Frisbee Commands

[Atlanta Smitty]

My dog is a frisbee catching machine. I can throw a frisbee and no matter how bad I mess it up. He seems to manage most of the time to catch it. He watches me until he sees the frisbee leave my hand. He can read the frisbee as if it is going to stop, decend, elevate, or come back extremely well. Not to mention can leap for it.

 

But I want him to do better. He is 10 months old and I want to stop my bad habits before he aquires them.

 

What I am essentially asking is what are some commands (especiall those in Frisbee Competitions of any kind) use?

 

I don't have really any commands for my dog when it comes to frisbee. I just throw it and he gets it then brings it back to me.

[Allie Oop]

Allie (11 mos.) is also a frisbee fool. She seems to be pretty good at it, too. We play frisbee a lot (with a variety of discs).

 

I'm sure that you already know that your throws to your pup should be long and low, rather than ones that cause him to leap into the air (especially with all legs leaving the ground), because the pup's growth plates usually haven't closed yet. I was told that they generally close sometime between 12 - 15 mos. The tendons and other supporting tissues are also not fully developed until after that time (and maybe not until 18 mos. or so). Not allowing proper time for the growth plates to close can cause your dog to be crippled up at a relatively young age.

 

Here are a couple of links to disc training information that I found helpful. Disc Training - Getting Started

U.S. Disc Dogs

 

Good luck! Post some pics of your dog playing frisbee.

[Kat's Dogs]

Frist off, slow down a bit. At ten months you should still keep the disc WAY low.

 

I use simple commands (like stay, closer, down) when I do frisbee but I find the most useful to be "around". When I tell her that she runs around behind me (ending up on my left) and then runs after the disc. That way she gets in the right postition to catch it rather then watching me and then turning to get the disc. Does that make some kind of sense?

 

Also, practice your throws WITHOUT the dog. That will help you get better faster. Another good reason, most dog/frisbee enjuries come from just a bad throw from the handler.

 

Sorry that this is so filled with "bewares" but I think that it is important to keep our puppies safe!

 

I second Allie Oop - We would LOVE to see pictures!

[Atlanta Smitty]

Thanks for the replies. Unfortunately I do not have any great pictures of my dog catching a frisbee. My camera is terrible and you have to time the catch just right.

 

I started a "Myspace" group for my dog. I'm posting pictures there. Including some of him going after a big ball. Here is a Link. It's under "Group Photos".

 

My dog does have a habit of jumping. He loves it. If the frisbee is anywhere where he can jump. He'll do it. Even with it being low. I'll keep in mind though to keep it lower. And it will be better if I decide to compete him.

 

When I come home and enter the door he'll a lot of times jump and just touch his nose to my nose and he'll look like Tigger jumping up and down. I don't know what he gets out of it except to jump. But I'll try to keep him down to earth somewhat.

 

I did teach him some things which help with frisbee. I taught him "Drop It" which means drop whatever you have in your mouth. Including a frisbee. And to brag a little bit I can tell him to drop a rib bone or any kind of food and he'll obey me.

 

Then when I go Union and get tired of bending over to get it I'll tell him "Hand it to me". He'll pick it up off the ground and put it directly into my hand.

 

I'll have to tach him "Go Around".

 

Thanks for the help

Smitty

[Katelynn & Gang]

Ten months is pretty young to start full time frisbee tricks.

 

I'd take the time to teach her to "around" behind you on whichever side she feels good with.

 

Also, if you are wanting to maybe someday do frisbee as a hobby, you will want to put a fast recall on her. You can do this with a ball or a low frisbee (no jumps), sending her out with the "around." Once she reaches the ball or frisbee, turn around the run the other way calling her.

 

I have a pretty neat frisbee dog that I taught this way. He was also eager to start playing like the big dogs. Last year he did pretty good at local events and will be doing more this year.

 

His uncle was the 2004 Novice Champion at the Michigan State Championships. It is a real shame he can no longer play frisbee and is lame because of a freak accident in 2005 playing frisbee that left his hind leg and hip shattered. He was in awesome shape, in his prime, and been playing for years before.

 

I'd hate to see what would happen to a inexperienced still developing puppy in a freak accident like so.

 

Fourteen months is probably the idea age to start real frisbee training and even then, I'd keep it low until the dog became more experienced.

 

Keep it fun and you both will love it! No matter how low the frisbee is tossed!

 

Katelynn