How to Teach a Dog to Catch: Soft Tosses of a Small Treat

How to teach a dog to catch starts close: your dog sits, and you lob a small treat in a soft, slow arc toward its nose. If the piece hits the floor, pick it up before your dog can, so only a catch pays. After a run of catches, take a small step back and keep the arc soft.

Why should missed treats stay off limits?

Because the floor should never pay. If a dropped piece is still up for grabs, the floor pays just as well as a catch does. So you get to every miss first. Scoop it up, show your empty hand and toss the next one.

That asks for quick hands, and it is easier at the start, since you are close. Sit on a low stool or kneel, with your dog right in front of you, and keep a spare piece in your tossing hand so the next try is never delayed.

A mat or non-slip rug under your dog keeps a piece from skittering away, and a small, uncluttered room keeps the misses easy to find. If your dog gets to a miss before you do, let it go and work closer next time.

How should you toss a treat for a dog to catch?

Keep the toss simple and the same each time.

Underhand, from just above the nose, with your wrist loose.
Aim at the nose itself, not above the head and not off to the side.
One piece at a time, with your dog watching your hand.
The same spot every time, so the arc becomes predictable.
A soft, slow arc, never a fast throw at the face.

If the treat bounces off your dog's face, you tossed too hard or too close. Back off a little and use a lighter touch. A higher, slower arc gives the piece time to drop into reach.

Say your word just before the toss if you want one, and keep it short. "Catch" is fine. It earns its place once catches are coming often, not before.

Which treats are easiest to catch?

Pieces your dog can see in the air, small enough to take in one bite. New York State cheese goes into our bites, and the freeze drying happens a batch at a time in Malvern, Pennsylvania. The listing adds that a bite snaps into smaller bits, which suits this job. Break a piece to the size your dog can track and eat quickly.

Contains dairy, and our listing asks you to supervise while your dog snacks. They are a treat, not a complete diet, and catch runs on many tosses, one more reason to keep each piece small.

For help choosing a piece size, the piece size guide walks through it. For the bag itself, see the cheddar bites page. Catch sits with the other treat-driven tricks, and it is the one where the treat itself is the prop.

How do you move from treats to a ball?

Treat the toy as a bigger version of the same toss. Pick a soft toy your dog can grab easily and use the same underhand arc, from close, aimed at the nose. A treat goes in the mouth for a clean catch. Move back a step at a time, only when the close catches are steady.

Keep the toy soft and light to start. Once the soft toy goes well, a ball can come later.

You may also try a variation: catching a treat flipped off the nose. That one starts from a different place, and the balance guide explains how to build it. Do not mix it into this lesson. Keep catch for tosses.

Questions

What if the treat bounces off my dog's face?

You tossed too hard or aimed too close. Back up a little, soften the arc and aim at the nose, not above it. A treat that bounces is still yours to pick up, so keep the floor closed.

Can a puppy learn to catch?

A puppy can start with very small pieces and very short sessions. The bites contain dairy. The listing has puppies in mind as well as adults, and any dairy doubt about yours goes to your veterinarian.

How small should a treat be for catch?

Big enough to see in the air and gone in a quick bite, with no count to hit. Break pieces by feel. If your dog takes a long time to eat one, the piece is too big.

Should I say a word before I toss?

You can. Pick a short word and say it right before the toss. It helps once the game has structure. It is not needed at the start, when you are just establishing that only catches pay.

What if my dog snaps at the air too early?

Hold the toss until your dog's eyes are on your hand, then let the piece go. If the snapping keeps happening, move closer, slow the arc, and pay only the catches that come after the toss. If it keeps happening, go closer and use a slower arc.

Can two dogs practice catch together?

One at a time is easier. Put the other dog on a mat or behind a gate while the first one works. Then swap. Doing it this way keeps each dog's turn clear, and the waiting dog can be paid on its mat while it watches.