From The Editor
Well Holiday Season is almost here again and it will soon be a new year for Southern Ontario Disc Houndz. It is time to renew your membership!! During the past year the club has worked hard to bring competitions, workshops, & play dates, to its membership, as well as raise money for the Atlanta Travel Fund. Being a club member means that you get discounted prices on [SODH hosted] competition entry fees, workshop participation fees, classes, and merchandise. Being a club member also entitles you to compete for the annual Club Cup award &/or participate in the Sponsor A Disc Dog program. And in 2008 we are introducing two new awards that members will be eligible to receive: Athlete Of The Year, and Most Improved Player. Your membership dollars go towards offsetting the clubs costs in bringing FREE Skyhoundz Local competitions to Ontario; administrative costs incurred in hosting trials and workshops; competition supplies (flour/paint; clipboards; pens; paper; score sheets; ribbons/awards/prizes; cones …. and the list goes on
It is the goal of SODH to make 2008 an even bigger and better year for disc doggin’ in Ontario! Plans are already underway for the Canadian National Disc Dog Championships and the Hyperflite/Skyhoundz Ontario Regionals (Worlds Qualifier).
The SODH blog has become THE place to find out what is going on in the disc dog world. It’s getting a lot of attention. What started out as a little corner of the web to post our newsletters, has turned into a web (blog) site that is depended upon by club members and non-members alike as the place to keep current on what is going on in the disc dog world. Anyone hosting a disc dog trial, regardless of disc organization affiliation, can list their trials on the SODH Schedule Of Events page.
So help SODH to stay alive and work for you. Become a member today or if you are already a member, renew your membership for 2008! You can download/print out a membership application form by clicking on the link on the home page of the SODH blog.
Happy Disc’n
Jackie
Canada Brings Home A World Championship!
SODH Member Katherine Ferger & her dog Tallulah WIN the MicroDog Division at the 2007 Hyperflite/Skyhoundz World Disc Dog Championships
Ed: So Katherine, how did it feel to win the World Championship? Did it come as a total shock or did you have a sense as you were performing, that everything was just coming together (you like checking the lottery tickets and find you have all the numbers
Ed: Let’s go back to the beginning. How did you first become interested in the sport of canine disc?
KF: A friend started a disc club in Toronto about 7 years ago and Lawrence Fredrick came up once a month to give us some disc lessons. I had alot of trouble learning the throwing techniques but it was alot of fun and my dog at the time loved it. Unfortunately there was not enough interest and the club went bust after only a few months, and the dog I was playing with at the time had to retire from sports. I wanted to continue learning but there was no one else doing disc here at that time and I didn't have a dog who could play, so years went by. Then two years ago I was attending a flyball tourney where they also happened to have a disc trial running. I was excited to try some disc again, and I decided to enter my two new puppies "just for fun" in a simple retrieval test they had that young pups could do. I liked all the people there and had such a good time hanging out with everyone that I became interested in doing more. I watched the toss and fetch and my pups were screaming and tugging on the leash to play so I knew they were keen to learn. So when I saw another disc trial advertised a couple of months later, I signed up right away. I was hooked again, and with more trials happening I was able to start practicing and playing.
Ed: I know that Tallulah and Zelda are your main freestyle dogs. What made you choose those dogs as your freestyle dogs as opposed to some of the other talented dogs in your dog family?
KF: Honestly, I didn't choose Zelda and Tallulah to play disc...they chose the game and made it very clear to me it's what they wanted to do above all else. They love it so much their enthusiasm is infectious and it really motivated me to learn all I could about disc play. They are so keen it would have been dangerous for me to play with them with my very terrible skill level of throwing that I had when we first started playing. So really, they forced me to learn to play, as it was the only way I could play in the sport they loved so much.
Ed: Are there any players/competitors that have most inspired &/ or influenced you in your freestyle training?
KF: Well it was Lawrence Fredrick that first got me interested in the game of disc, I learned alot from him and his enthusiasm and energy certainly inspired me to learn more when there really wasn't alot of disc going on here yet. Angela Ewtushik gave me lots of inspiration when I was getting frustrated in first learning how to throw and kept motivating me to come to trials despite our numerous zero and low scoring rounds in the beginning. Corinne Brewer is always an inspiration with her support, encouragement and geunine love of the sport. Seeing how her hard work has changed her game has really inspired me as well. Meilssa Heeter influenced me in a big way after attending a seminar she gave, it gave me direction to take to learn new skills and her focus on health and safety foremost has really influenced how I train and approach disc play in general. Pam Martin influenced me with her encouragement and focus on creativity and just plain having a good time with your dog.
