Although Nintendogs is a very casual get-together between you and a cuddly canine, it does have a sporty side that shouldn’t be ignored. Competitions in Nintendogs not only bring you and your dog closer together, they also earn you money that you can use toward purchasing items, more pups or a new look for your abode.

The Disc Competition is the perfect springboard to launch your puppy’s public performances. Although the competition doesn’t offer as much money as you’ll earn in other competitions, the learning curve of the Disc Competition is slight. Let’s take a walk, shall we?

A Fetching Couple
The dog’s ability to catch a flying disc is only half the battle you face with the Disc Competition; you need to make great throws to give your dog a chance to excel. To start working as a team, you’ll need plenty of practice. When you go for a walk, take your dog to the park in order to play a little fetch. You’ll need to go to the park where no other dogs are playing – they’re too distracting. Make your way to the empty park (the one without the dog icon) and start your training regimen.

Discipline and Reward
Puppies like to play. Can you blame them? After all, they are puppies. But, when you’re training, there’s little time for messing around, and your disciplining of the dog should start from your first practise throw.

To throw the disc, you’ll hold it by touching it with the stylus and throw it by dragging the stylus upward on the screen, finally lifting the stylus off the screen. The quicker you make this motion, the farther and faster the disc will fly. Since you’re just starting out, be gentle with your throws as your dog learns to run with the disc.

As soon as your dog has the disc in its mouth, the pup’s first instinct is to chew it for all it’s worth. You, however, want the dog to bring that disc back to you immediately. When the dog has the disc in its mouth, tap the screen with the stylus and call your dog’s name into the microphone. The pup will realise that it needs to bring the disc back to you. This is important because the actual competition is timed (you get 60 seconds to earn points), and playtime for the puppy means a lack of time for your throws.

It’s very important to reward your Nintendog when it brings the disc back to you. As it stands in front of you with the disc in its mouth, pet its head until sparkles appear and do this every time. When the puppy knows it’s getting a reward, it’s more willing to bring that disc back to you.

One practise session will not a champion make. If you religiously visit the park during your walks, your pup will progress very quickly. Remember, although you could throw the disc as far as you’d like, focus on throwing the disc so that your dog can catch it.

Prepare at Home
There’s also a mental side to sports. If you mentally prepare your dog for the contest, you can expect big things from it. You don’t need to give it a motivational speech – just make sure its belly’s full, its thirst is quenched and its fur shines. 

When your dog is just lying around the house, you can still practice fetching the disc, even though you don’t have much room. Inside the house, throw the disc softly. Not only will this keep you from breaking any lamps, it will train your dog’s fetching skills further. Don’t forget to immediately call the dog back to you once it has the disc in its mouth and reward it with a nice head scratch.

Competition Time
If all goes perfectly and your dog is well trained, you could throw the disc up to six times in the Disc Competition, and you’ll need all six throws once you progress to the Championship Class. But until your dog reaches that point and you work your way up through the minor classes, you’ll have fewer opportunities to earn points. Because of this, always make throws that are within your dog’s range and don’t forget that throws you make with even just one second left will count toward your final score (the disc doesn’t have to be caught before time runs out).

Even during the competition, don’t forget to reward your dog once it brings the disc back to you. This will cost you a couple seconds in the beginners classes, but it’s more important for your dog to still feel good about repeatedly bringing a piece of plastic back to you than breaking any records.

Feel Like a Winner!
All your hard work will pay off. Just be careful how hard and how fast you push your pup. Does it matter what breed of dog you choose to enter the Disc Competition? Not really, but having a dog with an obedient predisposition couldn’t hurt. It will take a little bit of time to build that team dynamic between you and your furry friend, but when you see your pup holding the trophy in its mouth, shaking the life out of the gold piece of hardware, you’ll know that it was all worth it.