Put very simply, it is a dog sport, based on playing with your dog and a frisbee, specifically created for dogs (made with a mixture of plastic and rubber, so that the frisbee doesn´t hurt your dog´s teeth and gums). Btw, if you need a proper frisbee disc for your dog, you can join our preorder here: https://www.lyodog.com/gear/
Some of you might already know that Dogfrisbee is one of our favourite dog activities. Darwin, my heart-dog border collie, got me into the sport and through years of training and learning, we created a very special and close bond that I will cherish forever. So it is my pleasure to teach dogfrisbee through our classes (when I have time for it) and pass on the special “vibe” of the sport.
Compared to other dog sports, this one is a bit more individualistic and creative, as you can train almost anywhere where the terrain is safe, and you can make the playing as fun as possible by learning new throws, tricks, or even adding agility obstacles. BUT, it should not be taken lightly! It is equally important for the human to train their frisbee throws, as it is to teach your dog to catch and fetch the frisbee. Honestly, it might take you years of training before you will see some improvement in your disc throwing technique and in your dog´s ability to execute jumps, catches, special elements, etc. It is also crucial that you and your dog are fit, that you warm up and cool down your dog´s muscles before and after training. So, it is a process, and you need to learn to enjoy it.
As a dog trainer, I never force my students to attend competitions, but is can be a great opportunity to socialize your dog (e.g. to teach you dog to focus on you in a crowded place, with a lot of people, barking dogs, music, etc.), and to see how much you have improved (though you should not compare yourself with other dog-human teams!).
Very broadly, dog frisbee disciplines are divided into Distance and Freestyle. There are several Dogfrisbee organizations and competition leagues, each with its own rules and specific disciplines. Their popularity differs among countries, in Europe the most common are:
- USDDN – https://usddn.com/
- UFO – https://www.ufoworldcup.org/
- Skyhounds – https://skyhoundz.com/
- Updog – https://updogchallenge.com/
- Ashley Whippet Invitational (AWI) – https://www.ashleywhippet.com/
As I mentioned before, when I have time, I organize dogfrisbee classes (locally, in Slovenia). I only take a few students at a time, so that I can adapt to each dog-human pair in a small group. The next round will probably start in September 2024, in Ljubljana and/or Postojna area – you can apply here: https://www.lyodog.com/frizbi24/
*In case that we will have enough interest from other countries, we will create an online course. Let me know here: shop@lyodog.com
