High focus, correct disc placement, low body posture equals safety of your dog.
Higher, higher, more, more!!!
Early in my career, there was a European Championship in which I competed with 2 of my dogs: Jumper, a whippet-terrier mix, and Choco, a Labrador with a couple of screws missing.
In those days, the sport was still at a very early stage, and we took every option to acquire new insights from the best in the business at that time.
We had the opportunity to learn from the sport's founding fathers in different continents, and already back then, some resolute contradictions in mentality were showing.
It was on one of those workshops that I had my first shock. One of the very reputable trainers was doing a seminar/workshop for starting competitors, and one of the dogs was a teckel-mix.
When I heard the trainer cry out: "higher-higher-more-more," I knew that these different mentalities would cause issues along the line. The evolution of the sport proved I was correct, unfortunately.
Spectacular crash: auwch instead of wow
That's often the result of what happens when you have an amateur team without proper training or too big an ego.
You can't blame the dog for following his instinct to go after a pray by someone he trusts for 100%.
The problem is that people consistently overestimate their possibilities, and the dog has to suffer the consequences.
There is a safe way to launch certain dogs up to one-and-a-half meters in the air and still have a correct landing.
This means that the dog lands on all four paws to disperse the impact and the bodyweight to the maximum possible and not cause damage or chronic issues.
It's also possible and safe to drive a car at 350 kph (220 mph). They require the same thing: an experienced expert with a million repetitions behind the belt.
Even in the hands of trainers with this specific skill set, these moves are only possible for certain breeds (and neither Whippet mix nor Labrador was one of those, and neither was I on the handler part at that time).
I've seen spectacular high vaults at world championships but just as stunning low vaults, and then it's a wow. However, I've seen much more spectacular crashes at competitions or after a demonstration, and then it's a definite auwch!
The sorry comes at a later point in time. If not immediate. The possibility of trauma is very high. Repetitive impact on the joints will, in time, cause arthroses without exception.
When spectators see these crashes happening, it gives the sport a bad reputation, and they are right when they say Discdog is dangerous.
I want to emphasize that throwing discs for your dog is one of the most intense and perfect hobbies to have with many benefits. It's also one of the safest hobbies or sports to do with your dog. It's your responsibility to keep it that way.
Conclusion
Before you start sending your dog to fly elegantly through the sky, catch a K9-DISC and land safely, please consult an expert trainer.
Keep your pups safe and low, get to know the basics followed by hours and hours of practice with and without the dogs, and enjoy your K9-DISCS!!!
