Using multiple Discs

[Guest SweetJordan]

Okay so this isn't about obedience, agility or flyball, but I thought this was the best place to ask.

Riley has been doing back flips, butterflies, and overs for some time. We have worked on vaulting. She is a little timid about jumping up on me, so we need some more work in that area. There is suppose to be a big snow storm this week so I thought that would be a good time to work w/ her a bit more. Though I know the vault isn't something that we want to overuse.

Anyway, my problem is getting her to use multiple discs. She'll get her mind set on using one disc and will ignore the other ones. We usually use the hyperflite jaws discs which come in different colors. I was thinking that if I used discs that are the same color maybe that would help. I have in the past been able to get her to juggle. But when I tried today she had the same mind set of focusing on one disc.

With the exception of the vault she will learn any new thing I teach her in one session. But I have delayed adding in new tricks because I really want her to use multiples so we can put together a routine. With that being said I should probably show her new tricks anyway. If anyone has any suggestions on how I can teach her to use multiples let me know.

[Shetlander]

Anyway, my problem is getting her to use multiple discs. She'll get her mind set on using one disc and will ignore the other ones.

 

I had my first ever Disc Dog lesson this past Saturday and watched a good part of the Hyperflite/Skyhoundz DVD last night so keep in mind how new I am to this sport other than playing with Quinn in the Backyard. A friend had a lesson for her puppy before me and one of the things the instructor told he when the puppy was being reluctant about bringing the disc back was "make the fun end if he doesn't play by the rules," to put the disc up for at least a few minutes, then try again. Do you think something like that would work with Riley? "Ooops. Guess you don't want to play right now. That's ok. We'll try later." Then if she's seen the light, tons of the usual excitement for her cooperation.

 

Quinn sometimes likes to take the disc to different people to throw. People are charmed by this. "Aw. He wants everyone to play." It is kinda cute but I wasn't so charmed one day when he ignored my calls and took it instead to a friend watching us who had no interest in throwing his slobbery disc. After a few reps of that behavior, I went to him, took the disc, informed him obviously he didn't want to play and we went inside. The next time he ignored me to go to someone else, I used a warning tone of voice and he knocked it right off.

 

If I notice anything the when I rewatch the DVD, I'll let you know!

[setsail]

Jackson just started multiples this winter. I started by teaching a "drop" command. If he dropped it on the ground he got a treat. Then I would immediately throw a short one. After a while he got that when he saw another disc it meant drop the one he was holding. I still use a verbal command when he gets a little grabby. He likes to come back to me each time so now I'm trying to work on drop from a distance. I started with short, dribble like throws. Just fast "Take!" "DROP" "Take!". But we still have some trouble. He's just starting back flips, overs/unders, and I'm still deciding about vaults. He's kind of heavy (50lbs) and I'm pretty short. But i have a vest and we are working on stalls and going from there.

[Guest SweetJordan]

I had my first ever Disc Dog lesson this past Saturday and watched a good part of the Hyperflite/Skyhoundz DVD last night so keep in mind how new I am to this sport other than playing with Quinn in the Backyard. A friend had a lesson for her puppy before me and one of the things the instructor told he when the puppy was being reluctant about bringing the disc back was "make the fun end if he doesn't play by the rules," to put the disc up for at least a few minutes, then try again. Do you think something like that would work with Riley? "Ooops. Guess you don't want to play right now. That's ok. We'll try later." Then if she's seen the light, tons of the usual excitement for her cooperation.

 

Quinn sometimes likes to take the disc to different people to throw. People are charmed by this. "Aw. He wants everyone to play." It is kinda cute but I wasn't so charmed one day when he ignored my calls and took it instead to a friend watching us who had no interest in throwing his slobbery disc. After a few reps of that behavior, I went to him, took the disc, informed him obviously he didn't want to play and we went inside. The next time he ignored me to go to someone else, I used a warning tone of voice and he knocked it right off.

 

If I notice anything the when I rewatch the DVD, I'll let you know!

