he's started to catch on by chasing the treat after it falls, stop letting him get them from the floor. All of my greys (11) have learned, most before I started using the second tip.

[greysmom]

Throw things a bit from the side as well. If you throw them straight on they tend to go cross eyed and lose the treat in the the air.

[buddibear]

My grey was counter-surfing for ice cream.The ice cream was frozen solid and a chunk went flying off the spoon across the room. Grey watched in wonder while the poodle caught it in mid stream. I guess Butter Pecan is not a favorite. lol

[RileysLegacy]

I remember this was the first topic I ever started on GT, over 8 yrs ago I had been trying with Riley but the treats would just bounce off his head and i was starting to feel bad It was suggested to try popcorn and it worked! I just kept at it until he figured it out

 

I just hold a piece of treat, get their attention and toss it to them, like a bazzillion times. They figure it out because they get tired of getting hit in the head with their treats. :rofl :rofl

:lol Exactly!

[cleptogrey]

You do it 1,000 times over and over and over again. He'll eventually catch on (pardon the pun). You might make the pieces good size so he can see them well. One of mine just finally caught a small dog biscuit the other night and I swear we had a party!

 

i start w/ heavier treats that they can catch and work my way thru everything, popcorn is a real feat, the timing has to be precise on their part. but make sure your dog can target/ focus and look at you first, that's always a good first step.

[IndyandHollyluv]

I just hold a piece of treat, get their attention and toss it to them, like a bazzillion times. They figure it out because they get tired of getting hit in the head with their treats. :rofl :rofl

 

Sometimes, dogs never figure it out though. Dancer just stood there, intently watched the treat sail through the air, hit her in the head and fall to the floor. Then she pounced on the treat and ate it. But she was so cute doing it, that we never cared either way.

 

Sounds like you were training your hounds at my house! Yeah, it's all about repetition. I used to say "catch" and my girl would look blankly at me while the treat hit her square in the noggin'. Eventually, she caught on but it took a l-o-n-g time. She doesn't belong to Mensa.

[EllenEveBaz]

I try not to let the dog eat the treat if they don't snap it up in mid air. Increases their motivation wonderfully! Nutmeg is still (always, chronically) clueless, but Romie has developed blazing jaws of steel.

 

Also, I make them stand back about 3 ft. so they have time to track the trajectory.

Edited March 31, 2011 by EllenEveBaz

[krissy]

Sometimes I'll throw Summit a treat when he lays down on his bed in the living room, and it always hits him in the face. He doesn't even seem to see it coming. He has learned how to catch his toy in midair though, so I'm sure he can eventually learn to catch a treat. If I take too long to throw his toy he'll back up and square off to me, and then I'll give him a soft underhand lob so he can track it and he almost always catches it. If your dog likes toys maybe start with a toy because they're big and soft.

[Guest june]

Guess I got lucky because two of mine caught (sorry, I couldn't resist) on really quick. My newest girlie is still adjusting to her new life and other than "sit" and "come" we haven't worked on much. The two that do it actually jump up in the air to catch the treat!

june

[Guest zaylea]

My first greyhound, Batou, automatically would catch treats. Major would just be like "durrrrr... oh! there's a treat on the floor!" I've tried teaching her, but I think it's futile.

[Guest greytgrandma]

Hot Rod can catch a stuffy in mid air. But a treat, nope just bounces off his head and then he looks at it on the floor like " hey where did that come from?"

[Guest dragontearz]

My old roommates greyhound never would snatch a treat out of the air, but Guinness would..she found out from the vet her grey was most likely blind in one eye and had been before she adopted her, even though her eye looked normal-she just didn't have the depth perception and would wait for them to hit the ground...I'm trying the same with Oberon, but he just waits for it to hit the ground unlike the squeeky toys he will snatch out of the air..lol