Sheila and I think we are ready for a dog. We had one years ago, a German Shorthair Pointer, but have not replaced her because of kid stress, etc. But we have the ideal situation right now with Ben home days, to get and raise and train a puppy.

Sheila wants a Labrador Retriever and I would prefer an Australian Sheep Dog, having been impressed by them at that Frisbee Dog competition at the Golden State Classic a year or two ago.

I'll give in on the Lab if anyone out there can convince me that they can be easily trained to play catch with discs. Suggestions and comments are welcome.

Had a Lab when I was growing up that loved playing catch. But Terry, do you REALLY want a dog that is going to Catch (read CHEW) discs? :eek: :o:mad:

Had a Lab when I was growing up that loved playing catch. But Terry, do you REALLY want a dog that is going to Catch (read CHEW) discs? :eek: :o:mad:



Smart dogs can be trained to only chase their own disc... so Terry's golf discs should be safe.

If a lab can be trained to soft-mouth prey shot down by hunters, shouldn't one be able to train it to soft-mouth a disc? (but, I imagine bite marks will occur when the dog catches a disc in flight).

i would say the lab can definitely be trained to only chase(chew) the catch discs, but i agree that the sheep dog is definitely the frisbee champ of canines...

Having worked with labs for hunting with an Uncle, they can be trained easily to only go after specific objects and only on command.

I haven't had any experience with the sheep dogs, but from what I've seen, they are equally trainable.

I don't think I would want a full grown lab jumping off my chest or back to chatch a frisbee though. :D

Go with the Lab Terry. You will be far happier with their trainability and sociability. While Aussie's can make great pets and athletes, your chances of getting a Lab that will fit into your household and disc catching/fetching dreams is far better. If you are going for a pure bred Lab I would highly recommend going for the "old style" heavy boned line of Lab, what some today are calling a "British" Labrador. On the other hand if you are looking for a training intensive, racing dive Lab go with one of the more slight framed lines bred for trial work. Either way, feel free to PM me with questions.

And don't worry about him having trouble distinquishing between golf discs and dog-play discs. I use Whamo-freestyle discs with scent patches velcroed to the top for some training exercises with my hunting dogs. I also carry them on the disc course with me at times and have never, ever had a problem with them making the distinction between something they are being asked to work/play with and something you are playing with. :D On the bright side I had one dog that had an aptitude for finding lost discs under leaves and shule. He'd never try to dig them out or pick them up. He'd just sit down next to them and look at you like, "Hey man. What's your problem. It's right here. Anyone with half a nose could tell that." :D

Go with the Lab Terry. You will be far happier with their trainability and sociability. While Aussie's can make great pets and athletes, your chances of getting a Lab that will fit into your household and disc catching/fetching dreams is far better. If you are going for a pure bred Lab I would highly recommend going for the "old style" heavy boned line of Lab, what some today are calling a "British" Labrador. On the other hand if you are looking for a training intensive, racing dive Lab go with one of the more slight framed lines bred for trial work. Either way, feel free to PM me with questions.

And don't worry about him having trouble distinquishing between golf discs and dog-play discs. I use Whamo-freestyle discs with scent patches velcroed to the top for some training exercises with my hunting dogs. I also carry them on the disc course with me at times and have never, ever had a problem with them making the distinction between something they are being asked to work/play with and something you are playing with. :D On the bright side I had one dog that had an aptitude for finding lost discs under leaves and shule. He'd never try to dig them out or pick them up. He'd just sit down next to them and look at you like, "Hey man. What's your problem. It's right here. Anyone with half a nose could tell that." :D



Dang, I need a dog to do that... it would help if the dog could climb trees and dive to lake bottoms, too.

I have a female lab who is great with discs. She is able to comprehend which is her toys and which aren't very well. She can even tell which ball is hers and which is my sons (2 yr old) which makes it nice around the house with no arguing over whose is whose.

She is more of a hunting dog though vs a frisbee catching dog. I used to play a course in Charlotte called Mint Hill which has grass fairways mowed out of some nasty schule. It was great taking her there because she would go get my disc out of the schule and drop it in the fairway pretty much where it went in. She hardly ever touched a disc that landed in the fairway. Me and my friend used to love taking her there. We would play against each other and play wherever Anni left it was the lie. For every time she got excited and grabbed a good one and brought it back up the fairway, she got 4 or 5 out of the schule so we never got mad. I love my lab.

dogs are stupid. notthing more than programmable life forms.

get a cat.

