Club
Related Questions
What
is the purpose of the club and what are it's goals?
How
do I join and what are the benefits of membership?
How
did the Club start?
When
is your next event?
Where
do you normally meet?
Is
there a club in my area?
Equipment
Is
there a special type of Frisbee used in the sport?
How
much do Frisbees cost and from whom can I order them?
When
are Frisbees too damaged to play with? How long do they last?
How
many Frisbees do you use in a year?
Getting
Started
I'm
thinking about getting into the sport, what kind of dog should I get?
What breed is best?
How
can I get my dog interested in the Frisbee?
My
dog will catch the Frisbee, but won't bring it back. How can I change
this?
How can I maintain
my dog's interest in the Frisbee?
Advanced
Training Issues
What
are the official Skyhoundz rules?
What
are some tips to help me improve my Frisbee throwing ability?
My
dog is 18 months old now and ready to start vaulting. How do I start
training?
How
can I avoid injuries to my dog?
My
dog is crazy for the Frisbee and won't drink water when we practice.
How can I cool him off?
Canine
Frisbee Strategy Issues
What
are the official Skyhoundz rules?
What
is the best Distance-Accuracy strategy?
What
is the best FreeStyle strategy?
What
are the judges REALLY looking for?
How
should I prepare myself and my dog for Regionals?
What is the purpose of the club and what are its goals?
The Dallas Dog & Disc Club seeks
to promote interest in and perpetuate the existence of the sport of canine
Frisbee and to provide entertainment and educational demonstrations to
charitable organizations in the metropolitan Dallas/Fort Worth area.
The Club exists for the pleasure and benefit of its human and canine members,
and this is accomplished primarily through the medium of "Playdays" --
informal monthly meetings designed for training, exhibiting, and friendly
socializing. The club strives to advance the sport of canine Frisbee and
to foster awareness of responsible pet ownership. This is done through
a constant effort to balance competitive goals with works of charity.
How do I join and what are the benefits of membership?
You will automatically be
entered on the Dallas Dog & Disc E-Groups list. This a mailing list that
makes it easy to ask questions and make comments to the entire club. Your membership also means you have
the opportunity to have a voice in the organization and direction of the
club when you attend the annual business meeting and vote on motions put
before members. And only members can serve as officers of the Club.
Membership dues are $20 per year and are the same regardless of
whether you join as a family or as an individual. And yes, we do
have several members who do not live in the Dallas area, so don't let a
minor detail like geography stop you from joining. For more information
concerning membership, or to join the club please send an email to:
Membership@DallasDognDisc.com.
Click here for more Club
Info.
This first ever Dog & Disc Club had
it's beginning when Ron & Cyndy Ellis of Dallas mailed a newsletter
to several local Frisbee dog enthusiasts calling an informal "Playday"
for the purpose of sharing their favorite pastime with others. That
first meeting in August of 1986 gave birth to the Dallas Dog & Disc
Club. People Ron and Cyndy met at local contests formed the nucleus
for the Club which eventually became a seedbed for world class competitors. The Dallas Dog & Disc Club
has a Two Time World Champion, Bob Evans & Luke('98) and Luke's son
Nick('00).
We also have several club
members that are Regional and World Finalists.
Please go to our Events page to check
out our schedule.
Playdays are normally held in North Dallas Area. We try to change up our Playday locations to cover as much of the North Dallas area as possible. Take a look at the Events page to see when we will be holding an event in your area.
We get this question a lot and the best we can do is point you in the right direction. Check out our links page. We have a good list of Clubs.
Is there a special type of Frisbee used in the sport?
Yes, there is a particular type of Frisbee
used in competitions . It's called the
Fastback. It's a 107 gram disc made of somewhat softer plastic than
that you'd find in a promotional disc. Of course softer means chewable
to some dogs :-) Skyhoundz has came out with their own type of disc, that
resembles a Fastback, to be used in their competitions. It is called the Hyperflite
K-10. Local dog & disc clubs
around the country vary in their regulations concerning Frisbee types.
Please check with your local club concerning its requirements.
How much do Frisbees cost and from whom can I order some?
Fastbacks cost anywhere from $1 to $3
a piece. You can contact Skyhoundz
to order Hyperflite K-10 Frisbees, or you can contact Discovering
the World to order Fastback competition Frisbees as well as
Frisbees with cosmetic defects which are less expensive (as low as $1 a
piece depending on how many you order).
When are Frisbees too damaged to play with? How long do they last?
People have varying opinions about this first question. A Frisbee with a chip in the rim can cause bleeding in the dog's mouth, therefore, some people stop using discs at that point. Others will take the time to sand the chips down so they're not so damaging. And still others will continue to use damaged Frisbees till the rim actually breaks.
How long Frisbees last is determined by the dog's destructiveness and among the dogs in our club, there is a wide range of Frisbee destructiveness. That is, some dogs are very gentle on their discs while others tear theirs up in one practice session.
How many Frisbees do you use in a year?
