Georgia Irish Disc Dogs

                             "Your disc dogging resource"

Locust Grove, GA 30248
ph: 404-472-7880

Disc Doggers Interviews

Interviews from your fellow disc doggers across the world

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Below One of Disc Doggings Classiest Ladies-Pam Martin

 

Another one of Disc Doggings Classiest People Chuck Middleton Taking some time out of a tournament to work with Rocket on how to do a Proper Mouth Take.

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Name- Jack Fahle

Age - 37

Where are you from and Websites and Clubs which you are affiliated
with-please list your club website and your personal disc dogging site- I am from Tampa Florida and am a member of the Central Florida Dog and Disc Club (CFDDC) - www.cfdiscdogs.com Personal site: www.Hi-FiAussies.com

Your disc dogs current and past- Ruckus (8 years old) and Tali (4 years old)

When did you get started in the sport of disc dogging- About 3 years ago I started toss and fetch (D and A) and about a little over a year ago I started freestyle.

What made you get started in the sport of disc dogging or who led you
into the sport of disc dogging- My wife Kathleen got me into the sport. She is the reason we have dogs. She competes in agility with the dogs. She had a hard time dragging me along for a weekend of agility, but got me into disc and now I'm the one dragging her along.

What is the farthest you have ever traveled to compete in a disc dogging event- South Carolina - I know this doesn't seem far but for a guy who didn't think he would ever drive down the road to do a 2 minute routine that I could do in my yard, this is huge. The sport is addicting and the people in the sport are great. They keep us coming back.

How many different countries have you been to with your disc dog to
compete or do shows with- just the U.S.

How many States in United States have you competed in or done shows in- Three

Are you involved in other dog sports and if so what are they- No

Do you or have you done disc dogging to supplement your income- No

What are some of your proudest moments you have experience with your
disc dogs, awards, accomplishments,etc.-
I won our club championship series with Tali. Although I acumulated
the points in the lower freestyle division of our club, I was
incredibly thrilled. We got Tali when she was 19 months and it was a
good 10 months before she was willing to grab a disc in her mouth.
She is definitely my special needs discdog. I am incredibly proud of
how far she has come and to win the club series with her meant a lot.

Ruckus is the true discdog of the family. He is addicted to fetch and
loves toss and fetch. I had a hard time teaching him to play with
multiple discs being that he started out playing only D and A. Last
year we won second place at Skyhoundz Worlds in the microdog division.
It was no surprise to me that he finished in 2nd place on the
strength of his D and A round. The long toss is his love. He is
going to Skyhoundz Worlds again this year in the Distance/Accuracy
division. Tali is qualified too which is huge for her.

What food do you feed your dog and what supplements do you feed your dog- The dogs are on Innova EVO food and Synovi G3 supplements. The older dogs are also on DGP (Dog Gone Pain) which has been a miracle supplement for our oldest dog.

How much do you practice or what are you practice routines in season
and off season- Being in Florida, there really insn't an off season
for me. I don't really have a practice routine. I try to give Tali a
few days break in between freestyle practices. Playing disc (toss and
fetch) with the dogs however is what they do for excercise in the
yard. Almost everyday they go out to play toss and fetch. What I
need to add to my "routine" is time for practice on my own without the
dogs. I don't do enough perfecting of my throws and my routine
without Tali. I have placed disc tossing practice (on my own) as a
goal for this summer.

Where is the biggest venue you have ever performed or competed at- Skyhoundz Worlds

What are some of the biggest changes you have seen the sport of disc dogging since you started in the sport- Haven't been around that long.

What have your dogs taught you personally- I was afraid of dogs as a kid. They always chased me on my bike. I wasn't sure about it when my wife Kat persuaded me that we needed to get Mickie, our first dog (Australian Shephard). Four dogs later, I can't imagine not having dogs. I can't believe the strong bond that I have with each of our dogs and the individual personalities that each have. Working together at frisbee helps build that strong bond. My dogs have definitley opened my eyes to the relationship between a human and his/her K-9.

Besides your own who and what are a few of the best disc dogs and disc dog
performers you have seen and competed against.-
Wow, this would take a long time to answer. There are so many good
teams out there. I am constantly in awe of the top performers. I
like different things about a lot of teams. Mark Muir and his dogs
have a wide open routine that uses all of the field and his tosses
always seem to fly from his hands with speed and a ton of spin. I
like the up close work that Preston Dean does with his dogs. Both
Lawrence Fredrick and Chris Sexton have unbelievable freestyle tosses
that they work into their routines. The energy and human moves that
Roo puts into his routine with Wallace has always impressed me. There
are so many others. I am constantly learning from watching these
folks. Thank God for
Youtube. I can go back and reverse engineer
these fantastic routines in an attempt gain ideas, tweak moves and
work something new into my routine and improve my skills.

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Name- Pam Martin
 
Age if you dare- Only as old as you feel ? : - )
 
Where are you from and Websites and Clubs which you are affiliated with-please list your club website and your personal disc dogging site- 
Garland, Tx  www.topdogdallas.com
 
Your disc dogs current and past- Past: Rip bc, Retired: Flash bc, Pilot bc mix jrt,
Current: Spy jrt mix, Viva bc mix jrt, Eagle whippet mix, Mercy bc mix staffy, iPod bc mix my youngest 1 year old.    

When did you get started in the sport of disc dogging- I was introduced to the sport after 1986 but I was a slow starter, became more active when the USDDN formed.
 
What made you get started in the sport of disc dogging or who led you into the sport of disc dogging- I metRon Ellis while training in obedience. Ron started the very first disc dog club ever in Dallas Texas and I was thrilled to be a part of it.  His actions influenced many others to follow suit and now look at how many disc clubs there are all over the world, unbelievable. 

What is the farthest you have ever traveled to compete in a disc dogging event-  Canada, USDDN Qualifier 2007.  It was the first USDDN event in Canada, again I was thrilled to be a part and hope to go again.
 
How many different countries have you been to with your disc dog to compete or do shows with-
Canada, Brazil, Colombia South America, Mexico.
 
How many States in United States have you competed in or done shows in- Oklahoma, California, Kentucky, Georgia, S. Carolina.  Michigan and Illinois, Virginia.
 
Are you involved in other dog sports and if so what are they-  I am team captain of Top Dog Racers flyball racing team.  I'm into flyball in a big way.  Our team has won several Championships, most recently 2007 Cycosports World Champions.  See www.flyball.org  I also am heavily involved in another fun dog sport called Canine Freestyle.  I'm on the Board of Directors for the MDSA see www.musicaldogsport.org  
 
Do you or have you done disc dogging to supplement your income-  yes, some.
 
What are some of your proudest moments you have experience with your disc dogs, awards, accomplishments,etc.- Multi Best Small Dog and Crowd Pleaser awards, I really cherish.  Being the top woman disc player in the USDDN has been the my best accomplishment.   In 2007 the USDDN competitors voted and awarded Pilot and I " Best Entertainer".  To me this is one my proudest moments.  Oh yes, one other thing I'm very proud of, Pilot got a perfect score in the Dog category.
 
What food do you feed your dog and what supplements do you feed your dog- A well balanced diet. 
 
How much do you practice or what are you practice routines in season and off season-  I don't over practice my routine.  I want my dog to look to me to see what will come next.  I break a routine up into sets, usually 5 and practice each set and in no particular order and may even repeat a set.  I play disc year round about twice a week, now that's times 6 dogs : - ).  I'm a cross trainer and we like to keep workouts short and fun.
 
Where is the biggest venue you have ever performed or competed at- Columbia South American while touring on the Purina International Dog Team.
 
What are some of the biggest changes you have seen the sport of disc dogging since you started in the sport-  More disc yahoo!  I welcome this change as I feel more is better and especially in this case.   More disc makes for more exciting routines.  Freestyle is where "IT's" at.  This is what the crowd likes and my dogs too.  Also, the level of new players and new dogs is awesome and look out for the other countries too.

What have your dogs taught you personally-  That my relationship with them is priceless and is #1.
 
Are there any changes you would like to see in the sport personally and where do you see the sport of disc dogging in the future?  It's global now and there ain't no stopping it.  I would love to see more competitions.  
 
Besides your own who and what are a few of the best disc dogs and disc dog
performers you have seen and competed against.- 
Brian Lamky's "Tatiana" was the first disc dog that I flipped over (haha) Seeing this dog play has had a lasting effect on me and the way I play today.  Donna Schoech was the first woman I saw play and oh boy was I wowed, still am.
Ron Ellis, Melissa Heeter, Lou Mac.  I could go on and on and on here as the level of players is tremendous these days like with Tracy Custer, Mark Muir, Tony Hoard.
  
 
Besides your own dog which is the best clutch disc dog performance you have seen-  Todd Duncan and Pon S.
 
What is the most important thing/information piece of advice you can share to fellow disc doggers from your own experience-   Train with kindness.  Try not to blame the dog, more than likely it was something you are doing wrong. 

Anything else you would love to share about disc dogging please do-  I want to see what the dog's can do in freestyle, it's a dog sport.  

