Dog Training, Performance & Art
How and where we throw the disc has great bearing on how and where our dog moves. This sounds elementary, but the application of this knowledge is not nearly as simple as it sounds. Or maybe it is just as simple, it’s just not super easy to understand.
Disc Dog Flatwork and Shapes are related but not the same thing. Just because you have good flatwork doesn’t mean you will have good shapes and vice versa. It is possible to have great Shapes and poor Flatwork. As it is possible to have great Flatwork and poor Shapes.
A judged subcategory in UpDog, Shapes are not well understood in disc dog freestyle. That said, they do have bearing in your score in other organizations depending upon the judges sitting on the panel and they definitely impact your flow and Team Movement.
Flying discs are magical missile objects. They seem to move in an impossible manner. It is this impossible movement that attracts people to the flight of a flying disc and disc play in general. Cool throws need not be difficult things and the coolest throws are often quite simple.
For many throwers, old and new alike, Hyzer and Anhyzer are like some kind of paranormal activity, like ghosts they are completely visible but ephemeral and difficult to understand. For those that are initiated and understand the concepts practical applications of the skills are often hard to find. Enter Catch with Curves…
Throw as many 42 yard throws as you want and you can still be surprised and affected by your rampaging frizbeast bolting up field and pressuring your throw. If only there were some way to practice Toss N Fetch throws under that kind of pressure… Well, grab a few discs and a partner and head on out to the field.
This is an excerpt from our Patrons Only Disc Quan Do Class. It’s about the connections between the Stance Shifting Form and functional disc dog Team and Handler Movement. Classes are about 1 hour long on Monday & Friday and are available to Patrons Only.
Tell, Trigger, Target is the disc dog vault sequence. Tell the dog where the disc will be caught and what type of vault is to be done, Trigger the dog’s movement with the presentation of the vaulting platform, and set the Target. It is your job to deliver this information so the dog leaves the ground knowing these three pieces of critical intelligence.
Obi has come a long way. He is paying attention to his handler, he’s following his handler’s movements and respecting and responding to positional pressure and body language. As a result he’s playing much more safely and successfully, and his leaping is coming along. That said, he’s still apt to get ahead of himself and run too fast. This could easily spiral out of control and lead to a return to unsafe and unsuccessful play.
A Fish is a Flying Give. The dog is supposed to spit the disc out while in mid-air. Some dogs to it fairly naturally, and some have to be taught.