This will vary. (See previous question) Some
don't have to buy Frisbees but once a year while others buy hundreds a year
(obviously, this gets expensive). If your dog goes through a bunch of Frisbees
and you find yourself spending way too much money on them, you might try
repairing damaged discs (e.g. sanding the chips in the ridges so that the
rims are smooth again) so their playing lives can be extended. Or,
if your dog is extremely destructive and you find yourself going through
hundreds of discs a year, you might try what some of our members do.
They get used discs from other members. These discs are usually fairly
damaged (e.g. numerous holes in the top, chips in the rim, etc.), but the
rim isn't broken yet and they still fly.
I'm thinking about getting into the sport, what kind of dog should I get? What breed is best?
If you don't have a dog yet and want a Frisbee dog, the most reliable way to find one is to visit your local shelter or humane society. Why? Because with these dogs you can actually gauge the dog's interest in Frisbee. Almost all shelters will allow you to take the dog out into a grassy area and see how the dog responds to you -- and a Frisbee. If on the other hand, you get your dog when he or she is 8 weeks old, you take a bigger gamble regarding the dog's potential Frisbee prowess. Some of the best Frisbee dogs in the world have been dogs rescued from shelters and dogs of unknown parentage (mixes).
As far as specific breeds, you'll find
that the top dogs in the sport are generally Mixes, Border Collies, and
Australian Shepherds but there are certainly exceptions. Again, although generally these breeds do well,
other breeds can excel. In our club, we even have a 85 lb. German
Shepherd that is quite exceptional.
How can I get my dog interested in the Frisbee?
The following is an excerpt from Chuck Middleton's article "How do I get my dog to play Frisbee ?" in our February, 1997 Newsletter:
Behavior chains are taught in reverse order. Using Boss as an example, I’ll briefly explain how he learned to chase, catch and retrieve, in reverse order and independently of each other, before we ever combined them together for a game of ‘throw and catch’ with a Frisbee disc.
The first link: At six weeks of age Boss was encouraged to play with an old sock. While he played, he was encouraged to come to me with the sock. Generally, these initial attempts at retrieving covered only two or three feet–a distance where a little physical encouragement from me was possible, if needed, and he was praised like crazy. We tried it again and again, always for only a couple of minutes at a time, always over short distances where success could be controlled, and always with insane levels of praise. I knew (was hoping) that some day the Frisbee would become its own reward, but when it comes to teaching your dog (old or young), something new, lots of praise is a must. If your dog learns what praise is at an early age, he will be easier to train using that same praise as he gets older. Soon, little Boss would cross the room with that sock and the praise continued.
The second link: I tied that same old sock to a rope and dragged it around and around the house constantly encouraging Boss to “get it”. It was important that Boss was allowed catch up to and grab the sock. As he progressed, Boss was praised not only while chasing, but also for grabbing the sock. Soon, he was chasing without fail; when the sock was removed from the rope, slid across the room and retrieved, we had two links in the chain complete.
The final link: Learning to catch is
extremely difficult for a puppy. When Boss was between 10 and 14 weeks
of age I fed him literally hundreds
of pieces of dog food–one piece at a time. When his attention was focused
on the food it would be tossed up and in
front of his face and he would be given the command “catch”. In short order
attempts at catching were being made and as eye/mouth
coordination increased catches became routine. Training to catch food was
interspersed with work trying to catch a bounced
tennis ball. A bounced tennis ball offered Boss a larger “catch” target
with a longer range of travel and the ability to try and
catch on the second or even third bounce. During our “catch” training,
our chase & retrieve training continued with Boss’ sock
being replaced with a Frisbee rolled on its side. By fourteen weeks of
age Boss could chase, retrieve and catch somewhat consistently,
and by 15 weeks he finally chased, caught and retrieved his first flying
disc.
My
dog will catch the Frisbee, but won't bring it back. How can I change
this?
The following is an article entitled "Back to the Basics" by Christi Goodman
first published in our September 1997 Newsletter that should help answer this
question:
To teach a dog to "bring" something, start out on a long line. I use a 20 foot training lead, not a flexi (the flexi puts pressure on the dog as he runs out to get the object). The line is to help guide the dog and to keep him from leaving the training area, it is NOT a magic wand. I separate the fetch command into two behaviors, the go-and-get-it part, and the bring-it-back part. The commands I use are "Go", "Get it", and "Take it," depending on the circumstances, and "Bring" and "Drop." Today, all I am talking about is "Bring."
There are several methods of introducing the bring command, depending on the type of dog you are training. Is your dog a "hard" dog? Can you give him a correction (physical or verbal) and he doesn't even notice? Or is your dog "soft"? Does he cower at the slightest disapproving glance? Dogs fall somewhere on the hard-to-soft spectrum, and your training methods must reflect the dog's personality. I recommend starting the training with something other than a Frisbee, as you want the dog to always associate Frisbee with positive things. Since you may have to make slight corrections when teaching the bring command, teach it with a ball or favorite toy, and switch to the Frisbee once the dog understands the command.
