For which dogs is Dog Frisbee suitable?

28 Jan, 2024, No comments

Many dogs are enthusiastic about dog frisbee – and it doesn’t matter whether they are particularly small or large. Whether Jack Russell or German Wirehaired doesn’t necessarily make the difference. Nevertheless, you should consider a few things.

For disc dogging, the dog must be fully grown.

This means (depending on the breed): No training for the first 18 months or a little longer. After all, you don’t want to damage his joints and bones unnecessarily by jumping and landing too early. Therefore, wait for the skeleton to build up healthily and strengthen muscles and co. in other ways, and then take off without a care in the world.

Large and heavy dogs that tend to suffer from hip problems are not the best candidates

The same applies to them as to puppies – even if the causes are different.

Is your four-legged friend getting enough air?

This may sound a bit strange at first. But if you take a closer look at a pug or other short-nosed dogs … it quickly becomes logical that shortness of breath is not necessarily the best helper during an intensive sport. However, this does not mean that a pug per se is not suitable for dog frisbee! After all, his bone structure lends itself to this.

Your dog must not freak out

Some dog breeds, such as Border Collie, despite their otherwise excellent suitability for this dog sport, tend not to find an end and at some point virtually spin on the edge. Of course, this does not have to be the case in every individual case. Nevertheless, make sure to play with your dog only as long as it is good for him and as long as an end is possible.

Conclusion

Learning Dog Frisbee is suitable for adult, not too heavy dogs without respiratory or hip problems. As long as you have your dog checked by a vet before you start training and he gives you the OK, there is nothing to stop you training. Challenging the dog is perfectly fine – it should just not be too much of a challenge. In this respect, it is practical that there are no rigid guidelines for disc dogging. This means you can tailor the exercises to your furry buddy and you’ll both be happy.

About Disc dog (Frisbee dog) sport

5 Jul, 2023

Disc dog (commonly called Frisbee dog) is a dog sport. In disc dog competitions, dogs and their human flying disc throwers compete in events such as distance catching and somewhat choreographed freestyle catching. The sport celebrates the bond between handler and dog, by allowing them to work together. The term "disc" is preferred because "Frisbee" is a trademark (held by Wham-O) for a brand of flying disc.

History

The sport got its start in the early 1970s, paralleling the rise in popularity of Frisbee sport. The definitive moment came on August 5, 1974, when Alex Stein, a 19-year-old college student from Ohio, and his dog, Ashley Whippet, jumped the fence at a nationally broadcast baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Cincinnati Reds.^[1] Stein had with him a couple of flying discs, which he threw for the dog. Ashley astonished the crowd with his disc-catching, as he ran up to 35 miles per hour (56 km/h) and leaped 9 feet (2.7 m) in the air to snag the disc.^[2] The stunt was so novel that the game was stopped and Joe Garagiola continued to announce the flying disc action on the field. Finally, after eight minutes, Stein was escorted off the field and arrested.^[1] The nationally televised exhibition of Ashley's skill did much to fuel interest in the sport.

Stein worked with Irv Lander and Eldon McIntire to create the Frisbee Dog World Championship for people and their dogs. Even today, Stein and McIntire continue to contribute to the sport.

Disc dog training

Not all dogs immediately understand the concept of the game. A dog may not instinctively know to turn and chase after a disc that is thrown over its head. To begin, the disc should be thrown straight to the dog at a short distance. Once a dog knows how to catch, it can learn the additional concept of running to catch the disc. The disc should be thrown at increasing heights, gradually throwing the disc higher, until it finally goes over the dog's head. At that point the dog instinctively follows the disc all the way around.

Disc dog article (c)

Thank you for photo @SpicyDog photography