SPRING INTO ACTION

Spring is here!! Well…..it really didn’t feel that way when I rolled into Atlanta last Tuesday for the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge Eastern Regional. I guess it’s all relative. Forty eight degrees is not Spring weather in Florida, however,it is probably considered summer weather in Alaska.

I arrived early to begin promoting Saturday’s event at Atlanta’s local news stations. This means very early mornings. In fact, on Friday our arrival time at a news station was scheduled for 4:45 am. That meant waking up at 3:30 am. Sleep is overrated anyway.

The event began on Saturday at 11:30 am. The weather conditions were perfect; much warmer and beautiful blue skies. The Freestyle Flying Disc competitors were not as enthusiastic about the weather due to the wind conditions. There was a steady wind with heavy gusts. I felt their pain.

What made this Challenge so unique was the variety of breeds represented. In addition to the usual herding breeds there was a Chihuahua, Poodle, Greyhound and an all American breed in the Agility competition. A Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever won the Diving Dog competition.

In Jack Russell Racing the favorite to win lost her last race. In the 30 weave pole race a Belgian Malinois cleaned up. A Corgi mix won the hearts of the crowd in the “Fetch it” demonstration and of course there was little Auggie, a Parson Russell Terrier that delighted us all in Freestyle Flying Disc.

After 14 years of being involved with this competition I still enjoy watching every event. There is always a record that can be broken, a LOL moment or an incredible feat to witness. The excitement never ends.

In addition to promoting the event I am one of the judges on the panel for the Freestyle Flying Disc. There are 2 judges, each are responsible for one category. In most cases I judge the Handler Skills and the other judge covers Dog Skills. There is a 3rd person that is calculating a Catch Ratio. This determines the winner in the event there is a tie.

At the Atlanta event the level of talent was incredible. There were 7 teams competing. The wind was tough to master so I knew that luck was going to play an important role. All the Flying Disc competitors needed were 2 minutes without heavy gusts; some teams had minimal winds and others were not so lucky. The wind was a major factor in determining a winner. Any time you drop discs, you or your dog, it affects three elements under Handling Skills; showcasing your dog, flow of routine and entertainment value. Repeating behaviors, especially if your dog refuses a signal, will drop your score in the same three elements. For example, one of the teams had a problem getting their dog to jump on his feet (foot stall). The dog finally did it on the 3rd request. This is equivalent to a penalty given to an agility dog that refuses to climb an obstacle or jump when requested on the first signal.

As a Freestyle Flying Disc judge I am examining every aspect of the Handler when judging under that criteria. This is a team sport; therefore, it is essential that the Handler delivers the discs through varied grips and releases in a manner that still enables the dog to make successful catches. I have seen many cases where Handlers get caught up in the release of the discs and lose track of their dog’s position. In order for a dog to make a catch when he is out of position he has to increase his speed so dramatically that it drives him into the ground. Lack of overall teamwork is another area that effects the Handling Skills score.

When asked what I consider an ideal Freestyle Flying Disc routine I say watch Angelo and Stanley’s routine in Atlanta. He demonstrated various grips and releases. At times I didn’t know whether he was left or right handed. He was left handed, however, during one of his juggle sequences he led with his right hand. Angelo hesitated, without disrupting his flow, to allow his dog time to move into perfect catching position. He showcased his dog beautifully without endangering him with excessively high vaults and most of all from beginning to end he earned your attention and did not demand it.

It doesn’t mean that anyone that duplicates their routine would win. What makes a routine work well between you and your dog is identifying and combining your strengths and then building from there.

…………and of course good weather conditions and a little luck goes a long way.