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Name- David A. Procida
Age - too old to be telling anymore
Where are you from and Websites and Clubs which you are affiliated with-please list your club website and your personal disc dogging site- Beautiful Sunny Southern California (South of Riverside, Ca.
Your disc dogs current and past-
1st: Sheila (ACD) gone but not forgiven
2nd: Sky: (BC) also gone but lost her to an ex-wife
3rd: Tazzie (ACD) still around, she's my loaner
4th: Marley (Rottie-x) Wife's Dog
5th: Chase (McNab) he was catching Discs at 10 weeks old! Lost this Could-of been champion to Parvo at 4 months old
 6th: Ace (Aussie) Still around and still playing
7th: Nitro (McNab-BC) a late bloomer no interest in Frisbee till he hit 5-months old and then was obsessed with the plactic disc, Won the 2005 USDDN Open class when he was 13-months old; lost to a Hit and Run Driver when he was 15 months old Still miss him!
8th: Lobo (BC) A rescue that Alpha challenged Marley daily (rehomed)
10th Maverick: My Current Frisbee star
11th Murray: My Rescue BC-McNab toss and fetch dog
12th: Calamity Jane, the most intense Cattledog I’ve come across in a long time, at 6 moths old is competing in T&F
When did you get started in the sport of disc dogging-
12-year ago Shiela and I attended a local Shyhoundz event and were hooked!
What made you get started in the sport of disc dogging or who led you into the sport of disc dogging- see Sheila above
What is the farthest you have ever traveled to compete in a disc dogging event- Arizona for the UFO/FDDO
How many different countries have you been to with your disc dog to compete or do shows with- none
How many States in United States have you competed in or done shows in-2
Are you involved in other dog sports and if so what are they- Agility, Canine Freestyle
Do you or have you done disc dogging to supplement your income-
Yes, I teach Disc Dogging and do entertainment/Demos
What are some of your proudest moments you have experience with your disc dogs, awards, accomplishments,etc.-
Nitro winning the 2005 USDDN Wags for Wishes Open Class/ Sky placing 5th overall in the Pro Skyhoundz Regional
What food do you feed your dog and what supplements do you feed your dog-
Canidae/ Raw/ Missing Link+
  How much do you practice or what are you practice routines in season    and off season-
not often enough
Where is the biggest venue you have ever performed or competed at-
USDDN Wags for Wishes
What are some of the biggest changes you have seen the sport of disc dogging since you started in the sport-
The Japanese arriving and kicking out butts!
What have your dogs taught you personally-
Just throw it!
Are there any changes you would like to see in the sport personally and where do you see the sport of disc dogging in the future?
Make freestyle less subjective. Until there are changes it will never grow but continues to cycle thru players burning them out as they go.
Besides your own who and what are a few of the best disc dogs and disc dog performers you have seen and competed against.-
Pon Saradeth is by far the best American, he could kick butt with his 9-year old Aussie.
Besides your own dog which is the best clutch disc dog performance you have seen-
Pon Saradeth and Chico
What is the most important thing/information piece of advice you can share to fellow disc doggers from your own experience-
Don’t let the judging discourage you from competing in freestyle (do as I say, not as I do!)
 Anything else you would love to share about disc dogging please do-

I make it a point to get my students to all the local events, we sit, cheer, laugh and encourage one another and this alone has once again sparked my interest in this sport.

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Name- Gary Duke

Age - 30

Where are you from and Websites and Clubs which you are affiliated with-please list your club website and your personal disc dogging site- Central Florida Dog & Disc Club http://www.cfdiscdogs.com, Aerial Aussies + BC http://www.aerialaussies.com

Your disc dogs current and past- Trinity - Blue Merle Australian Shepherd, Bayer - Black Tri Australian Shepherd, Java - Red Tri Australian Shepherd, Fergie - Red Merle Border Collie

When did you get started in the sport of disc dogging- In 2005, my wife and I went to our first disc dog contest, a UFO local, in Lutz, FL and competed in Toss n Fetch and did not do very well.  Then within a few weeks we went to our second contest, a Skyhoundz Regional Qualifier, in Oviedo , FL and that is when I got hooked by the sport. 

What made you get started in the sport of disc dogging or who led you into the sport of disc dogging- We were already training for agility before some friends of ours, Kat and Jack Fahle, introduced us to the Central Florida Dog & Disc Club.  We actually went to the 2004 Central Florida Flying Disc Challenge in Clearwater, FL with wour fiends and watched them compete.  In 2005, we realized the potential of our young dog, Bayer, when he did a backflip for a squeak toy in the living room one day.  For the first 8 months of his life, he was a slug and wanted to do nothing more than eat, potty, and sleep.  Bayer competed in toss n fetch with my wife, Sarah and me for one full season before I got the nerve to try freestyle.  Our freestyle debut was in 2006 at a Skyhoundz local in Oviedo, FL and the rest is history.

What is the farthest you have ever traveled to compete in a disc dogging event- We live in Wesley Chapel, FL and Bayer, Sarah and me flew to Denver, Colorado for the 2007 Colorado Canine Challenge and Quadruped.

How many different countries have you been to with your disc dog to compete or do shows with- So far, we have only competed in the United States but we plan to fly to Europe and/or Japan in the future to see what the rest of the world has to offer.

How many States in United States have you competed in or done shows in- Florida, Georgia, Colorado, Illinios, South Carolina, Texas and Indiana so far.  In the fall of 2008 we plan to travel to Chattanooga, TN for the Skyhoundz World Finals. 

Are you involved in other dog sports and if so what are they- My wife and I compete in AKC, CPE, NADAC, and USDAA agility.  We have also tried many other sports such as herding, dock diving, and rally-o/obedience, but there are only so many weekends in a year to compete and agility and disc dogging occupies more than half of them now.   

Do you or have you done disc dogging to supplement your income- I have done several paid demos/shows but nowhere near enough money to supplement my income or even to claim on my taxes.  Some day I hope to travel around the country in an RV with my wife and our dogs and perform at various sporting events, train others in disc and agility, and compete whenever we have a chance.

What are some of your proudest moments you have experience with your disc dogs, awards, accomplishments,etc.-

2006 IDDHA ESPN Great Outdoor Games Qualifying Event Champions in Hot Zone.  Bayer and I were quite new to the scene and had never competed in Hot Zone before and we beat the likes of Matt Diano and Maggie, Darron Barrus and The Moo, and Mike Pawich and Jesse (Silver Medalist at 2005 Hot Zone Finals). 

 

2006 Skyhoundz World Finalist in MicroDog division with Trinity, our oldest Aussie that loves to bark like a circus seal but never really cared enough to catch many discs.  She qualified at the Open Qualifier on Friday at Flying Dog Farms but we did not find out until 10pm Saturday night at the Awards Banquet and received our World Finalist plaque and bag of goodies on Sunday morning just before the competition began.  She had never even played Freestyle prior to this weekend and finished in the top ten in the World Finals.

2007 Florida Quadruped Men's Long Distance Champion.  Bayer and I had never competed in a long distance event before, so we entered the Men's division and after our first heat ended in a strike out, several veterans told me to give Bayer a 10 yard head start before I released the disc.  We came back in the Last Chance heat to qualify for the Finals and then ended up winning.  We also obtained the longest throw and catch for the day in our division at 70 yards.

2007 8th Overall in UFO World Cup Rankings.  Bayer and I had not even been competing in the top division for a year and we were able to rack up enough points at Majors, Locals and the World Finals.  Even after an injury plagued year for Bayer with minimal practice we finished in the Top Ten at the UFO World Finals and held on to our overall ranking.

2008 Skyhoundz, USDDN and UFO World Finalist before June.  After I suffered a case of gangrenous acute appendicitis and had my appendix removed on April 20th, Bayer and I were back to the field and competing by May 10th and qualified for the Skyhoundz Pairs Freestyle division (Southeast Regional Champions with Jack Fahle), then at the USDDN Freedom Weekend Qualifier we were the fourth qualifier in Toss n Fetch and Freestyle, and finally at the UFO Major - Florida States Championships we finished in 6th Overall and acquired enough points to qualify for the UFO World Finals.

What food do you feed your dog and what supplements do you feed your dog- We feed Innova EVO and Orijen high protein kibble the majority of the time with K9 Super Fuel supplements mixed with Kefir (probiotic yogurt).  We have dabbled with raw feeding, however it is not very convenient on a daily basis. 

How much do you practice or what are you practice routines in season and off season- I usually practice segments of my freestyle routine once or twice a week and then throw some toss n fetch when the weather permits in the offseason.  In the weeks leading up to a big tournament, I may put my whole freestyle routine together for one of my practice sessions.  Then my other practice session we will work on the segment(s) we struggled with.  I also practice by myself once or twice every other week by going to the park across the street from my job during my lunch break and practice various grips and releases and work on my accuracy.

Where is the biggest venue you have ever performed or competed at- Skyhoundz Open Qualifier the day before the Skyhound World Championships is by far the largest number of competitors I have competed against.  However the biggest venue and most spectators we have performed for would have to be at the USDDN Disc Dog Southern Nationals at Piedmont Park in downtown Atlanta, GA with crowds scaling the hillsides surrounding the playing field during one of the largest music festivals.  Also Bayer and I have had the lucky opportunity to perform at several professional sports teams fields like the Tampa Bay Storm (Arena Football League) and Tampa Bay Rays (Major League Baseball).  

