Disc Dogs 101: Getting Into Disc Sports with Your Dog
This month’s tip is designed to get you started in the fun, fast sport of Disc Dogs. The AKC now recognizes the titles of the UpDog Challenge disc organization that features a variety of games for all skill levels. Timothy Lake, UpDog judge and head captain of the Tar Heel Toss and Fetch Club, shares some great tips on training in disc.
Does your dog love to play? Does your dog want to learn how to fly through the air? Then look no further than disc!
Disc is one of the fastest growing dog sports in the world, and the options for play in this sport have dramatically increased from its humble beginnings. The history of this sport can trace its roots back to 1974 when a 19-year-old college student named Alex Stein and his incredible dog, Ashley Whippet, hopped the fence during a major league baseball game and started playing catch with a disc. The stunt drew much public attention and launched the sport of Disc Dogs!
Getting Started
The beauty of Disc Dogs is that it is very easy to get into. Most of the foundational work can be started at any age and can be done right in your backyard!
The first thing before starting your Disc Dog journey is having a dog-safe disc. Companies like Hero Disc and Hyperflite have made a variety of sizes and styles of dog-safe discs that are designed for a safe and easy bite on the disc. One of the most important foundations of Disc Dog is drive and retrieve.
For many dogs, this comes naturally, but you can very easily shape behaviors to make disc a lot of fun. When starting, throwing rollers or short throws can help your dog build drive for the disc. This encourages your dog to run and chase after the disc and try to catch it before it hits the ground. It is recommended that your dog not leap high for a disc before a year old; rollers are a safe and fun option to start a young pup!
Rollers: A “roller” is a disc that is thrown and rolls on its edge on the ground rather than flying through the air. It helps bring out your dog’s natural predatory drive to chase after the disc, as if it was chasing a rabbit or prey animal. They take some practice to perfect, and there are a few various grips. You can use a backhand grip, flip the disc vertically and snap your wrist, using the same motion as whipping a wet towel. When throwing a roller, ideally your dog would be “catching” it before it stops rolling. As your dog starts to develop an interest in driving to the disc, you can then start to focus on retrieval; bringing the disc back can be just as important as catching it!
Grabs/Takes: After your dog becomes comfortable chasing a roller and is accurately targeting the disc, you can transition to “grabs/takes,” where you are simply holding the disc a few inches in front of your dog to “grab” the disc. This helps teach them the orientation of the disc can be vertical or horizontal when it flies through the air!
Starting Throws: When your dog starts becoming even more comfortable, start with short 2 to 5-foot throws. Reward or praise your dog even if they don’t catch it; the simple act of going after the disc and retrieving it is important to imprint the behavior.
Skill Progression: Once you have developed a strong bond with your dog and your dog is catching and retrieving the disc, you can start to work on shaping routines and behaviors that will advance your game and getting higher scores in games from organizations like UpDog Challenge. Teaching your dog to “go around” and being able to sequence discs one after another are helpful skills that all go towards advancing your skills as a handler as well as building a routine for freestyle, which is a choreographed routine set to music.
Whether you are looking to have fun in the backyard, earn titles, or qualify for a world championship, Disc Dogs is an excellent way to build a strong bond with your dog and have a lot of fun. So, grab a disc, go outside, and have some fun!
Timothy Lake of North Carolina competes in disc, Fast CAT, and dock diving. Timothy has two rescue dogs that are part of the AKC Canine Partners Program, where they have excelled and achieved several titles. His All-American Dog, Nala, 7, was the reserve Champion in NADD’s 2015 Nationals in Air Retrieve Senior Division. Timothy serves as the head captain of Tar Heel Toss and Fetch Club, based in Chapel Hill, NC, and as an UpDog disc judge.