Getting ready for THE BIG CONTEST!

by Ron Ellis

With the ALPO series of contests quickly approaching, I thought it would prove useful to address elements of the contest to some extent. The subject matter presented below will hopefully not only introduce newcomers to competition but also offer practical insights related to training, performance and what to expect from the judges. Please keep in mind that these thoughts aren't intended to be exhaustive by any means, merely helpful to some extent. Also, you don't have to be a competitor to benefit from the advice.

Whenever you and your dog "emBARK" on a competitive mission, your level of readiness can be broken down into a few important issues: conditioning, practice and expectations. I make a distinction between conditioning, a physical state of readiness developed by fitness training, and practice, the repetitive aspect of developing your throwing skills, your Freestyle routine and your Distance-Accuracy strategy.

CONDITIONING

Any athlete will want to be in the best possible condition as it relates to his or her chosen activity. Canine disc can be a demanding sport, and if you want to perform at your best, you should give attention to your ability to throw, sprint, stoop, jump, etc., within a limited time frame. The best approach is to do what works best for you personally, but I recommend an aerobic exercise (cycling, jogging) combined with calisthenics or weight training to get the most balanced workout. This kind of work may not make you a physical specimen, but it will surely help your stamina, flexibility, speed, and lung capacity, to mention a few.

Over the years I've struggled with my weight, but I find I'm still able to perform, no matter how I look, as long as I'm getting good, consistent exercise and nutrition. Nutrition? Of course, but I don't have any secret formulas for success, except that a banana with oatmeal is a good stress-relieving "pre-game" breakfast. Also, I find my stomach settles down better when I lay off acidic beverages like coffee and juice. Water works nicely.

PRACTICE

Practice, practice, practice! I can't say it enough. To some the competition environment is a good way to show off the pooch with a built-in audience; however, those who wish to compete effectively will devote time to a workout regimen for your dog. I'll not preach to you about overworking your dog, because everyone should know that too much too often is not too good. What I would like to say, though, is that if you don't work with your dog in a consistent manner, he will not be in good shape and will not only perform less than his best but could also have difficulty with nagging injuries or worse.

Ideally, you want to practice low impact stuff (running and retrieving) with your dog until he seems fit enough to begin more rigorous training (flips, vaults, hard cuts, etc.) This will often take a few weeks or more depending on the condition of your dog. Then begin practicing the things you and your dog will be doing in your Freeflight routine and Mini-Distance. Time your rounds just as you would be timed during a contest. This way you'll ensure you'll have time to do everything you plan to do during the actual competition.

Probably the most important aspect of practice, assuming your dog is in good shape, is the honing of your throwing skills. If you can't throw the disc a variety of ways in all weather conditions, you will not be consistently effective on the field of play. The best approach is to simply discover what it is you want to do, then spend time trying to master the throws involved. Find yourself a willing instructor and LISTEN to the instruction. A good teacher will make sure you know all you need to know to make a successful throw.

In our club we are fortunate enough to have folks capable of teaching. Contact a club officer to locate someone in the club who can help you. Besides that, all I can encourage you to do is practice until you're satisfied. If you need to practice but are concerned about overworking your dog, practice by yourself. A combination of visualizing your Freestyle and Distance-Accuracy (Toss & Catch) routines and practicing with your imaginary dog will help you get in more repetition while saving your pet.

EXPECTATIONS

Where canine disc competition is concerned, I believe you should be thoroughly familiar with what the format of an event demands, and you should be able to come to grips with what you realistically expect to bring to the playing field. The first part is easy enough to comprehend. One should always be familiar with the rules of the game. In Skyhoundz contests, the judging criteria and scoring is explained in good detail. Some people give cursory attention to this information, but if you want any chance of being a successful competitor, I would suggest you STUDY those guidelines.