:cool:

Get a Border Collie. They are quite the acrobats and half kangaroo. Mine never touch my discs. They're too hard!

Labs are great as well. My friend has a Chesepeke Bay retriever and that dog is awesome at frisbee.

Just don't make your dog a slave to the toy!

I have a giant Yellow Lab/Blood Hound mix --- smart, smart dog. Very trainable. Has "his" own disc that we play fetch with in the backyard...had never picked up one of "my" disc...didn't even have to train him; he just seemed to "know" that we weren't playing with his disc.

He's not a frisbee dog in the sense of running and catching disc...but he's turned out to be a great disc golf caddie dog. I got him a doggie pack from REI, which can easily hold 4-5 disc in each pouch.

He sits patiently behind me while I make my throws, and then waits for me to take his leash to walk to our next throw.

dogs are stupid. notthing more than programmable life forms.

get a cat.

:cool:



Plus, you can abandon the cats for the weekend to play an out-of-town tourney!

Kt and I have an Australian Cattle dog (Blue Heeler) and he's great with discs. He was a Humane Society dog, and playing catch was a great way for him to bond with his new "parents." He gets lots of air, and is intently focused on his discs, but not ours. This is due to his own latent intelligence, not my inexperienced training.

We attended a tournament in Roseburg OR a few years ago, and TD Dave Feldberg had invited world champ dog trainer JD Platt (http://www.bluebuff.com/company/news_042404.shtml) to come and play and give a demonstration of his dogs. He was kind enough to work with our dog for a few minutes to get us started, and our dog has been catching fastbacks ever since.

While heelers are often hyperactive, our dog has managed to fit into our home very well. He's best behaved when he's exhausted. We're a lot alike in that regard. /msgboard/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

I think you'll be happy no matter what kind of dog you end up getting. Even though breeds have certain traits, dogs are inherently inconsistent from run to run. It has something to do with the way the plastic sets up in the mold. :D

Good luck, and be sure to post pictures of your hound when you get him/her.

I think the Lab is a good choice, but what first came to mind is the Border Collie. Most Labs will develop "soft" mouths with training (no one wants a punctured duck, afterall) and I think the same can be said about the BCs. Energy level is a big issue here (yours and the dog's). A lab will go out and play for awhile, and have a ball so to speak, then lay down and sleep like a good dog. A BC is likely to want to play 24/7, even longer if it could find hours in the day.

You might want to contact the AA dog training folks (I've been to their competitions out on N. Territorial road a few times) and they might have good suggestions about locally available dogs. But it seems everytime I watch an agility show or whatever on TV, a few of the dogs are "pound" dogs, so there are a lot of options.

Anyroad, wait for spring. Winter is not the time for a new pup.

Joe

Anyroad, wait for spring. Winter is not the time for a new pup.



Why not? Oh, that's right. Not everybody has year round great weather. I think it's pretty much limited to San Diego, Austin, and Key West.

Terry,
friend of mine has an english cocker spaniel (sp?) What a great dog! Lover of all seasons and people...a very social animal. It can't wait to go play disc! It will sit there next to the tee pad and watch the throw from start to finish. Sometimes it will give a little yelp when it sees bad form and a bad shot forming! It's actually amazing. When Shady yelps, we all look up for the disc b/c it's not going to be in the fairway!
He's trained it to find his discs, not so much point them out, but retreive them when commanded. It will never take a disc in play, but we'll send the roller out there for her and she goes crazy after it, no matter where it goes...always coming back with it and not giving up when she can't find it.

Plus one great bonus....she doesn't shed! Sounds like a winner to me!

Please adopt a dog from your local animal shelter. It will be good for you and great for the dog. :)
My experience that the dog will love you and enjoy playing whatever you want to play. Most shelters allow some place to be alone with the dog to determine if it is a good match, usually a small room. You may be able to tell how intelligent it is at that time.
From watching the agility dog shows on tv, it appears the best are the herding or hunting breeds. Of course that covers both the lab and the Australian sheep dog. My husband has a very well trained black lab mix. Mine is an Australian Shepherd mix. They are both great dogs. Neither pick up discs, but that is because we trained them not to, so they are better at the disc golf park. They do great with other toys, however.