What have your dogs taught you personally- My dogs have taugt me to be patient with training, have fun while practicing, competing or performing, and most of all to just enjoy the days we spend together as nothing lasts forever.

Besides your own who and what are a few of the best disc dogs and disc dog performers you have seen and competed against.- Todd Duncan and Levi, Tony Hoard and Rory, Bob Evans and Nick, Lawrence Frederick and any of his dogs, Tracy Custer and Five, Matt DiAno and Maggie, Danny Venegas and Jumpin Jack, and Mark Muir and Rocket.

Besides your own dog which is the best clutch disc dog performance you have seen- I have seen Mark Muir with Rocket and Preston Dean with Skye put on one of the strongest USDDN Toss N Fetch duels at the 2008 Disc Dog Southern Nationals with both teams scoring a round of 24 and 24.5 to tie and go to a throwoff to decide the winner.  (Perfect round is 25 points). 

What is the most important thing/information piece of advice you can share to fellow disc doggers from your own experience- Take your time with any new dogs to the sport and do not try and rush them to the competition field before they are ready.  Some of us competitive humans are naturally impatient and want to practice until we have everything perfect, but our canines just want to have fun and play a game.  As soon as you turn disc dogging into a job for your canine, they lose that extreme drive and will start to shut down if you do not keep the game fun.

 

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Name- Tim Zimmer   

Age if you dare- 48

Where are you from and Websites and Clubs which you are affiliated with-please list your club website and your personal disc dogging site- Edgewood KY which is about 4 miles as the crow flies from Great American BallPark SOFK9s

Your disc dogs current and past-Past: Buck Malinois

 Present :Buster Malinois ,  Willow Malinois

When did you get started in the sport of disc dogging- 1989

What made you get started in the sport of disc dogging or who led you into the sport of disc dogging-  My dog caught a Frisbee

What is the farthest you have ever traveled to compete in a disc dogging event- 480 miles

How many different countries have you been to with your disc dog to compete or do shows with-Just the USA

How many States in United States have you competed in or done shows in- 5

Are you involved in other dog sports and if so what are they- Board of Directors Kenton County Paw Park

Do you or have you done disc dogging to supplement your income-  NO

What are some of your proudest moments you have experience with your disc dogs, awards, accomplishments,etc.- Buster spent 8 hours playing with an autistic 13 year old Buster let him do what ever he wanted to do to .

What food do you feed your dog and what supplements do you feed your dog- Nutro Ultra Weight Management

How much do you practice or what are you practice routines in season and off season-  when ever we can, less than an hour a week

What are some of the biggest changes you have seen the sport of disc dogging since you started in the sport- Less emphasis on fun

What have your dogs taught you personally- patience

Are there any changes you would like to see in the sport personally and where do you see the sport of disc dogging in the future? More fun for the amateurs

 

 

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Name-Tony Hoard


Age if you dare- 54


Where are you from and Websites and Clubs which you are affiliated with-please list your club website and your personal disc dogging site- The IDDC

Your disc dogs current and past- Rory 7 yrs. - Zaniee "J' 3yrs. - "Q" 2yrs. - Elektra Blu 9 months


When did you get started in the sport of disc dogging- 2004 finished 2nd in T&F at the Midwest Qualifier then saw the Purina Incredible Dog Team preform at the Indiana State Fair . I talked to one of the trainers about how to get started she gave me some great advice ( the trainer's name is Donna Schoech)


What made you get started in the sport of disc dogging or who led you into the sport of disc dogging- I thought Rory could do some of the things they were doing vaulting , flipping and just have fun. Then after talking with Donna Schoech I knew he could it was me that had to figure out what I was doing out there. Fast dog slow handler not a good mix.


What is the farthest you have ever traveled to compete in a disc dogging event- Alabama\


How many different countries have you been to with your disc dog to compete or do shows with- The good ole USA


How many States in United States have you competed in or done shows in-IN, OH, ILL, MI, KY, NY, KS, AL, FL, GA, MO, PA, SC,


Do you or have you done disc dogging to supplement your income-Some


What are some of your proudest moments you have experience with your disc dogs, awards, accomplishments,etc.- This might sound funny but having a zero drop round with Zaniee at the 2007 Indiana States this little girl has came so far.


What food do you feed your dog and what supplements do you feed your dog-I forget


How much do you practice or what are you practice routines in season and off season- My two younger pups do something with the disc almost everyday tricks , T&F real short fun sessions . The older two don't get as much work with the disc but we do chuck-it or some endurance work.


Where is the biggest venue you have ever performed or competed at-Busch Stadium St. Louis Cardinals & Cleveland Cavilers


What are some of the biggest changes you have seen the sport of disc dogging since you started in the sport- The price of gas !!!!!!


What have your dogs taught you personally- When I first started I wanted Rory & I to be as good as everyone else but I found out by just having fun things kind of took care of them self.

Are there any changes you would like to see in the sport personally and where do you see the sport of disc dogging in the future? The sport is growing a lot of great young handlers out here so it would be nice to see The USDDN, UFO, SKYHOUNDZ talk a little more about a unification title.


Besides your own who and what are a few of the best disc dogs and disc dog\
performers you have seen and competed against.- Todd Duncan, Tracy Custer, Donna Schoech, this could be a long list because there is so many


Besides your own dog which is the best clutch disc dog performance you have seen- Danny Eggleston 2006 Skyhoundz

What is the most important thing/information piece of advice you can share to fellow disc doggers from your own experience- Don't take this sport to seriously think about it you are throwing plastic to your dog

K9 FRIZ-B-CREW

 
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Name-
Chip Hershey
Age if you dare-
47
Where are you from and Websites and Clubs which you are affiliated with-please list your club website and your personal disc dogging site-
 Farmland, IN. President of the Indy Dog and Disc Club. www.d-dog.com
Your disc dogs current and past-
 Lexi-freestyle, Gripper-toss and fetch, Bear-backyard champion.
When did you get started in the sport of disc dogging-
2001-First competition 2002 
What made you get started in the sport of disc dogging or who led you into the sport of disc dogging-
 When we first got Lexi, I bought her a bunch of toys. A fabric floppy disc was one of them. That was her favorite, she took to it like a duck to water. In the back of my mind, I have always wanted a disc dog, so we did an Internet search, and found the IDDC. Ron and Amy King have been the biggest influences on us.
What is the farthest you have ever traveled to compete in a disc dogging event-
IN to FL
How many different countries have you been to with your disc dog to compete or do shows with-
 One-USA
How many States in United States have you competed in or done shows in-
 10, as far as I can remember. IN, OH, KY, MI, IL, GA, FL, DE, TN, AL
Are you involved in other dog sports and if so what are they-
 Dabbled in herding with Gripper, if that's a sport.
Do you or have you done disc dogging to supplement your income-
 Not my own, have done many paid demos to help the IDDC.
What are some of your proudest moments you have experience with your disc dogs, awards, accomplishments,etc.-
 Probably my proudest was our first time out in freestyle. Won the novice division in Fishers, IN. I knew then that we were doing something right. Other great moments are performing for kids, and seeing how Lexi interacts with them, esp. special needs kids.
What food do you feed your dog and what supplements do you feed your dog-
 Purina Hi-Pro
How much do you practice or what are you practice routines in season and off season-
 The first couple of years, we were at it almost every night after work. Now is sporadic, most of our practice is doing demos.
Where is the biggest venue you have ever performed or competed at-
The venue itself is probably McCormicks Place in Chicago, or Freedom Hall in Louisville.
What are some of the biggest changes you have seen the sport of disc dogging since you started in the sport-
 The amount of very good teams. We started just as the boom around the Midwest was starting, and most of our accomplishes were before the great teams came along.
What have your dogs taught you personally-
 Unconditional love. I really believe Lexi would protect me until the last beat of her heart.
Are there any changes you would you like to see in the sport personally and where do you see the sport of disc dogging in the future?
 I really don't want to see any changes, if big sponsors get too involved, it would take the fun out of it, and to get more tv exposure, it will take big sponsors.
Besides your own who and what are a few of the best disc dogs and disc dog
performers you have seen and competed against.-
 Ron King and Monty Boy in their prime, Tony Hoard and Rory, Tracy Custer and any dog. I am proud to call all my friends, and honored to be on the same field as them.
Besides your own dog which is the best clutch disc dog performance you have seen-
Danny Eggelston and Guinan winning the '06 Skyhoundz Championship. They had to have a great second round of freestyle to win, and they pulled it off.
What is the most important thing/information piece of advice you can share to fellow disc doggers from your own experience-
 Don't get into it for money, do it for fun. It will stay fun if that's all you want to get out of it.
Anything else you would love to share about disc dogging please do-
The people involved in this sport are some of the best in the world. Of course they are, they are "dog people"!
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Name-  Al Erikson

Age if you dare-  56

Where are you from and Websites and Clubs which you are affiliated with-please list your club website and your personal disc dogging site-
WhyDogsFly.com
GeorgeAndGracie.com
D2ISC.com


Your disc dogs current and past-
George   4 1/2 Year Old Rat Terrier
Gracie    Almost 3 year old McNab
Roxy      1 1/2 year old McNab


When did you get started in the sport of disc dogging-
I started when George was 5 or 6 months with a fabric frisbee I found at the Dog Park

What made you get started in the sport of disc dogging or who led you into the sport of disc dogging-
Something to do with George


What is the farthest you have ever traveled to compete in a disc dogging event-
About 1000 miles to Denver 2 times.