Once your dog has the object in his mouth, you can do one of several things. If your dog is fairly soft, you can try calling him and running away from him. Some dogs will chase you, and it is a simple matter of turning around when the dog is in reach and praising and petting, saying "Good bring!!." Remember, "Drop" is a separate command, so do not take the object from the dog, let him hold it while you praise, praise, praise for bringing!! Once the dog is following you reliably as you run away, add the Bring command at the beginning. The sequence is: "Spot, Bring"—turn and run-- turn and praise.
If you are blessed with one of those dogs (as I am) who couldn't care less that you are running away from him, the process is a little different. When the dog has the object in his mouth, call his name and say "Bring", pick up the end of the long line and give a little tug, then run backwards as you clap your hands and verbally encourage the dog toward you. If the dog comes part way, but loses interest or stops, reach down and give the long line a firm pull, continue to run backwards and encourage. Try to avoid reeling the dog in like a fish, he needs to learn to come to you under his own power. The sequence is: "Spot, Bring"—tug line—run backwards while encouraging dog—correct if necessary-- praise, praise, praise when he gets to you.
It is important, whichever method you try (and these are just two of many) to only say the command ONE time. You need to train the dog from the beginning to respond to the first command, and the only way he will understand that is if you only give one command. If he needs further encouragement to come toward you, you can repeat his name, say "hurry" or "faster" or anything else that helps get him to you. If your dog already knows the "Come" command, this behavior will be easier to teach because it is familiar. Don't confuse the two commands, however, they are different. "Bring" involves an object, and "come" does not.
More basic training tips: Keep it happy!! If you are losing patience, STOP the lesson. Always try to end a lesson on a positive note, if your dog does it right, STOP the lesson. Continuing to train a behavior after the dog offers you a correct response confuses the dog. If he gets it right the first time, STOP and do something else for awhile. In general, short sessions are better than long ones. Good luck, and happy training!!
Christi Goodman and Canine Consultants,
Wally & Rider
How can I maintain my dog's interest in the Frisbee?
Bob Evans (1998 & 2000 World Champion) -- Show lots of praise for the dog. Also show your own enjoyment for the sport. Always stop practice while the dog still wants to play. Don't just keep on practicing until the dog gets bored with the sport. Keep the dog "wanting."
Chuck Middleton (2 time World Finalist, 12 time Regional Finalist) -- A dog's attention generally slips when he
gets physically or mentally tired. Try shortening your practice sessions
(stop BEFORE your dog starts losing interest). Your goal should be
to make Frisbee fun for your dog. Try doing more of what your dog likes
to do most. This might be short throws, long throws, rollers, etc. and
don't neglect the praise.
What are the official Skyhoundz rules?
To find a complete reprint of the official rules and a helpful mini-distance diagram, check out the Skyhoundz web page.
What
are some tips to help me improve my Frisbee throwing ability?
Practice, practice, practice.
But to help you practice the right things, check out this site designed
for Frisbee Freestylers (Frisbee without
dogs, that is).
My
dog is 18 months old now and ready to start vaulting. How do I start
training?
Start with teaching a leg vault.
Begin by sitting on the ground (or floor) and have your dog do takes above
your thighs. Encourage your dog to use your leg as a platform to grab
the Frisbee. Once your dog is used to jumping off your leg when it's
on the ground to grab the Frisbee, position yourself in a kneeling position
with one knee on the ground and one thigh extended. Now hold the
Frisbee out over your extended leg and command your dog to take. Now
you can start tapping your leg (where the dog vaults off of you) while
you give the take command. Once your dog becomes proficient at vaulting
off your leg and grabbing the Frisbee from your hand, you can start making
small tosses. Be sure to always tap your leg with the Frisbee before your
dog vaults. He'll associate the motion with vaulting and you can
begin to tap other parts of your body that you want your dog to vault from.
How
can I avoid injuries to my dog?
The following is a portion of Bob Evans'
answer to a training schedule question in our May, 1997 Newsletter.
Warm up yourself and your dog before
a workout. Do not feed your dog for 3 hours before workout or until a minimum
of 1 hour after workout. Be careful of your dog drinking too much water.
Watch out for the heat and your dog becoming overheated. Gradually strengthen
your little athlete as opposed to trying to win an endurance marathon all
at one time.
My
dog is crazy for the Frisbee and won't drink water when we practice.
How can I cool him off?
Many dogs are so intense about Frisbee
they refuse to drink. This is a fairly common problem. I've
never found a way to MAKE a dog drink. However, you can cool your dog down by pouring cool (not cold) water over his/her belly.
Canine
Frisbee Strategy Issues
What
is the best Distance-Accuracy strategy?
For answers to this question by
a world champion and two world finalists, click
here.
What
is the best FreeStyle strategy?
This is a complicated question.
Let's break it down into some component parts. For each of these
sub-questions, just click on the corresponding link to see how our experts
have addressed it.
Are the number of
throws in a routine important? click
here
How important are
the different kinds of throws in a routine? click
here
Is vaulting necessary? click here
What about a pre-routine? click here
What are the judges REALLY looking for?
This isn't just a complicated question,
it's a loaded one! Click here to see how deftly our experts
responded.
How should I prepare myself and my dog for a Regional format?
Click here to check it
out what Bob, Chuck, and Ron do!