Vaulting Vocabulary & Nomenclature
One of the problems with talking about disc dog stuff is the lack of a common vocabulary. We have developed a common vocabulary and nomenclature at Pawsitive Vybe for vaulting and it’s relatively simple.
Nomenclature
Nomenclature is a system of principles, procedures and terms related to naming.
Type of Throw >> Type of Vault
The dog uses the player´s body as a launching pad to jump for a disc. A Vault is a leaping catch from the handler’s body. The dog leaves the ground More >> Part of Body is, generally speaking, how we name our vaults. So we wind up with a term like Butterfly
A butterfly toss is a throw that cascades end over end instead of spinning round and round, like flipping a coin. Catching a butterfly is more difficult than catching a More Reverse Back Vault. That is a Reverse Vault
A Reverse Vault is a vault in which the dog flips off the handler’s body. The Reverse Vault, aka Rebound, can be done off of any part of the body, More (flipping off the obstacle), off the back of the handler using a Butterfly throw. A Cross
A Cross is an canine agility term that describes a change of working sides. Your dog moves from your left to your right (Heel to Side) or from Clock to More Body Back Vault is a back vault that crosses our body from left to right, or vice versa.
This nomenclature, the system for arranging terms in a name, is not quite perfect, there are exceptions, but it’s a good start and better than having a completely random or personal naming system. Here are some terms for describing various vault types:
- Backwards – from the opposite direction
A Backwards Back Vault would be a Back Vault where the dog goes from front to back instead of from back to front as a normal Back Vault is performed. The “Hike Vault” is an example. - Reverse – a Flipping Vault
The dog flips off of the handler’s body. A Reverse Leg Vault would have your dog flipping off of your leg to catch a disc. - Cross Body – from Right to Left
Linear Vault where the dog crosses the handler’s body from left to right or right to left.
Vocabulary
- Obstacle or Platform – the part of the body that is used for vaulting.
- Target – the disc
- Set Up – distance and orientation for the start of a vault
- Release
Release has many meanings in disc. Throws and throw variations can be referred to as releases. Sometimes you talk about the dog releasing something, the toy, or the environment, as – the throw
These are not completely standard outside of Pawsitive Vybe they may or may not be understood. We believe it is important to try to standardize the naming system and vocabulary so we can easily communicate and understand disc dog concepts.