A good example regarding information that often gets overlooked is in the description of the Skyhoundz criteria for judging Freestyle. The four criteria are Presentation, Athleticism, Wow!Factor, and Success. People often consider when they have more drops than catches it will adversely affect their Success score. This is true since consistency is a part of the Wow Factor criteria. But what people often don't realize is that all Freestyle criteria emphasize "consistency" as an integral part of what the judges are looking for.

A difficult throw cannot be scored if the throw does not involve a completed catch, thereby lowering the Degree of WowFactor score. Likewise, if a dog leaps ten feet from the ground throughout his routine but fails to catch half the throws, his Athleticism score will suffer considerably. Again, a team showing great flashes of entertaining brilliance during a routine may have gotten a better score in Presentation if they had not incurred so many drops.

All of this to say that if you don't read the rules, guidelines and criteria for judging, you may be ill-prepared and thus disappointed. That's why I say, "STUDY the guidelines!" You may better understand what the judges are looking for. Once you understand what you THINK the judges want to see, decide what you realistically expect you and your dog will accomplish. Some of you will approach the game with fear and trembling while others will be a little arrogant. The middle ground in this scenario is the best place to stand because you tend to be confident in your dog's abilities, but you recognize there is still much room for you personally to learn and improve.

You may be really good from the outset, but take care not to flaunt it. You'll lose friends and respect all around. It's a plus to be humble but confident; by this you can disarm your serious competitors and win many admirers. Above all, make sure you are showing off your dog and not just yourself. If you keep in mind the things we've discussed here regarding conditioning, practice and the judges expectations, you will begin to develop healthy expectations of your own. Avoid the pitfall of placing undue pressure on yourself and your dog to live up to an unrealistic standard. Set attainable goals and practice, practice, practice. Observe everything, be teachable and strive to come up with new and fresh material. And remember to enjoy this little adventure with your dog.

Q&A - Distance-Accuracy Strategy

by Bob, Chuck & Ron

What is your strategy in Distance-Accuracy? i.e.. How many long throws vs. shorter throws do you make? How do you get the dog to retrieve quickly?

Bob - Longer throws will usually produce more points. There will be times when you will want to make a shorter throw on what you believe will be your “next to the last” throw. Thus, allowing the dog to make the “short” catch and return the disc to you in time to get off a final long throw.

Chuck - The only way to develop a Distance-Accuracy strategy with your dog is to practice using a stop watch and a field with markers set at 20, 30 and 40 yards. My personal strategy is three 40-yard throws, one 20-yard throw and one last 40-yard throw as the final seconds are winding down. I know that if I make a bad throw in my first three attempts that I probably won't have time for two final throws. So I practice mini distance, tirelessly. If you can't consistently throw the Frisbee 40 yards or your dog is a slow retriever then your strategy will differ. You can do the math - are six 20-yard throws worth more than four 30-yard throws, etc.? In the month prior to a Regional Competition I will make 2,000-3,000 mini distance throws without Donnie. I have a bag of 50 Frisbees devoted exclusively to mini-distance so 200 throws generally adds only 20-30 minutes to my time at the park. Donnies' total mini distance practice will consist of about 150 throws spread out over 10 to 15 workouts. Regarding retrieve speed, you might try using more encouragement and/or turn and run in the opposite direction. Aside from these two suggestions I'm open to suggestions – FlyGirl is so slow at retrieving it's painful to watch.

Ron - Unfortunately, I don't yet have the “ideal” strategy for Distance-Accuracy. Typically, I try to get as many maximum distance throws in as possible. Because Chili Pepper is so good at this, I've become satisfied. In a regional format (40-yard field) some try to get in 3 40-yard throws, a 20-yarder, then a 40-yarder as time runs out. Now that is an ideal plan, but it takes much, much practice. 3-time champions Gary Suzuki and Sam were masters at this. As far as getting your dog to retrieve quickly, there are two factors involved: natural tendency and motivation. Your dog will naturally tend to retrieve fast, slow or somewhere in between. The only way to improve the retrieve is positive motivation: words of encouragement, hand clapping, a reward of praise, the expectation of another throw. Discover what combination works best for your dog and keep it up!