How many different countries have you been to with your disc dog to compete or do shows with-
Just the USA

How many States in United States have you competed in or done shows in-
3 California, Arizona, Colorado

Are you involved in other dog sports and if so what are they-Agility & Flyball

Do you or have you done disc dogging to supplement your income-We are trying but still spending more than we make.

What are some of your proudest moments you have experience with your disc dogs, awards, accomplishments,etc.
Our 2 Purina IDC performances. UFO Freestyle Major Championships, Skyhoundz Regional Championships

What food do you feed your dog and what supplements do you feed your dog-
Blue Buffalo,  Nutro Ultra,  Breeders Choice Active Care

How much do you practice or what are you practice routines in season and off season-
We practice something almost every day. Much more with Gracie than with George

Where is the biggest venue you have ever performed or competed at-
School Shows with 7-800 kids

What are some of the biggest changes you have seen the sport of disc dogging since you started in the sport-The Japanese.

What have your dogs taught you personally-Patience

Are there any changes you would like to see in the sport personally and where do you see the sport of disc dogging in the future?No

Besides your own who and what are a few of the best disc dogs and disc dog performers you have seen and competed against.-
Nick,  Maggie.  Foster a couple of Japanese but I don't remember their names.


What is the most important thing/information piece of advice you can share to fellow disc doggers from your own experience-

Have fun
 
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Name – Preston Dean

Age - 15

Where are you from and Websites and Clubs which you are affiliated with-please list your club website and your personal disc dogging site-

I am part of the GADDC and my personal website is www.georgiadiscdogs.com.

Your disc dogs current and past- 

High Fly’n “Skye” (Blue Merle Border Collie) – 3 ½ years old

Soaring “Sienna” (Red and White Border Collie) – 2 years old

Turbo Charged “Tawny” (Australian Red Border Collie) – 7 months old

When did you get started in the sport of disc dogging –

I got Skye in April of 2005 and I started training him by watching  videos on the internet and just came with my own idea of how they would train that and I then I somehow taught it to Skye.  I entered my first freestyle competition in October of 2006 at the Georgia States and Skye won the Open Freestyle when he was 20 months old.  After that I knew  that this was a sport that I wanted to do for many years to come.

What made you get started in the sport of disc dogging or who led you into the sport of disc dogging –

I saw a trainer at a Petsmart  sometime in late 2004 that had a dog that could stand up on his feet and catch frisbees.  I stored this in the back of my mind until we moved into our new house in early 2005 and were discussing possibly getting a new pet.  That is when I reminded my parents about the border collie that we saw in Petsmart.  So, we decided to get a border collie, with the intentions of throwing a frisbee to it.  That is the day that Skye came into our lives, a 9 week old, blue merle puppy.

What is the farthest you have ever traveled to compete in a disc dogging event – From Georgia to Ohio

How many different countries have you been to with your disc dog to compete or do shows with – As of now, just the US, hoping to someday get to compete in Europe.

How many States in United States have you competed in or done shows in – I am thinking 6 states.

Are you involved in other dog sports and if so what are they – We also compete in Flyball with Sienna and Skye

Do you or have you done disc dogging to supplement your income – I am doing shows in Branson, MO for Lou Mack’s Cool Dog Productions and I am planning on saving the money for college and investment.

What are some of your proudest moments you have experience with your disc dogs, awards, accomplishments,etc –

Winning our first freestyle competition at the Georgia States in 2006.  The 2008 US Southern Nationals Super-Open Freestyle Runner-up.  The 2008 Skyhoundz Southeast Regional Expert Freestyle Runner-up.  Two-time USDDN World Finalists.  Two-time Skyhoundz World Finalists.

What food do you feed your dog and what supplements do you feed your dog –

We feed two cups a day of Nutro Ultra Holistic formula with chicken, lamb, and salmon meal.  We also mix in ShowStopper powder formula by Animal Naturals which helps their coat and prevents dry skin and and also boosts joint mobility and joint health in their morning meal.

How much do you practice or what are you practice routines in season and off season –

We practice more in the Winter months when it is cooler and we usually do freestyle 1 to 2 times a week.  Most every day I go out and throw a little bit of Toss n’ Fetch to them in brief sessions just because that is what they enjoy the most.

Where is the biggest venue you have ever performed or competed at – The US Southern Nationals (Dogwood Festival).

What are some of the biggest changes you have seen the sport of disc dogging since you started in the sport – There are more competitions coming available.

What have your dogs taught you personally – They have taught me that being patient with them is the ultimate key to success.  I never thought I could love my dogs as  much as I do and they have truly changed my life.  They have taught me to stick to your dreams and work for them until you get them.

Are there any changes you would like to see in the sport personally and where do you see the sport of disc dogging in the future?  I can’t think of any off the top of my head.

Besides your own who and what are a few of the best disc dogs and disc dog performers you have seen and competed against –  Mark Muir & Rocket, Ron Watson & Leilani, Donna Schoech and Diva, Sabine Bruns & Y, Yachi Hirai & Bee

Besides your own dog which is the best clutch disc dog performance you have seen- I am not sure.

What is the most important thing/information piece of advice you can share to fellow disc doggers from your own experience – Most of the time if your dog is missing a lot of discs in a routine, it is more than likely your fault unless he just knocks one off his teeth.  Remember, that disc placement is EVERYTHING!

 

 

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 Name-  Jackie Parkin

Where are you from and Websites and Clubs which you are affiliated
with-please list your club website and your personal disc dogging
site-   I live in Southern Ontario & am the founder of the Southern Ontario Disc  Houndz Club

http://southernontariodischoundz.blogspot.com/

Your disc dogs current and past-
While I've had dogs that played disc in the past, all my competition disc dogs are still current.  My main three competition disc dogs are Rowdy, Josie, and Maeve.  The others are in training &/or just starting out in disc &/or just recreational players.

Rowdy is a 7yr old border collie/jack russell terrier mix & is a 2 time Skyhoundz World Finalist in the MicroDog division  (2005/2006)

Josie is a 4yr old chihuahua/jack russell terrier mix & is also MicroDog Skyhoundz World Finalist  (2006)

Maeve is a 9yr old border collie & is a 2 time Skyhoundz D/A World Finalist  (2004/2005)

And then there's:

Biddy > 2yr old border collie;  Rodeo > 3yr old cattle dog;  Hannah > 7yr old border collie;  Scout > 4yr old border collie;  Shep > 2yr old border collie;  Bent > 7yr old bc/jrt mix;  Kahlua > 8mth old retriever mix; & Stryker > jack russell terrier


When did you get started in the sport of disc dogging-
in 2004


What made you get started in the sport of disc dogging or who led you
into the sport of disc dogging-  I was recovering from surgery for a broken knee and most of my dogs were fostered out with friends because I couldn't get around well enough to look after them.   My one friend who had Maeve, heard about a local Skyhoundz competition and took her dog and Maeve to the contest.   Ice and Maeve came 1st and 2nd.  Later that season Peter Bloeme and Jeff Perry came up to Ontario to give a disc seminar and my friend & I decided to attend.   At that stage of my recovery I was still walking with a cane, and disc looked like something I could do > my dog delivered the disc to hand so all I had to do was stand there and throw.   Yup > this would be something I could do while I was recovering

What is the farthest you have ever traveled to compete in a disc
dogging event-  Ontario to Atlanta

How many different countries have you been to with your disc dog to
compete or do shows with-  two > Canada and the U.S

How many States in United States have you competed in or done shows
in- two > Kentucky and Georgia

Are you involved in other dog sports and if so what are they-  we train in multiple sports but don't compete in them all due to there just not being enough time to get to all the competitions.  Currently our main competition sports are disc, flyball, and dock diving.   However, my dogs also do agility, musical freestyle, obedience, rally-o, herding, & high jumping.   The terriers do go-to-ground and russell racing as well.

Do you or have you done disc dogging to supplement your income- Yes but not exclusively disc.   I run a dog sport performance team called Team K9  (http://teamk9.blogspot.com)  and have been doing shows at fairs, trade shows, and festivals for about 15yrs

What are some of your proudest moments you have experience with your
disc dogs, awards, accomplishments, etc.-  The first time taking Maeve to  Atlanta for the Skyhoundz Worlds competition.   Not because of how she did, but just because she was able to go.   Maeve suffered from paralyzing global fear for the first 4 -1/2 years of her life so just that she had come through that and was brave enough to make the trip was a huge thing.  Just having her be a normal dog able to go out and compete was overwhelmingly emotional for me.   Everyone was telling me that I was crazy to even consider driving to Atlanta alone and that the hurricanes were traveling north and I might get caught in a hurricane.   But none of that mattered > all that mattered was that Maeve was brave enough to make the trip and she had to go > just because she could.   Words cannot describe how proud I am of the dog she has become.

