A reader has asked us to give them some guidance on how we managed to get Occa and Belle to play frisbee/fetch harmoniously with one another.
There are two elements to this issue, firstly encouraging the newbie to learn the game and get excited by it and second to ensure the resident dog is happy to share the game.
The game of fetch is a part of Occa's soul and it just seemed to happen as he grew older. We certainly encouraged him to bring the ball or Frisbee back with treats and excitement, but his innate skill was already there.
Belle on the other hand is a player. She will sit down with a toy and chew and wrestle it for aaages! She loves to play independently so getting her to learn fetch was the first trick. We used a mixture of mimicry of Occa and treating when she brought it back. Still to this day she only brings the Frisbee within a metre of you and Occa generally retrieves it for us. Although it was absolutely crucial to play a few short games with Belle alone so she got the hang of it and enjoyed it!
Once we had Belle taught up on the game without Occa, we then played with the both of them. We praised Occa lots when he let her have a go, and made him 'wait' (if this instruction hasn't been mastered just hold his lead or collar) for Belle to have a few turns; treating him the entire time. The point of this was to make the experience of playing Frisbee with Belle an all round pleasant experience. Sometimes he gets the frisbee, sometimes she does but he always gets treats and praise.
They have now reached a point where Belle is a bullet and can outrun her brother easily so we let Occa have a few minutes by himself with Belle 'waiting' and then they run together. It's quite funny because on their run back to us they usually hold the Frisbee together. . Photos below!
I hope this helps! The real key is to be prepared with lots of treats and praise to ensure the game is always fun and pleasurable for both dogs.
Forever love your dog,
Emma
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