Vault Trainin
by Bob, Chuck & Ron

I am in the process of teaching my dog to vault. Which of the vaults would be easiest to begin with and why? What are the critical steps in teaching your dog to vault? My dog continues to jump over my body instead of using it as a platform. What tips can I implement to get her to use my body to jump off of?

Bob - I think the easiest is a leg vault (sometimes called a catapult) or a chest vault because during these vaults you can maintain eye contact with your dog allowing you to better time your throws. Developing a back vault or a reverse back vault (sometimes referred to as a butt vault) is much easier taught with the help of another person. Have the other person bend over, tap the person on the back with a disc to get the dog to begin to vault (you can still maintain eye contact during this part of the training), then, after a few vaults you should be able to crouch down and tap yourself on the back to get the dog to begin vaults off your back. Start with low vaults (perhaps on your hands and knees) and progress to higher vaults. Use caution not to do vaulting if the dog doesn't demonstrate the ability to land properly on all four feet.

Chuck - Play with your dog enough and he will answer the question "which vault would be easiest to begin with." Flash learned the leg vault first. Boss' first vault, at 2 ½ years old, was off the chest and FlyGirl, at 8 months old, learned the back vault and leg vault at roughly the same time. The most critical steps in teaching my dogs to vault was teaching them 1) that they would not be punished if they put their feet on me, and 2) to pickup their back feet so that they would be in a position to place them on me for a vault. As puppies, my dogs were allowed and encouraged to jump up on me and were never taught that this behavior was wrong. When they learned the concept of vaulting, we then start teaching them the "off" command. If you have taught your dog that it is wrong to jump on you, then you will need to teach him that it is now ok to place his feet on you. You can use food, a Frisbee or anything else that your dog responds to, to encourage this. If your dog does not pickup his back feet naturally, encourage him to do so using your leg, arm, hula hoop, a short section of pvc pipe or anything else that will encourage your dog to pickup his back feet while taking a Frisbee from your hand. Work toward vaults slowly. Each of my dogs did hundreds of "takes" before the Frisbee was ever thrown in an attempt at a true vault. Just remember that all dogs are different and some require more patience. Vaults that FlyGirl already knows took Boss three long years to learn.

Ron - I'm sure Chuck and Bob will adequately address the training aspects of vaulting, so let me make a few general comments on the subject. Since there is a definite element of danger associated with vaulting, I would caution you to keep the welfare of your dog always at the forefront. Those who have an anxiety about these tricks should not feel compelled to learn them just to be competitive. Let me remind you that many world class teams, including several former World Champions, never have vaulted their dogs. If you must vault, however, keep it low to the ground and do it sparingly. Skyhoundz judging regards excessive heights and repetition as superfluous. I heartily agree.

Back to the basics

by Christi Goodman

I am frequently approached by people as I practice with my Frisbee dogs, as I'm sure you all are. They all want to know how to teach their dog to "do that" (and most seem to want it to happen immediately!!). I explain that the three main behaviors in canine disc are chasing, catching and returning. Since more people seem to have trouble with the returning part, that is what I will focus on in this article.

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

Team Work - The Thrower's Part

by Jim Miears

My interest in disc-catching dogs began in 1975 when I first began throwing Frisbees. The only partner I had for over a year was the wind but for some reason my throws were not returned as well as I delivered them. At the time I felt the responsibility of dog-ownership was not an option for me. Fortunately, I found plenty of human partners to throw with and have since enjoyed many years of throw and catch.

Over the years I have taught literally hundreds of people the game of throw and catch versus the game of of toss and pick-up. Teaching Frisbee sports had become a passion so I began doing demonstrations at any school or organization that would have me. I met my fiancee a few years back (we'll be married this spring), and to my delight she suggested that I might want a dog. We somehow ended up with two dogs, and this is where the real test of my Frisbee experience, with both dogs and humans, would begin.