(her whole story is in one of our club newsletters on our website)

How much do you practice or what are you practice routines in season
and off season- in the winter I hibernate <haha>   During the winter the dogs practice flyball once a week but don't do too much else.   It's usually too icy outside for any kind of outside play.   Wintertime is our obedience & trick training season too.   During the better weather they practice disc and agility etc. outside maybe 2 or 3 times a week.  We don't have a really rigid practice schedule.  


What are some of the biggest changes you have seen the sport of disc
dogging since you started in the sport- I haven't been in it long enough to see any big changes overall, but in our area, Southern Ontario, I'd have to say the popularity and the growth of the sport in the past 4yrs has been awesome.

What have your dogs taught you personally- patience!

Are there any changes you would like to see in the sport personally
and where do you see the sport of disc dogging in the future?   I'd like to see the toss/fetch round taken out of the freestyle competition and have freestyle and toss/fetch as stand alone divisions.  My reasoning for this is due to more small dogs getting into the sport and the really tiny dogs cannot compete in toss/fetch against the bigger dogs and therefore stand no chance of ever placing no matter how good their freestyle rounds are.   There is a huge difference in size even within the small dog divisions >> a 15" tall dog and a 10" tall dog are worlds apart as far as toss/fetch capability is concerned.     When you have a true tiny tot playing, there is not much incentive to compete and spend entry money, when you know you have zero chance of placing.   Many of the tiny tots definitely could place if they were judged on freestyle alone.

Besides your own who and what are a few of the best disc dogs and
disc dog performers you have seen and competed against.-  Gosh there are so many!!!  I couldn't even begin to name them all  :-)

Besides your own dog which is the best clutch disc dog performance
you have seen-  I love watching Pam Martin.   I think she has the best connection to her dog of anyone I've seen.  She just has so much fun out there and her love for her dog is just so obvious and you can't help but smile when you watch the two of them together. 

What is the most important thing/information piece of advice you can
share to fellow disc doggers from your own experience- don't let yourself get bogged down worrying about scores &/or what other peope think of you or your dog.  Just play in the moment and play for the fun of it, and everything will come together.   Never forget that you got into this because your DOG loved it > be the partner your dog deserves

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Jeff Perry

 

Hyperflite co-founder Jeff Perry and his mixed-breed, animal shelter adoptee, “Gilbert” won the 1989 Canine Disc World Championship in Dallas, Texas. Prior to taking the World title, Perry and Gilbert won the Southeast Regional Championship for three consecutive years. Gilbert and Perry went on to be featured on NBC’s top-rated “Today Show,” along with numerous appearances on CNN and ESPN and other national and international media over the years. As a member of the ALPO Canine Disc Celebrity Touring Team, Perry was a media spokesperson for the 10-year period in which ALPO sponsored the Canine disc Championships.

 

Throughout the years, in countless interviews and public appearances Perry has extolled the virtues of adopting shelter animals. According to Perry, shelter mutts make wonderful companions and great disc dogs.

 

Perry and his canines have performed hundreds of times before sold-out stadium crowds at professional football and baseball games all over the world. Internationally, Perry has performed before huge crowds at Olympic Stadiums in Berlin and Barcelona and has made public appearances in Canada, China, Spain Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Gilbert and Perry were featured entertainers at the prestigious “Colare de Oro,” the Italian equivalent of the Westminster dog show.

 

While performing in Japan, Perry met the Crown Prince and Princess of Japan (the future emperor and empress of Japan) after one of more than 200 shows that he performed in Japan over a five-month period at the Animal Kingdom in Nasu. While in Japan, Perry and his dog Cosmic K.D. also entertained thousands of spectators in the Tokyo dome.

 

From 1990 to 2005, Perry served as the Chief Judge of the World Canine Disc Championships.

 

Perry, along with Peter Bloeme and Greg Perry, co-founded Hyperflite in 2000 and, shortly thereafter, designed and patented the revolutionary K-10 disc, the first canine disc designed exclusively for canine competition.

 

Perry, along with Peter Bloeme, co-produced the internationally-acclaimed Disc Dog Training DVD, the top-selling disc dog training DVD of all time. In addition, Perry co-wrote Disc Dogs! The Complete Guide, the most authoritative book ever written on canine disc sports.

 

In his spare time, Perry also serves as a Contributing Editor for Flying Disc Magazine.

 

A strong proponent of the health and fitness benefits of canine disc play for dogs and owners, Perry founded one of the first canine disc clubs in the country. Over the years, Perry has taught countless canine-disc aficionados to throw flying discs and helped even elite-level competitors improve their throwing abilities.

 

In addition to his canine disc activities, Perry still finds time to engage in some of his other favorite pursuits, climbing, backpacking and flying. Perry, a skilled pilot, has flown powered aircraft and hang gliders for more than 25 years and has logged more than 2000 hours in many types of aircraft. In fact, his aeronautical experience and understanding of aeronautical principles were instrumental in the design of the Hyperflite K-10 disc.

 

Perry received a Bachelor of Science degree (B.S.) in Journalism from the University of Maryland, a Juris Doctor degree (J.D.) from Mercer University and a Master of Laws in International Law (LL.M.) from the University of Miami.

“Reprinted with permission, Hyperflite, Inc. www.hyperflite.com”

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Peter Bloeme

 

Hyperflite co-founder, Peter Bloeme is currently director of the Skyhoundz Championships. In this role, he manages more than 100 Local Championships, 10 World Championship Qualifers, and the World Championship -- reaching millions of consumers with messages of canine health and fitness.

 

Bloeme’s career of tossing, skipping, bouncing, spinning and twirling a plastic disc into the air began in 1974 when he won the Junior National Frisbee Championships at the age of 15. In 1976, at the age of 19, he won the World (human) Frisbee Championships at the Rose Bowl in California before 40,000 disc fans.

 

In 1983, Bloeme added a new element to his sport – a black and white Border Collie named Whirlin’ Wizard. The two went on to win the 1984 World Canine Frisbee Championships making Wizard, at less than 2 years old, the youngest dog to ever win the title. At the same time, Bloeme became the only person to win a world title both by himself and with his dog.

 

In 1990, Bloeme added a little magic to his routine – literally – with the addition of Magic, a black and white Australian Shepherd. Over the years, Bloeme, Wizard and Magic performed hundreds of disc dog demonstrations at sporting events including Major League Baseball, National Football League, World League football and National Basketball Association games.

 

Bloeme and his canine companions have also performed numerous times before sold-out stadium crowds all around the world. They have performed half-time shows at sporting events and have made public appearances in countries including Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and Sweden. Perhaps his most notable appearance was at the 1995 Japanese Baseball All-Star Game in Hiroshima, Japan where, after the seventh inning, the game was stopped for a ten minute exhibition by Bloeme and four Japanese dogs. Bloeme’s performance was viewed live by a sold-out crowd of 40,000 fans plus an estimated 26 million people on television through the Tokyo Broadcasting System.

 

During the 1970’s, Bloeme served as technical advisor to CBS Sports for a half-hour television special on Frisbee and toured Europe as a representative of the International Frisbee Association.

 

Bloeme and his dogs have appeared on television in the U.S. hundreds of times, including featured appearances on shows such as “Good Morning America,” “Late Night with David Letterman,” and on CNN and ESPN. You may remember seeing Wizard opening the Disney movie, “Flight of the Navigator.” In a Miller Lite television ad, Bloeme was responsible for the on-camera Frisbee action. Wizard even had a walk-on role in the spot. Bloeme has also served twice as the color commentator for Animal Planet in their one-hour show on the World Championships.

 

In 2001, Bloeme, Jeff Perry (1989 World Champion & Hall of Famer) and Greg Perry founded Hyperflite, Inc., a company dedicated to developing advanced disc technology. Their first disc, the K-10 for dogs was introduced in July of 2001.

 

Bloeme is author of the book, Frisbee Dogs: How to Raise, Train and Compete, a 192-page paperback, illustrated with over 300 photographs and the book, Skyhoundz Images, an 80-page hardcover photo book on the sport with captions in English, Japanese and Spanish ($19.95 U.S.).

 

Bloeme also co-produced, along with Jeff Perry, the internationally-acclaimed Disc Dog Training DVD, the top-selling disc dog training DVD of all time and Disc Dogs! The Complete Guide. At 360 pages, and featuring more than 600 color photos, Disc Dogs! is the most thorough and authoritative canine disc publication in existence.

 

“Reprinted with permission, Hyperflite, Inc. www.hyperflite.com”

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Name- Nate Bednar  

Age -  33
Where are you from and Websites and Clubs which you are affiliated with-please list your club website and your personal disc dogging site-  Troy, OH, Southern Ohio Flying K9s www.flyingk9s.com (we are also a member of the IDDC).


Your disc dogs current and past- Marcy (BC 3.5 yrs old), Flick (BC 1.5 yrs old), and 2 backyard disc dogs, Tucker (Aussie, 3.5 yrs old) & Fox (BC, 2.5 yrs old).

When did you get started in the sport of disc dogging- 3 years ago

 

What made you get started in the sport of disc dogging or who led you into the sport of disc dogging- Marcy made us get started, Tracy and Adrian and all the great club members of SOFK9s and IDDC are the reason we stayed!