Ed: Any favourite players that you love to watch?
KF: There are so many players and dogs I love watching it's hard to narrow down to just a few, I am sure I will forget some! Some that I have seen in person and really loved are Lawrence Fredrick, Tracey Custer, Tony Hoard, Todd Duncan, Pam Martin, Ron Watson, Andrew Yori, Apryl Lea, Sabine Bruns, Frank Buckland, Yachi Harai, Autumn Trainor, Nadja P (with the long last name), Chuck Middleton...and so many more really.....they are amongst my favorites, they all have their own unique style and new things they are always doing and have amazing dogs. I love watching anyone who plays their own game and has creative ways of doing things, and showcases their dog. I enjoy watching pretty much anyone who posts videos on the K9disc site as well, hope to see them all in person some day.
Ed: I know that you’ve now competed in CDDA, SODH, Skyhoundz, and USDDN. Do you think you’ll branch out and travel/compete further away and under more organizations?
KF: I plan to get out to any competition I am able to next season and hope to travel far and wide to do so. It's still a bit limiting here in Ontario for freestyle (although slowly growing) so I am excited that both Skyhoundz and USDDN have a Regional and a Qualifier here in Ontario, I definitely want to get out there more and compete more often in those venues, so plan to travel as much as I am able to next year. Currently in Ontario if you want to get experience you have to be willing to travel. I am hoping to get to the US to compete in other organizations we haven't seen up here yet as well.
Ed: Any words of wisdom for those starting out in disc sport and aspiring to be champions?
KF: The best advice I ever got, and can pass on, is to just have fun with your dog. It sounds so simple and cliche, but when you start to play with that single goal in mind, things will just fall into place. Don't get too caught up in trying to showcase yourself by showing off fancy throw types, those will come in time. When you are genuinely having a great time that's when the creative juices start flowing and inspiration will take flight.
And take the time, no matter how long it takes or how tedious it might seem, to learn to throw properly. I do believe anyone can learn to play disc safely, it will take some of us longer than others, as long as you are having fun, don't ever give up! Always take your cues from your dog, your dog has lots to teach you. Don't try to just copy or imitate other people, you need to do what you feel like doing, what you are capable of doing, and what your dog enjoys doing . When just starting out some people will try to mold their dog into playing a game that the person thinks they should be playing, or tries to imitate a player they like watching in order to be competative or to impress others. But in doing so you forget to just "play", you lose sight of your dog and you will never develop your own style. When you genuinely love the game and enjoy playing with your dog it shows, and no matter how easy or complicated your moves are, it tends to look great and people will enjoy watching you and you will always be having a great time. I guess that is alot of stuff, but it's advice I have been told by those more experienced and it has really helped me, so hope those ideas can help others too!
Ed: Thanks so much for your time Katherine, and congratulations once again on your success.
KF: Thank YOU! It's been a great year and we wouldn't be playing disc if not for SODH and all the other great people here in Ontario hosting trials and seminars to grow the sport we love so much.
Building Drive & Intensity
You can increase a dogs drive & intensity towards any object if you approach it from the perspective of a reinforcer/motivator that you first have to condition. This can be quite effective for those dogs with little or no disc or toy or tug drive. The trick is to give the toy (whether it be ball, disc, tug, whatever you want) or the tug game, value. In other words, if you have a dog that has little interest or drive for a toy, disc, tug (from here on in I'll just say "toy" to refer to all), then before you can use those things as rewards, lures, or objects of interest for training, you have to first condition them to be desired objects to the dog. With most dogs you can use feeding time to achieve this. It won't happen overnight > you need to give it adequate time. For some dogs it will happen fairly quickly and for others it will be a slower process. Depends on the dog.Basically you are going to use a targeting exercise, and the target is the toy that you want to build drive for. First you are going to teach your dog what "touch" means. Then once he knows how to target, hang the toy somewhere close to where your dog eats (or you could hold it) and before you put your dogs supper down, ask him to "touch" the target. With repetition the dog will start to see the value in touching the target and will begin to anticipate the touch cue and start boffing the target to get you to put down his meal. Now up the ante > ask the dog to touch the target twice before putting the food bowl down (or if you are holding the toy move it from side to side and ask the dog to touch to the right and then to the left). When the dog is high on this boffing the target game to get supper > up the ante again. Now simply touching will not work. Mild frustration will come into play because what once worked is no longer working. This frustration should bring about an intensified attempt to make attention to the target work, and most dogs will start to mouth the target > BINGO! > this works and you put the food down. Slowly up the ante (only when the dog is really driven at the current level of interest) so that the dog grabs the toy/target with more gusto and then to the point where the dog actually grabs the toy. And then maybe tugs with you with the toy. Because these behaviours cause you to feed the dog his supper, they become important to the dog becasue supper is important to the dog. What you end up with is a dog that is VERY turned onto the target object. Essentially what you are doing is creating a drive & intensity for the target object, by pairing it with something the dog really wants ..... Supper! Feeding time works better than training/treats time because usually a dogs drive for supper is higher, and in this training game … no target = no supper. Supper is important therefore targeting becomes important. Once you have the interest and drive developed for the target object, you can then use it in your training as a reinforcer for other things. I have a friend who, in order to prove to naysayers that this method is highly effective, got her dog totally turned onto and driven for her 'car keys' as a reinforcement. The dog was highly motivated to do anything for the opportunity to retrieve car keys > even the flyball runback was for car keys! She later used the keys to get the dog interested in a tug by attaching the keys to the end of the tug rope and dragging it along the floor.