Border Collie ALL THE WAY. Mine just loves his Gumbputts and Blow Fly's and still has the one I gave him about four year's ago. This breed is extremely intelligent and has alot of energy to give. Make sure that you have time to properly care for them. (Everyone working 9-5 is not good).
Alot of people that I know who work with dogs (breeders, trainers, Humane Society workers) have stated that Lab's are getting dumber as a result of too many being bred which leads to in-breeding, as there is only so much DNA to go around. Just what I've heard from multiple sources.

BTW, Coo-ee is smart enough to know which discs are his and has NEVER touched one of mine. He's not a chewer anyway.

All I would add is that a mixed breed usually will be a healthier, happier dog than an AKC breed, according to Kelsey the Future Veterinarian. One of the cats who lives in our garage seems to enjoy playing a few holes of disc golf with us at league on Wednesdays so I'm going to train her to find discs. Cats are just as trainable as dogs if you know how to train animals.

Dogs have masters.
Cats have staff.

A mixed breed pound puppy with a healthy dose of border collie will play all day without getting tired. And their natural instinct is to bring you stuff.

"Dogs have masters.
Cats have staff."

funny and understandable, but not necessarily true.

herding cats is atually quite easy if you understand them.

they are just a tad deeper than "Fun Food and Fear" which is all dogs understand.

OK, this is sort of up my alley. Over the past 8 years we've owned or boarded 6 Jack Russell Terriers, easily 6-7 Border Collies, a Pit Bull, and now, a border/staffordshire bull terrier (bred specifically for sports).

all of them have been good at disc sports, if given the chance and one on one attention. I'd say the best ones are our Jack Russells, Cho and Hathaway. Cho has competed in frisbee dog competitions, including freestyle, and learned it at 2-3 years old. She still knows all the tricks, but we didn't teach her, nor know the routines, so we don't get her to do much at the house. Our friend Laura Moretz is an awesome Frisbee dog trainer. We also do flyball with all of our dogs, which is a good sport for dog and handler. requires a little more training, but the competition is more tangible and less "American Idolish". No jusges, just serious timing lights to tell you who wins and loses.
Terry, you will enjoy being a dog owner, but if you want a frisbee dog, stay away from stout breeds like labs and retrievers, especially chessies. they simply have been bred with so much bone that they shouldn't get airborne, and that's what your dog will be doing a lot of in frisbee. Labs are less troublesome with the hips and the knees and the arthritis, but still, they are a lot of dog to be jumping in the air repeatedly.

This is our friend Laura with her dog Razor (who is an absolute nut). We own Razor's brother, Vette, another absolute spaz... he's a chaser, always waiting near the door for another dog to go outside so he can play chase.
http://www.theshopper.com/gatherings/1105/barkpark/barkinpark_010.jpg

Check out the dogs we keep, these are all flyball dogs, but they could all very easily be frisbee dogs. We stay away from stocky breeds because the sport is demanding and lighter dogs are just better athletes.

our flyball team dogs (http://www.flyballdogs.com/dogsmack/dogs.html)

I forgot to mention we currently ONLY own 7 dogs. 3 jacks, 3 border collies and the nutty border/staffy puppy.

dogs are stupid. notthing more than programmable life forms.

get a cat.

:cool:



Thanks, everyone, for the useful posts.

Already got three cats, a rat, and an Amazon parrot. :D

Those are the domestics and don't include the groundhog in the basement and the squirrels in the walls, etc. Feeding about 400 birds (literally, something like15 species) outside my dining room window right. Got about an inch of snow and it's pretty cold.

P.S. Some of you might be interested. I just got my course (8-acre back yard) certified as a backyard wildlife habitat through the National Wildlife Federation - http://www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/ - it wasn't that difficult to meet the conditions and only cost $15; and it should be some help in keeping people picking up those butts.

I had a german shepherd mix of about 60 lbs that was an awesome frisbee dog. when i took her to the park, we would get audiences because of her amazing, leaping catches. labs are great dogs for kids or hunting but I prefer something with shepherd lines because I believe they tend to be smarter and more independent but still very trainable.

I concur that mixed breeds tend to be healthier and well-mannered overall.