 

What is the farthest you have ever traveled to compete in a disc dogging event- Atlanta, GA - Skyhoundz Championship

 

How many different countries have you been to with your disc dog to compete or do shows with- Just this one

 

How many States in United States have you competed in or done shows in-  4

 

Are you involved in other dog sports and if so what are they- not at this time

 

Do you or have you done disc dogging to supplement your income- No

 

What are some of your proudest moments you have experience with your disc dogs, awards, accomplishments,etc.-

2007 USDDN Nationals Super Pro Toss and Fetch - 2nd place

2007 USDDN Intertnationals Super Pro Toss and Fetch - 4th place;

2008 Indy Quad - Mens Open - 1st Place

What food do you feed your dog and what supplements do you feed your dog-  Marcy has been on a raw diet for about a year and 1/2.  We just started her on Innova EVO to see how she does.  The others are all on Iams.

How much do you practice or what are you practice routines in season and off season- We play frisbee in the basement during the winter when the weather prohibits us from playing outside.  We usually play with the dogs at least once a day, but its not always serious practice.

Where is the biggest venue you have ever performed or competed at-  nothing to speak of other than competitions

What are some of the biggest changes you have seen the sport of disc dogging since you started in the sport- I haven't seen many changes in the short time we've been doing this.

What have your dogs taught you personally- patience, patience, patience! 

 

Are there any changes you would like to see in the sport personally and where do you see the sport of disc dogging in the future?  I woould like to see a real effort to see more television exposure for the sport.  If people will watch fishing on TV, they sure as hell will watch disc dogging....

 

Besides your own who and what are a few of the best disc dogs and disc dog performers you have seen and competed against.- Mark Muir and Rocket, Tony Hoard and Rory, Sabine Bruns and Y, Tracy Custer with Five and Racoon Jack

Besides your own dog which is the best clutch disc dog performance you have seen- Jeff Wright and Sadie winning the 2007 Indy Quad on the last throw

What is the most important thing/information piece of advice you can share to fellow disc doggers from your own experience- Dont let a bad round on the field,  ruin the whole day for you. 

Anything else you would love to share about disc dogging please do- If you are able to, get involved in rescue in some capacity, whether its fostering, transporting, collecting goods for the rescue group, or just helping out financially when you can.  It is very rewarding work!  When you get those reports back on how well a dog is doing that you helped save...well, you just can't beat that feeling!

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Name- Heather Bednar  

Age -  36

Where are you from and Websites and Clubs which you are affiliated with-please list your club website and your personal disc dogging site-  Troy, OH, Southern Ohio Flying K9s www.flyingk9s.com (we are also a member of the IDDC).


Your disc dogs current and past- Marcy (BC 3.5 yrs old), Flick (BC 1.5 yrs old), and 2 backyard disc dogs, Tucker (Aussie, 3.5 yrs old) & Fox (BC, 2.5 yrs old).

When did you get started in the sport of disc dogging- 3 years ago

What made you get started in the sport of disc dogging or who led you into the sport of disc dogging- Marcy made us get started, Tracy and Adrian and all the great club members of SOFK9s and IDDC are the reason we stayed!

What is the farthest you have ever traveled to compete in a disc dogging event- Atlanta, GA - Skyhoundz Championship

How many different countries have you been to with your disc dog to compete or do shows with- Just this one

How many States in United States have you competed in or done shows in-  4

Are you involved in other dog sports and if so what are they- not at this time

Do you or have you done disc dogging to supplement your income- No

What are some of your proudest moments you have experience with your disc dogs, awards, accomplishments,etc.- I don't have nearly as many awards as Nate does.  I live vicariously through Nate's accomplishments :-) 

What food do you feed your dog and what supplements do you feed your dog-  Marcy has been on a raw diet for about a year and 1/2.  We just started her on Innova EVO to see how she does.  The others are all on Iams.

How much do you practice or what are you practice routines in season and off season- We play frisbee in the basement during the winter when the weather prohibits us from playing outside.  We usually play with the dogs at least once a day, but its not always serious practice.

Where is the biggest venue you have ever performed or competed at-  none :-)

What are some of the biggest changes you have seen the sport of disc dogging since you started in the sport- I haven't seen many changes in the short time we've been doing this.

What have your dogs taught you personally- patience, patience, patience! 

Are there any changes you would like to see in the sport personally and where do you see the sport of disc dogging in the future? If I could ask for one change, it would be to have less strife and animosity.  This sport is FUN and it can get dragged down if there's too much politics involved. 

Besides your own who and what are a few of the best disc dogs and disc dog performers you have seen and competed against.- Tracy Custer (with all her dogs!)

Besides your own dog which is the best clutch disc dog performance you have seen- Chandler Curtis taking 2nd place in Pro Freestyle at the 2007 Skyhoundz North Central Regional Qualifier and grabbing a qualifying spot.

What is the most important thing/information piece of advice you can share to fellow disc doggers from your own experience- Don't tell Christina Curtis that you *might* want to get another disc dog.  She'll have 10 of them on your front porch the next day!  ;-)

Anything else you would love to share about disc dogging please do- If you are able to, get involved in rescue in some capacity, whether its fostering, transporting, collecting goods for the rescue group, or just helping out financially when you can.  It is very rewarding work!  When you get those reports back on how well a dog is doing that you helped save...well, you just can't beat that feeling! 

 

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Name--Gary Boggs
Age--Older than Dirt
From: Urbana, Missouri
Disc dogs:  Mollie and Duchess
When Started:  04
What Made You Start:  My little blue heeler Duchess loved to play with a Frisbee and loved to retrieve
Farthest Traveled:  Atlanta
States Competed In: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Georgia, Colorado
Other Dog sports:  Agility, Obedience and Herding
Proudest Moments:  Duchess has qualified for the world finals the last three years.  This year she won first in the Colorado Disc Dogs K-9 State Championship at Thornton, Colorado. Mollie is a novice dog and finished first at the Smiths Versailles Ky trial earlier this year.
Feed Your Dog:  Flint River Ranch dog food.  Supplement with vitamins, etc. including Grizzly Salmon Oil and Missing Link.  Also, I make my own treats that include ingredients all good for the dog.
How Much Do You Practice:  We really don't.  We just play. 
Biggest Venue competed:  Skyhoundz World Finals
Dogs Taught Me:  My dogs work very hard on the farm and give 100 percent.  They also play very hard when we play.  I think that's a good life lesson--When you work, work hard.  When you play, play hard.
Changes and Future of Discdoggin: It could be made a much larger and more popular sport by following the same venue as agility--sizes, classes and levels. Personally, it doesn't matter to me--we just do it for fun.
Best Disc Dogs---that's a tough one--they are all good.  Four of the best trainers I've seen are Jeff Stanway, Tony Hoard, Chuck Middleton and Mark Jennings (not sure about spelling).  Best clutch disc dog performance would be Jeff Stanway a few years back when he had a perfect throw/catch ratio in a world final.
Advice:  Have fun and keep all the emphasis on the dog having a good time.  It's about the dog, not the trainer.        
Anything Else:  Almost everything is good about discdogging. The only negative thing I've seen in any dog sport is trainers that think it's about them.  After a "pretty good" performance I congratulated a guy , who is suppose to be one of the best trainers, and he said-"I did great but the dog didn't".  Hmmmm.  I think if "it's all about you go play with something dead--like a golf ball. 
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Name-  Dennis Alexander 

Age -   46

Where are you from and Websites and Clubs which you are affiliated
with-please list your club website and your personal disc dogging
site-  Member  of southern Ontario disc houndz

Your disc dogs current and past-  Tango (past) Case (current) 

When did you get started in the sport of disc dogging-  1999 

What made you get started in the sport of disc dogging or who led you
into the sport of disc dogging-  My dog got me started. She loved catching the disc. At a dog camp I came across Howard Kaddish who was just starting the sport in Canada. We entered the first competition held in Canada shortly thereafter and have been hooked since. 

What is the farthest you have ever traveled to compete in a disc
dogging event-  From Toronto to San Francisco. Over 2,500 miles per mapquest 

How many different countries have you been to with your disc dog to
compete or do shows with-  2 ( Canada and US) 

How many States in United States have you competed in or done shows
in- 5 (CA, GA, NY, MD, PA). Also 2 provinces (ON, Que)

Are you involved in other dog sports and if so what are they-  not really 

Do you or have you done disc dogging to supplement your income-  No 

What are some of your proudest moments you have experience with your
disc dogs, awards, accomplishments,etc.-  The first time we did a performance in front of a very large crowd at the Royal Winter Fair. I was on the subway the next day and looked over someone's shoulder who was reading the paper. I noticed a picture of us in the paper with a caption "stupendous pet tricks" .

What food do you feed your dog and what supplements do you feed your
dog-  Wellness, Fromm's or Eukanuba 

How much do you practice or what are you practice routines in season
and off season-  Generally play toss and fetch 5 nights a week. Freestyle practice 3 times a week. 

Where is the biggest venue you have ever performed or competed at-  RCMP Musical ride in Fergus, approximately 5,000.


