Canine Disc Peeps

I want to start playing around with it with Quinn.
We play frisbee a lot because, by hand. I can throw it further than a ball. Her accuracy with her catches is pretty good now so long as I don't stuff up my throws. And she effing loves it.

Questions

- Anyone got any good resources for learning to throw reliably?
- Do I need a certain type of disc?
- How the hell do people with larger dogs deal with the vaults and stalls? Quinn weighs in at a whopping 14.8kg (32.5 lbs) and so far the only real body trick she knows is to jump on my back. I usually make sure I'm wearing two shirts before I practice. As she gets used to it, will she "feel lighter" or do I need to deal with bruises? She's not naturally very light on her feet, she thunders when she runs.
- Resources on different tricks?
- What if its windy?
- Is it easier to make your cues for tricks verbal or body language?

Just anything. I'm curious. I want to dabble.

And because it's cool. I saw this the other day and thought it was an awesome routine.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=387544818044657

Take up ultimate frisbee. You'll get exercise and your throws will become pretty stellar. Plus it is the best sport ever.

Ooooo yes! Totally take up disc because it's SUPER fun and awesome and I love it so much.

- Throwing: Practice without your dog. Find a friend and just practice at different lengths, etc. There are a lot of "how to throw a disc" youtube videos if you want more info on technique. I'd start with a good old backhand first.

- Discs: yes! please use a dog specific disc. It's better for dental health, etc. DT World, Hero Discs and Skyhoundz all sell discs online that are great. Is Quinn a biter or gentle with toys? I can help recommend some disc types but it depends on the durability you are wanting. My all time favorite disc is a Fastback from DT World.

- Big Dog Vaults and Stalls: practice, and make sure you are rooted/well balanced when you ask for it LOL. A lot of us wear a vest made for this purpose to protect our backs/chests and provide great grip for those vaults. Some dogs hit very hard, some are little feathers when they vault. Either way, you'll get bruises.. lots of bruises. It's the nature of the sport.

- Tricks: Pvybe has a lot of tricks/how to's here: http://pvybe.com/disc-dog-flash-jam/. However, don't let it limit you! It's great to get an idea for the basics (click the circles, then click the picture to get the extra info) but don't be afraid to be creative (and safe)!!

- Wind: that's why we practice so much without dogs, so no matter the weather it's a safe throw. I'll sometimes use a heavier disc if it's super windy.

- Cues: I do both. I'm always, always, always talking to Dex during our routine, but my body helps clue her in as well. When we first learn a new sequence, it's "say it, show it, do it, mark it, reward and wait". Then on to the next trick. That speeds up considerably with practice to "say it, do it, mark it, move on".

I started playing disc with my husband. It helped a lot, and it was hella fun. I can't wait for the warmer weather to get here again so I can take it up. We have a school yard literally across the street which is perfect for it.

I like the Hero discs: http://www.herodiscusa.com/canine-dog-discs I've also lately been really loving the Jawz Soflite discs since Cohen's catches need work, and I think the hard plastic turns her off. She's pretty gentle on discs so I go for the softer ones generally. They still fly pretty well, and I'm mostly interested in tricks so the discs don't have to go too far.

Protective clothing! Even with it, you will get scratched and bruised. Sometimes when working on a new trick it will look like I've been attacked. It's bad. You get used to it. I found that Cohen hits more lightly as she gets more secure in the trick, but she'll still rake her claws down my back/thigh from time to time and it suuuucks. Some people pick up thin kevlar vests for freestyle. I had a friend recommend a kayaking vest recently.

P-Vybe is a great resource. Most of what I've learned I've just picked up from Chaz and Facebook, or just figured it out myself. The disc thread is great. We had a healthy set of tricks going in, so it's been really fun trying to incorporate some disc into them.

I can't help you with the wind. I'm not very good at throwing still. I hear heavier discs can help when it's windy. Honestly if it's blowing too much I'll just skip out on practicing. I've not competed, so I've not yet been forced to soldier through high winds.

For verbal vs body language, I would suggest you use both. For me, physical cues end up being more important because Cohen barkbarkbarks through the routine. But I have a number of cues that are on verbal and looooong and said at a specific tone which Cohen can pick up on easily. It's helpful to have both since it frees you up to change a cue as needed. For instance, I changed the cue for Cohen to spin from an overhand one to an underhand one during a small sequence because it flowed better and was a less obvious cue to observers. It was an easy transition since the trick is so solidly on verbal too.

Do you play??? I play!

It definitely helps with throws and is super fun, but it is also not exactly the same. I have a bunch of ultimate frisbee friends, who are all like "Give me that dog disc. I'll be able to throw that so well"...and then they can't xD


More on topic, I will be watching this thread. I am looking to start getting into disc as well. We play for fun all the time, and as long as I throw nicely, Leo catches them.

I play too!! I started in high school and continued in leagues until a year ago. When I started to get into disc dog a few years back my friend said "I'm amazed that you found something that combines your two favorite hobbies.. dogs and frisbees".

Lots of great advice already! Don't forget to check out the disc dog thread, tons of information already gathered there.