I now represent not only my own disc skills but those of 18-month-old Border ollie/Blue Heeler littermates Dexter and Tille (pronounced "Tilley"). We have worked hard over the past year and are making great strides in coordinating our efforts and establishing teamwork. Hopefully, (and for the sake of the sport) we have a long way to go!

Until this time my experience handling dogs was limited to readings and a general understanding of wolves and their social structure. These two little bundles of energy had given us the opportunity to nurture them, and I felt it was time to consult an expert or training advice. An animal behaviorist got me whipped into shape and I was ready to begin canine Frisbee lessons, the first of which was to create interest in the disc for my dogs and then keep it. I believe this is where my throwing experience has helped tremendously.

Dogs tend to thrive on the simplest rewards of success and praise. And one seems to be dependent on the other. The main point of this sport seems to be teamwork, and herein lies the thrower's responsibility. A great void is created in this system when there is no opportunity for success, i.e., nothing good for the dog to catch! Remember all those great Frisbee games of "toss and pick-up" that you and friends played at picnics? Well, your dog may enjoy them also, but they're certainly not much fun to watch. A few basics will greatly enhance the situation.

The most frustrating part of teaching your dog a trick is in the area of consistency, so let's focus here to begin with. Take an honest look at your abilities as a thrower. This is a good starting point. Your dog doesn't care how far you can throw as long as he can catch it. And what makes a disc catch able? The best answer is "air time." This is easily achieved by observing and mastering the most important features of disc flight. If you can toss the disc in such a way that your dog can consistently catch it regardless of conditions and his location on the field, then the rest of canine Frisbee training is left to your imagination and abilities.

The most important features of disc flight are SPIN, ANGLE, DISTANCE and SPEED. All of these elements work together to effect a desired flight situation. Without getting into the physics of all this, I'll attempt to clarify these terms for you. It might help to get a disc in hand to help visualize these concepts.

SPIN is defined two ways: direction and amount. Direction (clockwise/counterclockwise) is determined by the way the disc is released, either right or left-handed, or by throwing technique (forehand or backhand). The amount of spin needed for successful completions in varying conditions can be determined by a little ingenuity and lots of practice. The most important thing to remember is that maximum spin = maximum stability; less wobble means easier catches. Major amounts of spin mean greater air times. Windy conditions require more spin.

Disc ANGLE has become a major focus for me because a well-placed throw that has the wrong angle for your dog's approach to the disc can make for a very difficult grab. On the other hand, disc angle can be utilized to create some very dramatic and athletic catches by your canine teammate. The main cause of angled flight is the angle of the disc when released. Release angle determines a right or left curve path. Also, throws into the wind with the front edge (nose) too high can cause the disc to lift out of play, or worse, out of position, thereby disrupting the flow of your routine.

DISTANCE is pretty simple and should be carefully considered when the number of throws/time, wind, energy level of Fido, confidence of thrower or playing area limitations are a factor.

SPEED of the disc can be easily translated as how hard you throw in relation to the wind. Throws with the wind will go fast and throws into the wind will be slow. It must always be kept in mind that a disc thrown into the wind will climb and one thrown with the wind will drop. The wind will be your adversary and can only be overcome with actual practice. In all throwing you must spend time on the field practicing your goals.

In my opinion this is an awful lot to digest, so work on one factor at a time and all things will fall into place with plenty of practice. Learning to work two dogs at once has forced me to realize how important disc placement really is to execution of a consistent routine as well as just enjoying the activity. I feel certain that proper disc placement has prevented dogfights and collisions. Dexter and Tille work much harder when they have more teasing throws and a variety of throws to catch. Amazingly enough, they seem proud when they pull off a difficult or new catch. Remember you are a team and if you fail to do your part, your partner will have a frustrating time doing his. My guess is that your partner will most likely live up to your expectations if you can live up to expectations you place on yourself. Good luck to all, and PRACTICE so you can focus those prayers on good weather and excellent health. And remember to HAVE FUN!!!