Back in the 80's, a guy from Lubbock, TX (Ron Revertt) had a German Shepard named Squire that was one of the best dogs around at that time. They went to several World Championships and did very well. I have a picture of Squire launching off of Ron's back and grabbing a disc that appears to be several feet over the top of a soccer goal! But, like has already been mentioned up-thread, Squire's large size made it diffucult for them to keep competing at a high level. His hips and other bones just couldn't stand the impact of landing after those monster airs. And I believe Ron went through a LOT of waist/back protectors.

We got an 11-week old Blue Heeler male pup yesterday, that's another name, I think, for an Australian Sheep (Cattle) Dog, which comes in red and blue varieties. Ben has named it Ozzy, because it looks like Ozzy Osbourne. So far, it's been great. A very quiet dog that doesn't seem to bark at all, which may be because the breed came from Border Collies and Dingos.

The advice here has been much appreciated. I hope to share some photos soon; and, later, when it starts launching off to catch discs :D

Are there different breeds of Border Collies ?

Approx. how much do they cost , if I was to purchase one ?

Hey Terry, email me. My wife just asked me if I knew anyone looking for a dog. She has a 1ish year old Labradoodle that is a rescue that was a stray (nobody replied to the lost dog advertising) that is looking for a home.

A Labradoodle is a cross between a lab and a STANDARD poodle, which was done to cut down on the shedding and allergic reactions, but still have a smart, active dog.

Labradoodles are not cheap, they normally demand $1500 from reputable breeders. If you are looking to get an adult dog with a lot of potential, this could be it.

quote from her profile.

1-1.5 years old, approximately 60 lbs.
spayed, yellow lab/standard poodle mix. She is high energy and would
likely do well in a family home with bigger kids that can handle her
size and energy. She is the size of an adult Labrador Retriever. This
is a VERY sweet dog that would make a wonderful pet. Athena also likes
to play ball and LOVES to tug. She is crate trained, house broken,
loves every dog she has met so far and all people and kids. This is
really an over all wonderful dog.

One breed. Three different colors. Most common is black/white, second is brown/white, rarest is grey (blue)/white.
I believe we payed $350-400 from a breeder that agility races her dogs. Ours is black/white, grey ones cost $$$!
They do require time, especially in the beginning, but the pay-off is fabulous.

We've got a blue merle (grey and white) and 2 red and white border collies. Buy from Canada, they sell for less. We have dogs from Saskatchewan and Ontario (Not a Roc). Don't use AKC as a guide, AKC breeders (not all) are notoriously random. If you want a good dog, talk to someone who does agility, herding, frisbee, or flyball. These are people that are less concerned about how a dog will perform in the ring, or concerned that the parents "have papers", but are more concerned with building a better dog. Breeders who breed for athletics but do not seem concerned about temperament should be avoided. We've had (have) dogs with major issues that could have been avoided by simply mot breeding a dog with severe stability issues.

Just looking for an awesome , smart , friendly , Frisbee dog that I can be proud of !!!!

Name him Fore. You'll be quite a hit at the course.


/msgboard/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Our best frisbee dog is a pound-puppy lab mix - she doesn't have the agonizing pushiness of an Aussie or a Border Collie, but she loves to work and has a very soft mouth. She'd never win any competitions - even though she's lighter than your average Lab, she's still too heavy-boned for much jumping. But she's very practical around a golf course, especially one with water. The best thing about her is that she'll fetch floaters out of the water - no matter how far away. We play around water a lot. When my kids were learning to throw (and were kind of erratic), they'd throw Dragons, and Cleo would happily happily retrieve them all day long. (and by the way, a Dragon is a really good all-round disc for a learning player!) Now she's aware of the various sounds that a disc smacking the water makes, and when she hears that sound, she's off and running. She's learned to go the island in the middle of the lake and look for discs. She's even a help at getting out discs that are in just a few inches of "casual" water that we'd just rather not step into!

We've also had whippets - fabulous dogs and great temperaments. But WAAAAY too smart to bother to exert themselves leaping up for something that is going to come to earth anyway, and also WAAAAAY too smart to hurl themselves into cold water in December just to chase plastic. Whippets do a very good job keeping squirrels away, though!

BOXERS!!!!!!

Thanks............ :D

Cats are just as trainable as dogs if you know how to train animals.

[/QUOTE]

I would have to disagree with you about that, I remember about 4 yrs. ago while I was living in Ft. Worth, this guy took his cat to play a round with us at Z-Boaz - he never found that cat .