From The Editor
Yay! Spring is here, the snow is gone, and everything is coming up daisies ……okay, maybe more dandelions than daisies, but it’s discin’ weather again …. Woohoo!!!
As this is the beginning of ‘disc season’ in Ontario with lots of competitions on the forefront, I thought I’d make this issue about competition. Freestyle judging, although following rule guidelines consistent with a specific organization, is always somewhat subjective, and many competitors can be left wondering, ‘what are the judges looking for?’ To that end, I’ve asked some judges for input on what they personally are looking for when they are judging freestyle > hopefully this will help us all as we embark on a new season of disc doggin’ with new routines and some new dogs coming up the ranks. With the Skyhoundz Regionals (Canadian Worlds Qualifier) just 2mths away, Jeff Perry from Skyhoundz has kindly given permission for me to reprint the article, A Priner On Skyhoundz Freestyle Judging.
Good Luck to Everyone this disc dog season & hope to see you out on the fields!
Jackie
Yay! Spring is here, the snow is gone, and everything is coming up daisies ……okay, maybe more dandelions than daisies
As this is the beginning of ‘disc season’ in Ontario with lots of competitions on the forefront, I thought I’d make this issue about competition. Freestyle judging, although following rule guidelines consistent with a specific organization, is always somewhat subjective, and many competitors can be left wondering, ‘what are the judges looking for?’ To that end, I’ve asked some judges for input on what they personally are looking for when they are judging freestyle > hopefully this will help us all as we embark on a new season of disc doggin’ with new routines and some new dogs coming up the ranks. With the Skyhoundz Regionals (Canadian Worlds Qualifier) just 2mths away, Jeff Perry from Skyhoundz has kindly given permission for me to reprint the article, A Priner On Skyhoundz Freestyle Judging.
Good Luck to Everyone this disc dog season & hope to see you out on the fields!
Jackie
From The Judges Perspective
Freestyle is a highly subjective part of disc competition and although we have guidelines and rules within each organization, a large part of the ‘judging’ is subjective. Experienced and new competitors alike, often find them selves wondering, “what are the judges looking for?.” Well wonder no more!!! Here is what some of the judges have to say:
From Angela Ewtushik (creator of the Open Freestyle division in Ontario)
“ the best advice I can give is to get out and do it. People are so scared the first time and after they compete, they realize that it’s not as bad as they expected. Keep it fun, simple and light for the 1st time out. Personally, I would only try a new move/throw if you can get an 80% success rate in practice.For music... record 1 song onto a cd and test it to make sure it plays on several cd players. Label it with your name and dog's name and track # if there is more than 1 song on the cd.Smile and have a good time with your dog!”
From Tracy Custer (has judged skyhoundz, ufo, and usddn formats). ”I guess the one aspect of a routine which stands out in my mind the best is the "fun factor"; I cannot express it in any other way! When a team is out there having fun, enjoying their time together on the field, truly sharing their passion for the sport and the bond they have with one another, it makes every aspect of their routine look and feel better. When a handler and dog are really enjoying themselves, there is an inexplicable connection; whether they are noobies or a seasoned pro team, spectators and fellow competitors are drawn to watch. The "fun factor" translates itself in many ways: it helps minimize stress and creates a relaxed and more fluid routine. It helps get the crowd involved. It can make any team look better and can also help to cover mistakes or misses. Even the world's best team can look flat or have a bad round if they seem too intense, too competitive, too worried about connecting on every trick. Showcase the bond you naturally have with your dog and the rest will fall into place!”
From Adrian Custer
“The four elements that nearly every competition format has are:-The Dog (jumping, speed, grip on the disc, focus)-The Handler (movement on the field, disc management, variations of throws)-The Team (team coordination, tricks, transitional moves, flow of the routine)-Success (either based on a scale of the difficulty of what was attempted, or an exact point ratio of throws to completed catches) When I'm watching the dog I look for a dog that knows it's job and drives to get the disc, big jumps and easy landings, a dog that can control himself in the air and on the ground. Dogs that see a throw and choose not to chase, or barely grip it because of fatigue or anticipation of the next throw, get marked down. When I judge a handler I look for a person that is in control of the freestyle round and gets themselves and their dog in the right place for success and tricks. They should have a variety of throws that are performed and timed well. I don't like to see handlers picking up discs while the dog is doing nothing, or have to take extra time to set up a trick. Scolding and rough handling of the dog during the routine is a minus for me also, you should be having fun. When I judge team I look for the flow. A team that knows their routine and makes difficult maneuvers smooth like butter and/or shows off amazing athleticism and skill together. I like teams that have a unique style that is all their own, not just a copy of moves from another successful team. I want to be wowed with something new, not seeing team after team that do the same tricks and lull me to sleep (as I ask the other judges, "Uhhh, who was that last competitor?"). Music choice should fit your team's pace and style. I would only score down a team because of music if it were absurd, but music that fits a team well while on the field is overall more pleasing and can compliment the routine. When Judging success, some formats are purely mathematical (catches/throws) and others are more subjective offering higher scores on the amount of difficulty involved in the routine. What I would say to all competitors is to read, know, and understand the rules you will be judged by. With so many competition formats, you may have to adjust your routine to get your best score possible from event to event. Thanks, and good luck this year!”
