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Dog Training, Performance & Art

Tag: retrieve


Pvybe Life Episode 1 – The Pilot Season’s Pilot

Posted by Ron Watson in Disc Dog Life. No Comments

18th January

Episode 1 of PVybe Life – a Dog Training variety show by Pawsitive Vybe in Kingston NY.



Flipping the Field for Toss and Fetch Retrieve Speed

Posted by Ron Watson in Disc Dog Training, Dog Training. 12 comments

11th October

This is the third and last installment of our Improving Toss and Fetch Retrieve Series. This content will be covered completely in video, images and text in our next Disc Dog Foundation online distance learning class which starts Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011. It will also be added to the first update of the DiscDogger’s Toolkit.

Reward Placement and Field Pressure in Toss and Fetch

If you are playing by the rules of Toss and Fetch, the field only goes away from the handler in one direction. It’s a law of Toss and Fetch, actually. The throwing line defines the direction we’re going to play. If you play the game of Toss and Fetch you can easily see that the cool part for the dog takes place only while moving away from the handler. There is nothing to look forward to on the … Read More »



A Faster Toss and Fetch Retrieve with 2 Discs and Bitework

Posted by Ron Watson in Disc Dog Training, Latest. 9 comments

10th October

A few Days ago I wrote about Improving a Toss and Fetch Retrieve and said that I’d share two techniques that we use here at Pawsitive Vybe to increase our Retrieve speed in our dogs. Here’s is the first technique, Bitework.

These techniques will be covered in complete detail in pictures and video in our Disc Dog Foundation Class which starts Wednesday and added to the first update of the DiscDogger’s Toolkit.

Adding Value With Bitework

Adding value to the area around the handler is vital for getting a strong retrieve. This is nowhere more important than in the game of Toss and Fetch.

In Toss and Fetch, some dogs naturally perceive the area around the handler as extremely valuable because that is where throws come from so they haul butt back to the handler. But I would think dogs like this are a … Read More »



Improving Your Disc Dog’s Retrieve Speed in Toss and Fetch

Posted by Ron Watson in Disc Dog Training, Latest. 14 comments

8th October

I have been asked on more than one occasion,”How do I get a faster Retrieve out of my dog in toss and fetch?”

It’s a simple answer, all you have to do is to give your dog a reason to haul butt back to you. This simple fact often escapes handlers because we all get caught up in the game of toss and fetch – the time, the distance, and the single disc – and we go out and practice, practice, practice the game by the rules.

This is classic cart before the horse thinking and flies in the face of any kind of athletic training you can think of.

Imagine a football team that practiced only by scrimmaging (live game simulation). No walk throughs of plays, no running tires, no tackling drills, no catching drills, no practicing kickoffs and kickoff returns. This … Read More »



Attention and Targeting

1st December

Attention and Targeting are the basis of team based work. Without these skills teams don’t function very effectively. Shaping…



Fixing a Retrieve with Bitework

21st November

This is a response to a post in a Discussion on K9Athlete.com

I know this is an older thread. The funny part is I have instructed folks on the retrieve and trained successfully four of my own dogs to do it….then I got Zeke. He will be great at freestyle, he will drop the disc as soon as he sees me with the next one…..its the t/f foundation we lack, the retrieval of ONE disc….he thinks its great fun the run around with the disc all by him self, chew it, keep away. I have tried ALL my tricks I have used with previous dogs….I don’t really see him making any connections or progress…..suggestions?

Cassi Anderson

Hint: In a small area, there is no room to run away. Biting and dropping happen in the same place.

Mechanics and Methodology
2 Disc Bite Work

Tugging 101 … Read More »





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PVybe Blog

Get the skinny on what's going on with Pawsitive Vybe. News, Announcements, UpComing Events and everyday Disc Dog Life with 12 crazy dogs in the middle of the city. Access a wealth of incredible dog training and dog sports content via the Pawsitive Vybe Blog.

Try This! 3 Thresholds with a Bunch of Dogs
This is Ron's followup to the Try This segment on our weekly 1/2 hour dog training and lifestyle series on YouTube, Pawsitive Vybe.
Performance vs Understanding – Human Clicker Game
This is a few minutes of a human clicker game we played at a recent Discdog B&B. The idea here is to teach a...
Performance vs Understanding – Context vs Concept
Performance can be based upon conceptual or contextual understanding. How does a handler communicate conceptual understanding to the dog and avoid performance based on...
Performance is not Understanding

More lessons in this series:

Human Clicker Game Context vs Concept

Performance is not understanding. Just because your dog has done or is doing a behavior...

Flatwork Session with Rokalele
Ron & Leilani, 12 year old Border Collie, do some Frisbee Dog Flatwork focusing on the Rear Cross and good work on the Flank....
Flatwork Introduction with Loot
Ron Watson gives Loot, 15 month old Border Collie rescue, an introduction to disc dog Flatwork.
PVybe Life Season 2 – Post Project Wrap Up

For the last 47 days we have been running a project on Indiegogo to crowdfund Season 2 of the PVybe Life. It was...