What are some of the biggest changes you have seen the sport of disc
dogging since you started in the sport-  In Canada, it has changed significantly. Early stages were really dog tricks with straight tosses. Now the throws are more difficult and the dog tricks are more disc oriented. 

What have your dogs taught you personally-  Unconditional love. Whether it's a good routine or a bad routine it really doesn't matter to them. She just wants to be with me and play. 

Are there any changes you would like to see in the sport personally
and where do you see the sport of disc dogging in the future?  I think in the future you will see more dance or acrobatics out of the thrower. 

Besides your own who and what are a few of the best disc dogs and
disc dog  performers you have seen and competed against.-   In Canada Angela  Ewtushik and Rally. In the US I like watching Lawrence Frederick and   Danny Venegas with their dogs. 


Besides your own dog which is the best clutch disc dog performance
you have seen-  the best clutch performance was Jeff Stanaway and Cory at Skyhoundz in San Francisco in 2003, the first year I competed at the World's. The scores were very close. Chuck Middleton was in 3rd place going into the final round and only missed one, 2nd place Bob Evans then only missed one and Jeff needed to be perfect and was. 

What is the most important thing/information piece of advice you can
share to fellow disc doggers from your own experience-  A lot of times people have a fear about doing a freestyle in front of people. Just be like your dog who just wants to have fun and doesn't care about what others think. 

======================================================================================= 
Name-Robbie Shyken
Age -49

Where are you from and Websites and Clubs which you are affiliated
with-please list your club website and your personal disc dogging
site-  I live in Modesto, Ca. I belong to the Disc
Dogs of the Golden Gate.

Your disc dogs current and past- I have a Brother and Sister team.  Taz & Gabriel 3 years old.

When did you get started in the sport of disc dogging-2-1/2 years ago

What made you get started in the sport of disc dogging or who led you
into the sport of disc dogging- Always wanted a disc dog,  The pups brought back sticks and ball right from the beginning.

What is the farthest you have ever traveled to compete in a disc
dogging event- So far just southern cal,  I hope to go to Az. and maybe Co. in the near future.

How many different countries have you been to with your disc dog to
compete or do shows with-NONE yet

How many States in United States have you competed in or done shows
in-None yet

Are you involved in other dog sports and if so what are they-No

Do you or have you done disc dogging to supplement your income-I hope someday

What are some of your proudest moments you have experience with your
disc dogs, awards, accomplishments, etc.-2nd place at our north south event (Crusty) on my 2nd year of competition

What food do you feed your dog and what supplements do you feed your
dog-innova

How much do you practice or what are you practice routines in season
and off season- My pups won't let me have a day off,  always toss and fetch and some free-style

Where is the biggest venue you have ever performed or competed at-The Crusty

What are some of the biggest changes you have seen the sport of disc
dogging since you started in the sport-I have only been involved for 23 years, so far none

What have your dogs taught you personally-Having 2 pups, that every dog has it own style

Are there any changes you would like to see in the sport personally
and where do you see the sport of disc dogging in the future?Just more events that i can make, most are still to far for me

Besides your own who and what are a few of the best disc dogs and
disc dogperformers you have seen and competed against.-Steve and Foster and Steve T and Irish


Besides your own dog which is the best clutch disc dog performance
you have seen-Not sure what a clutch disc dog is.

What is the most important thing/information piece of advice you can
share to fellow disc doggers from your own experience- Practice may make perfect someday

Anything else you would love to share about disc dogging please do-Right now they are my live, Live to play and play to live.

Thank you Robbie Shyken  Modesto, Ca.  Whaatvanner@yahoo.com
Team Taz & Team Gabriel
 
  

__________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Name-Frans van Roij & Renate van Roij

Age –48 & 43

Where are you from and Websites and Clubs which you are affiliated
with-please list your club website and your personal disc dogging
site-We are from The Netherlands. Our discdog organization; www.dogfrisbee.nl our club; www.frisbeemaniacs.nl our Demoteam; www.dogfrisbeedemoteam.nl


Your disc dogs current and past-Frans started with our Aussie named Chris and Renate started with our Aussie named Merci. Both dogs are old and can’t play frisbee anymore right now. We played with our other dogs Jochie, Chere and C’est La Vie. Frans is the only one who still play frisbee, at the moment with our Aussie Eros. I (Renate) don’t play anymore because I specialized myself in judging (Level 4 usddn) and judge a lot of competitions.

When did you get started in the sport of disc dogging-1998, so we have our 10 year anniversary this year!

What made you get started in the sport of disc dogging or who led you into the sport of disc dogging-Jochen Schleiger (germany) he was the first European dogfrisbee player and played with his dog Butch Cassidy at that time.

What is the farthest you have ever traveled to compete in a disc dogging event-USA. Frans participated at- and I (Renate) judged the- World Championship. I was the first European to judge in USA, so I am very proud at that!

How many different countries have you been to with your disc dog to compete or do shows with-7

How many States in United States have you competed in or done shows in-1

Are you involved in other dog sports and if so what are they-Yes, we have a dogschool for obedience

Do you or have you done disc dogging to supplement your income-Yes, we have a Demoteam and get payed from our sponsor Purina DogChow

What are some of your proudest moments you have experience with your disc dogs, awards, accomplishments,etc.-For me (Renate) that was judging the WC in USA. For Frans it was winning an European Championship.

What food do you feed your dog and what supplements do you feed your dog-No supplements, just dry food

How much do you practice or what are you practice routines in season and off season-Frans practice 2 times a week, the whole year, because we have also indoor competitions in winters.

Where is the biggest venue you have ever performed or competed at-The Netherlands

What are some of the biggest changes you have seen the sport of disc dogging since you started in the sport-We started an organization for dogfrisbee competitions in 1999. Right now there are 3 organizations. We started the first dogfrisbee club in 1998 and right now there are much much more. The biggest change for us is ofcourse the grow of the sport overhere.

What have your dogs taught you personally-To be patient

Are there any changes you would like to see in the sport personally and where do you see the sport of disc dogging in the future?

We would like to see some small changes in judging criteria. We see the future overhere colorful; the sport will grow more and more.


Besides your own who and what are a few of the best disc dogs and disc dog Well, let us make a Dutch top 3 from best dogs;

On 3rd place; Sam, from Marcel Koning

On 2nd place; Blitz, from Dennis Damen

On 1st place; Shadow, from Wiel Weijers


performers you have seen and competed against.-

Let us make a Dutch top 3 from best performers;

 

On 3rd place; Manuel Sanches Horneros

On 2nd place; Mustafa Haznedar

On 1st place; Mike Bleeker


Besides your own dog which is the best clutch disc dog performance
you have seen-Let’s go European on this;

Marcus Wolff with his dog Cato


What is the most important thing/information piece of advice you can
share to fellow disc doggers from your own experience-

Stay yourself (don’t be a bad copy) and keep it safe for your dog

Anything else you would love to share about disc dogging please do-

It is very cool to know international dogfrisbee players an judges.

Hopefully one day the World Championships will be in Europe!

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Name-Darron M.. Barrus

Age-42 

Where are you from and Websites and Clubs which you are affiliated
with-please list your club website and your personal disc dogging site-
I grew up in God's Country, Iowa and currently reside in The Heart of
Dixie, Sweet Home Alabama
.

Your disc dogs current and past-
The Moo- 9
Seabiscuit- 5
The Edge- 2
 

When did you get started in the sport of disc dogging-
The Moo mooooved in with me at 2.5 years of age, one week before 9-11,
2001.  I started throwing 6 days before 9-11.
I met Gary Shockley at a CADDC play day in Dec 2001 and competed for
the first time 9Mar02.
Got hooked 9Mar02.
 

What made you get started in the sport of disc dogging or who led you
into the sport of disc dogging-
Mom could not handle the energy of a border so needed to find a new
home.  I was recently married, home had a fenced yard.  That spelled
her new home.  I watched Mr. Stein on TV in the mid 70's playing with
The Ash and figured I needed to do that some day.  Now with mom's error
in getting a border without proper planning my 25+ year dream could now
be fulfilled.  After The Moo Mooved in I got on the internet and found
Gary's club.


What is the farthest you have ever traveled to compete in a disc
dogging event-Paradise- Scottsdale, AZ 

How many different countries have you been to with your disc dog to
compete or do shows with-Uno 

How many States in United States have you competed in or done shows in-Fourteen off the top of my bald head.

Are you involved in other dog sports and if so what are they-None, no more time 

Do you or have you done disc dogging to supplement your income-Only to supplement my downtime

What are some of your proudest moments you have experience with your
disc dogs, awards, accomplishments,etc.-
Winning the Quad, finally, after four consecutive second places. '07
Winning a Purina event and standing on that podium. (no pictures
though) '04
Setting IDDHA distance record that lasted all of 6 weeks until Mark
Molnar "The Barbarian" shattered it.'04
Great Outdoor Games with The Mighty Carolina Hurricane and The Moo. '04
'05
Winning the elusive FDDO in AZ after flunking once and choking once. '07
AWI 3rd place '05
CynoSport in Scottsdale in front of family and friends '05 '06 '07 
(more podium time)
Crowd Pleaser IDDHA Fishers '07
I kinda piled on here but I love this game so much and The Moo has made
me feel so proud.  If listing eight events seems big headed just
remember all of the failures and embarrassments in between.  I think we
all can.
 