Showmanship In Competition
By Julie Jenkins
I think lots of handlers have trouble with showmanship.To evaluate showmanship, it's got to be observed from a spectator’s point of view. If you train and practice alone, it's essential to videotape your sessions, because by watching your routine through the eyes of a spectator, you'll get a better picture of your overall showmanship.
To me, showmanship is all about confidence and attitude. You should appear to be in control, relaxed, and MOST importantly, having the time of your life with your best buddy.Of course, nerves have a direct impact on your ability to ‘look’ confident and in control. It's easy to tense up, breath shallower and faster, and harden your facial expression. At competitions, we've all got lots on our minds right before a routine. You’re thinking about your combinations and tricks and disc management, etc.
The way that I overcome this type of stress is to just look at my dog and communicate with her. I do a little massaging, or maybe some calm, attention exercises. If you step on to the field CONNECTED to your dog, your routine is already starting well. I try to really concentrate on my breathing, relaxing my muscles, especially facial muscles, and SMILING. If you can transition from the sidelines to the playing field and keep feeling confident, relaxed, and happy, you'll immediately make an impression on your audience. Keep your routine nicely paced, don't rush yourself, and don't agonize over mistakes. Just steadily move through your routine. Get excited and SHOW it when you and your dog nail something. Praise your dog for great efforts and remember to give your cues and signals in a clear and upbeat tone of voice. Don't show disappointment in missed tricks, but rather, celebrate the good stuff!I think anyone can quickly improve their showmanship out on the field by combining stress management, attitude, and using friends or a video camera to observe yourself in action.
(Julie Jenkins has been training and competing with dogs for 18 years. She lives in Greensboro, NC with a pack of hilarious dogs and a very tolerant husband, Leerie. Julie teaches obedience, flyball, agility, canine disc, and musical freestyle. contact her at fullspeedfox@comcast.net)
‘In Drive’ versus ‘Operant’ > Help! I’m Confused
In dog training there is a lot of lingo that can be cause for confusion. Is my dog ‘in drive’, or is his ‘operant’, and what IS operant?? Do I have to clicker train to be using operant conditioning?? Help!! I’m confused!!
Well if you have those types of questions, you are not alone.
