How to teach a dog to catch food?

[M&M's Mommy]

Can someone give me some instructions as to how to teach my dog to catch a piece of food I throw to them. Right now, they're waiting for it to land on the ground, then pick it up to eat.

They jump up to catch their balls & frisbees fine, just not the food. I love seeing my friend's dogs tilt their heads backward and open their mouths wide, so he can throw the food to them!

[Karen]

I hate to tell you this, but some dogs just don't "get it." Gracie (the Great Dane) never, ever got it. She didn't understand about catching balls or Frisbees either, so we finally stopped "throwing things at her" for fear of getting called in for dog abuse. If we carefully tossed a piece of food, it would likely bounce off her snout, land on the ground, and then we'd point to it and say "Gracie! Treat!" And she's be all surprised ...

So, she wasn't a rocket scientist - she was still a great - and greatly loved - dog.

[animal_rescue]

This might sound mean but this is how a friend taught me to teach my dogs to catch food.

Basically I throw it and if they don't get it before it lands on the ground, I eat it or pick it back up and throw it again and again until they catch it.

[3muttsandaboston]

I did basically the same thing as animal_rescue. Maggie got it pretty fast. Lucy does it well too. It still bounces off Gracies nose most of the time but she catches it sometimes. Zoe was really good at it she never missed if you threw food to her.

[Vette]

Kirby doesnt catch it either. he just closes his eyes an it smacks him in the face. so i dont bother anymore. LOL

[borzoimom]

I hate to say it, but none of my four would catch food. I am not sure if its that I trained them not to touch something I didnt hand to them, or put in their bowls. ( I have counter height surfers ya know- and that stopped that from them helping themselves)
With the shepherds I did the training in stages. first standing close to you- food over head- drop it right near them. I do not like a dog snatching something in your hand- so I would just put it right on top of them-. As time progresses, you back up a little etc.

[critter crazy]

Can someone give me some instructions as to how to teach my dog to catch a piece of food I throw to them. Right now, they're waiting for it to land on the ground, then pick it up to eat.

They jump up to catch their balls & frisbees fine, just not the food. I love seeing my friend's dogs tilt their heads backward and open their mouths wide, so he can throw the food to them!

That is Duke! he can catch anything, but food! he lets it hit the ground,a nd then he will eat it! sometimes i even have to tell him, to eat it.