How Do I Get My Dog to Play Frisbee

by Chuck Middleton

How many times has someone asked you that question while you’ve been at the park out practicing? Over the course of 10 years I’ve been asked that very question literally hundreds of times and I still do not have a simple response. Through trial and error, I’ve learned that what most people really want is a quick-and-easy answer when there isn’t one. For many years, I tried in earnest to explain that each dog learns a little differently and share, in detail, some of the things they might do to encourage Frisbee play. I could stand there and literally watch their eyes begin to glaze over as they tuned me out. I imagined their thoughts, “This guy is crazy. I don’t want to be a dog trainer, I just want my dog to play Frisbee.” Soon I learned that it was just easier to tell most people that my dog was a “natural” and go back to my training session. After all, I’m pretty sure that was what most people were already thinking, and it gave them the justification they were seeking to explain why their dog wouldn’t play Frisbee, “he’s just not a natural.”

No dog I know was born a natural Frisbee player. As we all know there is more to Frisbee play than just throwing the disc into the wind on a wish and a prayer. By examining the basic dynamics of how your dog learned to play simple throw and catch, you’ll be much better prepared to teach your dog more advanced Frisbee moves and tricks.

No matter how smart your dog is, or you think he is, he will never learn, “Now, I want you to run after the Frisbee when I throw it, catch it before it hits the ground, and then turn around and bring it back to me.” But take that sentence and break it down into individual pieces, like links in a chain, and many dogs with some natural or encouraged desire can be taught to 1) chase, 2) catch and 3) retrieve. There you have the basic pieces of canine Frisbee. Eliminate any one of those links and the game quickly becomes an exercise in stress management instead of a fun activity for you and your dog. Actually, it is possible to break it down even further. By looking at just the retrieve you’ll see that it too consists of three pieces, 1) taking an object, 2) carrying it and 3) giving it up. These steps are links in a behavior chain that, most of the time, must be taught individually before they can be combined–just like a chain is made by first creating the individual links before connecting them together to create the desired length.

Now you may say, “My dog does all those things naturally, I didn’t have to teach him to play Frisbee.” With some special dogs that may be the case, but chances are far greater that he simply transferred the learned behavior chain above to the Frisbee, from a ball, sock, stick or bone.

Before we go further, let me digress for a moment. Due to the very nature of canine Frisbee, physical coercion is a poor training tool. In obedience, for instance, you make a dog do what you want until he learns to do it correctly, either to please you and earn praise or, more often, to stay out of trouble and avoid punishment. But try to force your dog to chase, catch and retrieve the Frisbee and soon you’ll be spending more money on a therapist than I spend on dog food. Positive reinforcement is often the best way to train a dog, and the only way (in my opinion) to train a Frisbee dog.

Now if I were writing an article for a dog and disc newsletter this is how I would try to answer the question, “How do I get my dog to play Frisbee?”.

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.

Although Boss is only an example, (Flash before and Fly Girl after, learned in much the same way) it is used to illustrate how a so-called “natural” might have learned the steps of playing Frisbee before ever seeing a flying disc. More importantly, it illustrates how a dog learns to play Frisbee - IN STEPS. This is critical. If you are still with me, but thinking, “My dog knows how to play ‘throw and catch’. What I need to know is how to teach him to do those other things, like vault off my back.” Well then, you need to go back and read this article again, because I just told you how - IN STEPS.

A vault is no different from ‘throw and catch’ in that it too can be broken down into trainable steps, or links, or pieces. I’ll help you with part of the first step. Your dog cannot fear punishment if he jumps up and puts his feet on you. Think about what the other steps might be and we’ll discuss those in a future article.

‘Til next time, praise your dog like crazy because a dog that responds to praise is a dog more easily trained.