"In Drive" and "Operant" can be synonomous. A dog can be operant and in drive at the same time.Operant simply refers to how a student operates within his/her environment > not whether the dog is high/low; in drive or out of drive. In other words, operant learning simply refers to how we respond to things that are presented to us in our environment. Learning through the natural consequences (be they good or bad > positive or negative) of our actions. A behaviour that brings about an unpleasant circumstance will likely influence you to do things differently in the future, while a behaviour that brings about a pleasant circumstance will influence you to repeat that activity again. When a student is in an operant state, he/she (or dog) is in a state in which optimal learning can occur. Whether that optimal state is 'in drive' or 'out of drive', is specific to the individual. Therefore a dog can be "in drive" and operant at the same time.Two of my border collies (father and son) are completely opposite in this regard. Buddy has to learn 'in drive'. When an accomplished trainer friend tried to 'quiet' him so that he could 'think & learn', the result was that he was unable to learn. When allowed to learn in drive, Buddy excelled at his lessons. On the other side of the coin, we have Ace. When high and 'in drive', Ace's brain is scattered and unfocused and he does not learn at all. Ace needs to be quiet and calm in order to learn. Once a behaviour is calmly learned, Ace can then perform the action in drive. But he can't learn in drive.Luring vs free shaping also does not technically define operant vs non-operant. Even when a dog is following a lure, he is offering a behavour. Modeling on the other hand refers to the physical manipulation of the dog to create the behaviour. Operant conditioning deals with the modification of voluntary behaviours through the use of consequences. In dog training this has been taken to mean that only free shaping refers to operant learning. However, the combination of luring/reward education that seques into offered behaviour is often the quickest and least stressful method of learning. For example > if I said to you "find your way to Alaska", and gave you nothing else but a click/treat everytime you took a step northward, it might take you a very very long time to find the target destination (or behaviour). And depending on your temperament and how strong your desire is to find Alaska, you may or may not follow through, and you might become stressed and frustrated. But if I gave you a map and said, “find your way to Alaska”, you would have a much easier time. Now let's say I give you a map, let you make the trip a few times, and then ask you to find your way without the map. Don't you think it would be quicker & easier than the first option in which I give you no direction on how to find Alaska at all?? Luring serves the same purpose as a map. Show the dog the way to the target behaviour and after he's made the trip a few times, take away the map (lure), and let him find his way there by himself. Because he's been there before and it was reinforcing, he will try to get there again. So you see, using lure/reward training, sequeing into offered behaviour is still operant learning. You're just helping the subject to get to the target behaviour with less stress. The behaviour is still shaped based on consequences of offered behaviour. Luring also does not have to refer to food luring > target training is also luring. Luring can be referred to as the action of providing the necessary stimulus to evoke a behaviour.
Congratulations to Canada’s 2007 World Finalists!
Dennis Alexander; Don Blewett with Meg & Spring; Laura Campbell with Juice; Angela Ewtushik with Rally; Jenelle Holborough with Ayleigh; Timmie Dohn with Dakota; Katherine Ferger with Zelda and Tallulah; and Heather Beach with Twist.
Canada made a great showing at the 2007 Hyperflite/Skyhoundz World Disc Dog Championships. 2007 saw the largest contingent of Canadians attending & the players all left their mark in the disc dog world by performing memorable and innovative routines. And as if that weren’t enough Katherine and Tallulah became the first ever Canadian to win a Skyhoundz World Championship.
Thi History of Skyhoundz In Canada
It’s only been six years that Canadians have been involved in Skyhoundz disc dog competitions, and in only six years, Canadian players have evolved and improved so much, that this year, a World Championship was won by a Canadian.
Jennifer May brought Skyhoundz into Canada back in 2001. Before that time the only disc dog organization offering competitions in Canada was the CDDA. As with any new organization breaking into a new area, the first Skyhoundz competitions saw just a handful of competitors. But that handful of competitors blazed the trail for others to follow. After a couple of seasons of hosting Skyhoundz trials and running a Regional competition, Jennifer passed the torch to me (Jackie Parkin), got married, and moved to the Camun Islands. I took on the challenge of hosting Skyhoundz locals primarily so that my dogs would have a place to play J No one else was hosting Skyhoundz trials, so if I wanted to play, I had to do it myself J I began by looking for venues where I could bring more attention to the sport. Disc in Canada was not really ‘growing’ in those days. It had reached a plateau of sorts. Same people. Same dogs. And not very many newcomers emerging. So I decided to take the sport to the people. I did this by piggy-backing other events such as flyball tournaments and fairs. In the beginning it was the same few people and dogs coming out to compete > I remember one trial that consisted of myself and three other competitors. But we persevered and with more exposure came more interest from both dog sport fanciers and the public, and gradually over the next few years we saw a resurgence of interest in the sport. SODH member Dennis Alexander was the first Canadian to compete in a Skyhoundz World Championship competition. He shared what he experienced, and inspired players here to think outside the box, be creative, and aspire to higher levels of achievement. Angela Ewtushik introduced the Unofficial Open Freestyle class at her trials which allowed competitors to compete with more advanced freestyle routines, and this further contributed to the growth of the sport, and the innovation of Canadian players. And SODH was created to promote the sport, publish a newsletter, host, and publicize disc trials.
In six short years Canadians have gone from obscurity in the sport of canine disc, to the level of world class competitors.
How Do You Teach That?