What food do you feed your dog and what supplements do you feed your
dog-No supplements except glucosamine for that 9 tear old hip

How much do you practice or what are you practice routines in season
and off season-Daily In the heat of the summer they tend to swim more and freestyle less.

Where is the biggest venue you have ever performed or competed at-
Crowd size- Dogwood
Event size overall- Great Outdoor Games
Event Size dog only- CynoSport Scottsdale


What are some of the biggest changes you have seen the sport of disc
dogging since you started in the sport-
I just see turnover.  The folks I hung out with when I started seem to
be gone or lightly playing anymore.  As our dogs age you better have
another one in training or you are gone.  If you are really good you
tend to compete less to fit your show schedule.


What have your dogs taught you personally-Card Tricks

Are there any changes you would like to see in the sport personally and
where do you see the sport of disc dogging in the future?
The timers in Scottsdale were spectacular.  Better mechanical timers
for D/A.  More recognition for D/A instead of the overrated, far too
subjective, and far too close to call freestyle.  I have heard someone
say more than once," He/she just won because their D/A was so high". 
Recognize this as quite a feat and not just an excuse as to why someone
else wins.  IDDHA and FDDO have several different events, not just D/A
and freestyle.  This makes Frisbee more fun.

Besides your own who and what are a few of the best disc dogs and disc
dog performers you have seen and competed against.-
The Mighty Carolina Hurricane, owned and trained by my friend Susan
Markham
Todd and Levi
Gary and Kodiak
The arm of Mark Molnar "The Barbarian"
Lourdes

 

Besides your own dog which is the best clutch disc dog performance you
have seen-
That SOB John Troelstrup coming from behind TWICE this year to beat me
in the Quad, FL and IN.

What is the most important thing/information piece of advice you can
share to fellow disc doggers from your own experience-

Stay away from negative people.  This really is a lot of fun!  What is
more fun than going away for the weekend, away from the stress of work
to hang with good friends and play with your dog?  So far I got nothin'
Don't be intimidated by the big names with big histories of winning,
anyone can play and do well at any given time.


Anything else you would love to share about disc dogging please do-
If my mom had never bit off more than she could chew with too much dog,
if she had never given her dog to me,
if I did not see Mr. Stein in 1976 on TV with The Ash,
if Gary Shockley never invited me to join his disc dog club,
if I had not got hooked on this game and started traveling to tournies,
if I had not met Make Pawich,
if my wife and his wife had not become friends,
I never could have adopted my son.
The Moo truly changed my life!


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name- Jeff Stanaway
Age if you dare-   41

Where are you from and Websites and Clubs which you are affiliated
with-please list your club website and your personal disc dogging
site-Jamaica,Va ,Member of The Mid Atlantic Disc Dogs www.mad-dogs.us , My personal web site is www.great-american.org

Your disc dogs current and past-  Casey 1990-2005
Cody " The Dixie Flyer" 1991-2006    1994 AWI World Finalist 
Cory age 8      2003 Skyhoundz Open Division World Champion, 2005 FDDO National Champion, Six Time Skyhoundz World Championship Qualifier 2001,2002,2003,2004,2006,2007
Colby age 8  2004,2006 Skyhoundz Sport Division World Championship Qualifier,
                   Second Place Finish 2004 Sport Division World Championship
Co-Jo age 6 2004,2006,2007  Skyhoundz World Championship Qualifier , FDDO National Champion 2006
                  Second Place Finish 2006 Sport Division World Championship
Cady age 3
Cayden age 7 months

When did you get started in the sport of disc dogging- 1993

What made you get started in the sport of disc dogging or who led you
into the sport of disc dogging-I was looking for a way to run off some of Cody's energy and just happen to come across a book called Frisbee Dogs: How to Raise,Train and Compete,by Peter Bloeme
What is the farthest you have ever traveled to compete in a disc
dogging event-From Virginia to California in 2003 

How many different countries have you been to with your disc dog to
compete or do shows with-Two the USA  and China

How many States in United States have you competed in or done shows
in-13  States  VA,NC,MD, PA,NY,NJ,CT,MA,KY,GA,IL,AZ,CA and Washington D.C.

Are you involved in other dog sports and if so what are they- Cory and I did UKC agility  for a couple of years earning agility I and Agility II titles.

Do you or have you done disc dogging to supplement your income-   I do shows for pay but I don't depend on it to supplement my income.

What are some of your proudest moments you have experience with your
disc dogs, awards, accomplishments,etc.-
 Cory Winning the 2001 Northeast Regional with just 5 weeks of disc training.
 Cory winning the 2003 Skyhoundz Open Division World Championship.
Cory and Co-Jo Winning the FDDO National Championship  in 2005 & 2006

What food do you feed your dog and what supplements do you feed your
dog-The Honest Kitchen dog food www.thehonestkitchen.com, I use Nutramax Labs www.nutramaxlabs.com supplements as  preventative maintenance  for all my dogs after they are a year old. Some of the ones they make that  I use or have used are Cosequin, Dasuquin and Welactin.

How much do you practice or what are you practice routines in season
and off season-Two or three times a week during the season. In the off season we just do some toss and fetch a couple of time a week.

Where is the biggest venue you have ever performed or competed at-1994 AWI world Championship Washington D.C.

What are some of the biggest changes you have seen the sport of disc
dogging since you started in the sport-The number of clubs and event organizers and having a choice of what kind of disc you can use in competitions


Besides your own dog which is the best clutch disc dog performance
you have seen- Frank Buckland and Shannon Bilheimer coming from behind to win the Skyhoundz Pairs World Championship for the 3rd year  in a row in  2007.

What is the most important thing/information piece of advice you can
share to fellow disc doggers from your own experience-
Keep your workouts with your dog(s) short and work within your dogs limits.  


 

 

 ___________________________________________________________________________________________

Chandler and Christina Curtis

14 yrs old on 6/28 and 40yrs old
From Fountaintown Indiana and belong to:
IDDC - Indy Dog and Disc Club www.d-dog.com
SOFK9 - Southern Ohio Flying K9s http://www.flyingk9s.com/realdog.htm
Disc Dogs:
Summer - first foster dog - now living in PA
Boots - foster dog - deceased
Tonka - Old Golden Retriever - deceased
Captain Jack - current
Nitro - current
Matrix - current
Loco - Chandler's current
Fury - Chandler's current
Dusty - Stays home most of the time due to seizures
Started getting involved in 5/2004
I started fostering Aussies after volunteering at a high kill shelter. My first foster dog was very toy driven. I found an old disc and started tossing it in the house due to the cold weather. She would jump off the couch and catch the disc in midair. Then when I did take her outside she would grab the disc out of my hand and bite my fingers. She was MAJOR high energy and I thought she was just nuts. That kind of got me thinking about disc doggin. Then I got another foster dog that wanted to play disc. I found a club and went to their practice session. Everyone was so nice and helpful. I remember watching Mark Gose and Gretchin and thinking OH MY GOSH that is JUST amazing!!! I thought I will never be able to get a dog to do all that stuff. Oh then when I went to watch my first event, Carol Herbertz and I hit it off immediately. I felt like I had known her forever from the first moment we spoke!!!! What a kind fun person. I feel so lucky. This brought me back for more for sure.
Thanks to bringing home some crazy foster dogs, we got into this sport!!!
The farthest we have traveled is Atlanta.
No other countries traveled yet. Chandler has a dream to travel out of the country.
We have competed in 7 states
We have done some Agility. We also do a volunteer behavior training class for fearful, aggressive and problem dogs.
We have not done any shows to supplement my income
My proudest moment was seeing Chandler qualify for Skyhoundz Worlds and I am sure that is his proudest moment! Nitro and I also qualifed for Worlds at the same time. It was so neat to have us both qualify together.
I feed my dogs Eagle Pack Holistic Lamb and Rice. I also feed Eagle Pack High Energy when needed. At times I change around foods.
During the summer Chandler and I practice about every other day or sometimes every two days. Sometimes this is just Tossing the disc and no freestyle practice.  However, with all this rain we haven't practiced hardly at all. We take the dogs out for exercise. I have been running 3 miles and Chandler rides his bike with us. Jack tries to attack the bike tires for some extra exercise!!!
During off season we practice stuff in our basement at home every couple days. We also do some agility.
I think the biggest venue has been Skyhoundz Worlds in GA
We haven't been in the sport long enough to notice lots of changes. I know it is getting more competitive.
Chandler is learning TONS of patience with his barking pushy dog!! I cannot believe the bond I now have with my dogs. I thought I loved them before, now it is a feeling I cannot explain. I believe they also read my feelings. They have taught me to enjoy the moment!!!!
I am unsure about changes right now.
Well my all time favorite disc dog competitor as a person, trainer and performer is Tracy Custer. That girl is just amazing. She is also so willing to share her knowledge.
Some others I think are awesome to watch are
Lawrence Frederick - with any dog
Tony Hoard - with any dog
Chuck Middleton - Donnie and Hank
Mark Gose - Mya
There have been many clutch performances - Recently Tracy Custer with Five and Jack in strong winds. You would h