Umm.... I don't know I could try it. Her mindset of wanting to use a particular disc is the only time she acts bullheaded. I have a feeling that if she wasn't a BC she wouldn't even know the difference between the discs.

Riley will play with anyone too, but fortunately I don't have the problem of her ignoring my calls. And she thinks that everyone who comes over has done so to play w/ her. I have a sister-in-law who just about died one day when Riley dropped her Frisbee in her lap, and that was prior to it accumulating a bunch of slopper.

[Guest SweetJordan]

Jackson just started multiples this winter. I started by teaching a "drop" command. If he dropped it on the ground he got a treat. Then I would immediately throw a short one. After a while he got that when he saw another disc it meant drop the one he was holding. I still use a verbal command when he gets a little grabby. He likes to come back to me each time so now I'm trying to work on drop from a distance. I started with short, dribble like throws. Just fast "Take!" "DROP" "Take!". But we still have some trouble. He's just starting back flips, overs/unders, and I'm still deciding about vaults. He's kind of heavy (50lbs) and I'm pretty short. But i have a vest and we are working on stalls and going from there.

I'm glad Rye is only 33 pounds. I need to work on dropping from a distance as Riley brings it back to me everytime as well. She does know 'take it' and 'drop.' Not sure if she will be interested in a treat though w/ Frisbees around. I have thought that if I could get her to use multiples that having her drop the Frisbees from a distance would be easy to teach.

[setsail]

yeah, food is the only thing Jackson will drop a frisbee for lol. I already told my DH that our next dog is going to be petite. Back vaults are hard for us. His back is the same length as mine lol. We laid back to back and his head and hips line up to me. He's a big boy lol .

[Guest SweetJordan]

Yep that's a lot of weight for vaults.

We made some progress today. I found that if we had a session where we practiced overs only then she was more than happy to use more than one disc. Now when I tried short distances w/ multiples she wasn't in to that so much. So what I did was when she tried to take the wrong disc I just told her 'wrong' and to get the other one(starting w/ 2 seems to be the best). Then when she did and brought it back I rewarded her w/ the one she wanted. When she did go after the other disc I had her drop it to throw the other one. Sort of a variation of what you are doing, which is what gave me the idea. And a little bit of Shetlanders idea of making her play by my rules which didn't seem to take too long as she just wants to play. She may not be going long anytime soon w/ multiples, but at least it's progress.

 

Now when you do overs with your legs do you use your left and right side? I've found that I don't get a good throw off my leftside. I'm right handed. So I'm been pivoting to have her do overs on my rightside. But I will use my leftside, but then I just have her take the disc(holding it high enough so she can get a good jump as she comes over). Watching everyone else I haven't paid enough attention to notice what they do.

[setsail]

Yay progress!

 

I haven't really found a way that works best yet for us. We are just starting out. I know that Jackson is a right hand dog. He has a hard time catching disks that go left. I'm working on a lot of lefts right now because I don't want him to be weak on one side. For over the leg, I find that standing on my left leg with my right leg straight ahead and having him come over from the left to take/catch from my right hand is the easiest for us.

[Guest SweetJordan]

W/ Rye I only notice that when doing backflips she's a left hand girl(it's also the paw she'll wack everyone w/ the most for attention). The rest of the time it doesn't seem to matter. Some people only use their dog's strong side when doing back flips. I guess it's going w/ what comes naturally to the dog, and to yourself. I know that my throws for back flips aren't always that great off her right side so I play a big roll in that. But yeah we practice off both sides. The thing about Frisbee is that it really is a team effort. It doesn't matter if we have the best disc dogs in the world, if we can't throw properly it doesn't matter. The dog isn't going to do well.

Sometimes other people will practice distance throws w/ Rye and often she doesn't do so well because they just don't know how to throw it. If that's all I'm doing w/ her she'll catch everything unless I really mess up. Had one person who was trying to fake her out, and I was like "what are you doing?"