The Roll Over/Jump Over
The Roll Over/Jump Over is a very tricky trick. Timing is everything. One wrong move and you could land or fall on top of your dog. This is a move taken from musical freestyle. Before attempting this trick, your dog must have a 100% reliable roll over on a verbal cue AND be able to perform the roll over directly beside you. Most dogs only learn the roll over when in front facing the handler, but for this trick the dog needs to be able to roll over when he is BESIDE you.
if your dog rolls to his right, he needs to be on your left hand side to begin this trick (& vice versa if he rolls to his left) Tthe dog must roll over TOWARDS you. I’ll describe this trick with the dog starting on the left of the handler > just reverse the entire lesson if your dog rolls the other way
1. begin with your dog on a down on your left hand side
2. lift your left knee up like you are doing a high stepping marching move and cue your dog to “roll”
3. when the dog completes the roll, slowly lower your left leg so that you are now standing over top of him. I say slowly because many dogs will spook at the leg coming down so close to them
4. repeat this many times & “gradually” increase the speed at which you ‘step over’ your dog
5. as your dog gains proficiency begin to lower your left leg AS the dog rolls into you. You want it to be a fluid movement. Dog at left > you standing straight > raise left knee and cue dog to roll at the same time and immediately lower your leg so that you are standing over the dog
6. Once you can execute this efficiently and without ever knocking your dog with your foot, you can move onto the next phase
7. When you lower your left leg, step out a little bit from the dog so that you now have room to bring your right leg over the dog and bring your feet together so that you end up with the dog on your right hand side.
8. Slow things down again until you are 100% comfortable with the maneouver.
9. Lift left leg > cue the roll > lower left leg on other side of dog > bring right leg over dog and end with your feet together and the dog on your right
10. Now gradually speed things up until it is a fluid movement and add a “Hop” into your step over.
11. The final move should have the dog rolling over in towards you and you hopping (like a Double Dutch skipping move) over top of him
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Quotable Quotes:
Ability is what you're capable of doing, Motivation determines what you do ... Attitude determines how well you do it.
(Author Unknown)
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In Conversation With ……
This issue we are talking with Frank Montgomery from the Mid-Atlantic Dog and Disc Club in Maryland.
ED: Hello Frank and thank you for talking with us. Just so as to acquaint our members with you, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself and your disc dogs
FM: I am currently playing in the sport with my three girls (Allie-oop, Pixie Chick, & Gracie Lou). Allie-oop is a 10 year old Australian Cattle Dog / Border Collie mix. She was rescued by my Lifetime Partner “Ray Lowman” from a broken home at about 12 weeks old. She started retrieving things immediately. Her worst habit was dropping the disc well out of my reach, which I was able to correct with a little help from a field trial trainer friend. She is still going strong and has had one of her best years this season. She is however slowing down when the heat of the summer arrives. Allie-oop has been my best Toss & Fetch dog to date. She tends to lack focus as years have gone by. Her best trick is a butterfly front
flip. Her biggest accomplishment to date is being a USDDN National Finalist in freestyle.
Pixie Chick is a 7 year old Black-Tri Australian Shepherd. We got her as a puppy from a local Delaware breeder. She was not interested in playing disc for her first year, but loved to run and jump with her friends. When she finally decided to try her paw at it and caught her first one, she was hooked by seeing all the attention she received. Pixie Chick is by far my best Freestyle dog to date. She is so focused, enthusiastic, and athletic. Her enthusiasm translates into being overanxious to get the disc and tends to jump well before she can grab the disc. We have our most trouble in Toss & Fetch with this trait, even though she took me to the Skyhoundz World Championships her first year in the Sport Division … double jumping on each jump. We have tried everything to curtail this habit, but nothing has worked. We are currently working on training techniques, “Monkey in the Middle” and the “Wait” command to work through this issue. Pixie Chick’s best trick is a Butterfly Back Vault. Her biggest accomplishment to date is becoming a 4 time World Finalist.
Finally, our youngest and sweetest addition to the family is our 1 year old Red Merle Miniature Australian Shepherd Gracie Lou. She has big dreams for such a small girl. In our first year and our first Freestyle competition, she qualified for the World Championships in the Micro Dog Division. I was not expecting this nor were we prepared for what was down the road. We went to the World Championships not expecting anything and coming out in the top 10. She is very fast to get at the disc, but not so fast to release it when asked. She has many admirers as well as a Fan Club and she knows it as she loves to take a Victory Lap after she catches the disc. I think her bad habits and best accomplishment to date are obvious. Her best trick is not so obvious, yet! She has several Work-In-Process tricks, but too soon to know. We are working out correcting the “Victory Lap” issue with the “Chase Me Game” technique and the “Not Releasing the Disc” issue with the “Ouch” command and progressing to the “Out” command.
