The Frisbee dog (or disc dog) is a dog's and dog owner's new favorite sport!

Today, we are telling you everything about the Frisbee dog : how it was born and how to properly play it, if you are considering competing.

The history of the Frisbee

Frisbee was originaly invented in 1948 and comes straight from Yale University. A couple of students used to have fun tossing a baking pan from the Frisbie Pie Company. Walter Frederick Morrison decided to create a flat disk made of Bakelite that he called the Flying-Saucer. The invention was bought in 1957 by the company Wham-O. They first renamed it the Pluto Platter and then Frisbee, as a tribute to the Frisbie Pie Company.

An affordable and accessible dog sport  

Playing Frisbee with your furry friend won't cost you much, except purchasing the main accessory : a Frisbee. A professional frisbee will cost about 15  dollars but you will find basic ones for half the price. Besides the frisbee, you also need a wide open space to throw it to your dog.

To sum up, you need: a frisbee, a wide space and a dog! Prefer a space without trees around so your Frisbee won't get stuck on a branch. To finish, choose a rival team composed of a dog and his owner.

Frisbee's rules

Because Frisbee dog is a real sport, there are several rules you must follow if you want to do it "by the book":

The field must be grassy and be 15x40 meters. The edges of the field must be marked every 5 meters.

A departure line must be created so the humans won't get a head start when they throw the Frisbee.

Both the dogs must stay near their owner. When the game starts, the owners throw their Frisbee and dogs cross the line to catch them. They must catch the Frisbee and bring it back to their owner as soon as possible in 90 seconds. Every time a dog catches the Frisbee, the team earns points. They earns more points when the dog brings it back.

About Frisbee dog's rating

During competition, three criteria are judged :

- The length of the throw : up to 10 meters, the team earn 10 points. Up to 30 meters, 30 points and so on and so forth

- The way the dog catches the Frisbee : on the floor or in the air. 5 bonus points if the dog catches the disc while jumping in the air.

- The bond between the dog and his owner and the dog's enthusiasm.

The main goal of practicing Frisbee is to bond with your dog. The Frisbee dog must not in any case be dangerous for the animal, thus figures won't bring any additional points.

Photo credit : Thinkstock

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