Ed: How long have you been involved in the sport of canine disc?
FM: I started Disc Doggin’ 14 years ago with my 6 year old female Dalmatian Ebony n Ivory, “Ebbie.”
FM: I came across a local Frisbee competition while I was walking Ebbie though our Annapolis neighborhood park. I saw 5 teams go through their timed toss & fetch round, including one Dalmatian and a Black Lab. The Dalmatian team had a very bad round with no catches, while the Black Lab caught everything her handler threw. Both these rounds inspired me. A few days later, I took Ebbie out for our walk with a Frisbee in hand. Ebbie had never seen any other toy than a tennis ball, which I am sure if there was a sport in catching tennis balls, she would have been a World Champion. Ebbie caught my first 20 foot throw. We were hooked! A week or so later, I was reading my office newsletter and came across an article about a co-worker that just won the Annapolis Frisbee Competition with her Black Lab. I introduced myself to Cindy Ernest and asked her about the event and she in turn introduced Ebbie and me to the sport.
ED: Who &/or what has most influenced your game?
FM: I would have to say Ray Lowman for the “who.” He has worked so hard to step up the sport in the Northeast and is continually helping us to make it stronger beyond our region, which can only make us and the sport that much better. As for the what, would have to be the family friendly approach that Skyhoundz Hyperflite’s brought to the sport.
ED: Do you have any mentors &/or favorite players?
FM: I tell Frank Buckland that he is my hero every time he takes the field at the World Championships, unless he is competing against me ;-). Frank always seems to have so much fun on the field with any dog he plays with and does well despite his butterflies before and self critique afterwards.
ED: Do you have a favorite move > either one of your own or one that someone else does?
FM: There are so many moves to choose from that it is hard to pick a favorite. One that I saw many years ago at the World Championships by Paul West where his dog did a back flip after coming of Paul’s back from a full upright standing position. A second one would be my new move with Pixie Chick where I bounce a disc on its edge off my back with Pixie catching it via a back flip. And one last move that I did with Ebbie where I tossed a disc behind my back for her to catch it as she was vaulting off my thigh.
ED: What is your fondest disc dog memory to date?
FM: It would have to be the Demo that Ray & I did with Allie-oop & Pixie Chick at a friend’s school for mentally & physically challenged children. It was by far the most heartwarming experience to hear their sincere cheers, see their huge smiles, and sense the extreme joy that we were able to bring to those children that day. I would have loved to have stayed longer with the children after the show when they came onto the field to pet and play with the girls, but it was a long trip home from North Carolina. My trip to Shanghai, China with Pixie Chick & the Skyhoundz Hyperflite team would have to be a close second.
ED: What do you think the perfect freestyle routine should be like?
FM: Perfection is certainly something to strive for, but such a steep goal. I would prefer to say you should work to make your routine something that is “truly entertaining.” That entertaining routine would draw on the canine’s drive & athleticism, show the canine’s focus and the teams seamless flow through varied releases & spins of the discs and controlled use of the field. Catching all the throws would be a plus, but there we go with that word perfection. The key for me would be that the routine shows off the canine and the team’s best abilities and keeps the spectators looking for more.
ED: What advice do you have for newcomers to the sport?
FM: Take it slow, have as much fun as your canine (lots), if not … do something else, ask anyone (beginners to experts to spectators) questions or advice, and in turn provide others your thoughts. We can all learn from each other and have fun along the way.
ED: What advice do you have for those already playing?
FM: Take it slow, have as much fun as your canine (lots), if not … do something else, ask anyone (beginners to experts to spectators) questions or advice, and especially, in turn, provide others your thoughts, tips, & tricks. We can all learn from each other and have fun along the way.
2007 Xmas Disc Dog Song ....
To The Tune of 'Silent Night'
Disc dogs dream, of discs in flight
Running, leaping, and vaulting so high
Spinning, catching, and giving high fives
Hoping Santa brings, lots of frisbees
Disc Dogs are dreaming tonight .....
Silent Night, Holy Night
Handlers 'round, the world are blessed
With disc dogs eager and so full of love
Special Gifts from a Power above
Handlers give thanks for their dogs this night
While disc dogs are dreaming tonight .......
Thank you to everyone who joined and supported Southern Ontario Disc Houndz in 2007. May you all have a wonderful Holiday Season, and wishing you all the best for 2008.
Jackie