From Corrine Brewer
“Here's my personal take on this stuff.......I look for several things 1. high success ratio, this really determines what the team is able to accomplish/execute and what is their ability level. 2. flow of routine overall and segment, also, does the routine make sense with the music.3. tricks in terms of both diversity of throws and movement with the pooch. 4. finally, overall I love to see a positive interaction with the dog, (is the dog interactive with the human or is the dog an object that has a job to do). When you start to look at the thrower rather than the dog I ask myself, how important is the dog to this routine? How do these two work as a team?”
A Primer on Skyhoundz Judging Criteria
To gain insight into the manner in which Skyhoundz judges evaluate freestyle performances at Skyhoundz Regional and World Championship events it is useful to first review the Skyhoundz Guidelines. These Guidelines set forth the core standards or “framework” that Skyhoundz judges employ to score freestyle routines and consequently compare and contrast the performances of competing teams.
Under the PAWS scoring system, judges will evaluate each team's ability to cleanly execute a challenging, varied, innovative and exciting routine within the time allotted. The PAWS scoring system requires judges to evaluate teams in four distinct categories. These categories are Presentation, Athleticism, Wow! Factor and Success. The PAWS scoring system is as follows:
Presentation The team’s presentation of a crowd-pleasing routine with exciting choreography, continuous flow, good disc management and smooth transitions.
Athleticism A demonstration of intensity and athleticism in completing catches, tricks or maneuvers together with an evaluation of the dog's speed, quickness, control, and leaping ability relative to its size.
Wow!Factor A team’s ability to successfully complete challenging tricks, sequences, throws and moves, including catches by the canine team member of throws with varied spins or releases. Also, the presentation of completely new moves, or a novel or unique presentation of a previously performed move, will result in higher scores in this category.
Success The successful execution of a planned routine with specific consideration given for the difficulty of the throws/catches and tricks. A team’s overall success score will affect, positively or negatively, the scores in all PAWS categories. In this category, it is entirely possible for a team with a few misses to score higher than a team with no misses if the team having the misses completes a more difficult routine.
In order for a trick to be scored in a Skyhoundz competition, it must begin or end with the disc in flight. In other words, every trick must somehow involve interaction between a thrower and a canine with a throw occurring either at the beginning or conclusion of the interaction between the thrower and canine. If a thrower does a freestyle move that does not involve the canine, it does not get scored. Take juggling for example. If a thrower juggles discs and then stops, we don’t score the juggling. If, however, a throw is made to the canine contemporaneously with the juggling, the trick will be scored. We like to think that everyone knows what a “take” is. However, I see them at virtually every competition. We do not score “takes.” A “take” occurs when a dog “takes” a disc out of a thrower’s hand, mouth or off of a thrower’s body. Remember, to be scored, the trick must begin or end with the disc in flight. It does not have to fly far, or even spin for that matter, but it must be airborne. Roller throws are the only exception to this rule.
Of the four PAWS scoring categories mentioned previously, the last two, Wow! Factor and Success probably have the greatest impact on a competitor’s overall score. They also provide the most obvious means of distinguishing one competing team from another. Further, the failure of a competing team to score highly in Wow! Factor or Success will likely impact the team’s scores in the other categories. Here is how this can happen. Take, for example, the Athleticism category. As judges, we have seen many incredibly athletic canines fail to score well in Athleticism because they simply did not catch discs consistently or because the thrower failed to make good throws or sufficiently challenge the dog. The Athleticism score is not based on one incredibly athletic catch in a routine replete with numerous misses. Instead, it is based on a Judge’s overall impression of a team’s ability to channel the athleticism of a canine in a manner that results in the successful completion of attempted athletic tricks and/or catches. In other words, you must do well in the Success category to achieve high scores in other categories. It is worth emphasizing that we do not give credit for attempted tricks. A trick must be accomplished successfully in order for the trick to have a positive impact on a team’s score.
Wow! Factor is a key category because, much like a difficulty multiplier in competitive diving, the category also impacts the overall score. If two competitors have perfect routines, the competitor with a more difficult and innovative routine will score higher in Wow! Factor and most likely in other categories as well. While we are discussing Wow! Factor let’s take a moment to also address the issue of vaulting in competition. On the subject of vaulting, the Skyhoundz Guidelines read, in pertinent part, as follows:
Since the welfare of competing canines is of great concern to everyone, vaults, utilizing the trainer's body as a launch pad, should be minimized or excluded from routines altogether. If attempted, vaults should be performed in a controlled and safe manner. Excessive height, or frequent repetitions of vaults, will not increase the likelihood of a higher score.
Vaulting or other tricks in which a canine uses a portion of a thrower’s body as a launch pad can cause the canine to reach spectacular heights and/or travel great distances across the ground. These tricks can be exciting and crowd pleasing. In fact, there is a perception held by some competitors that you must vault your canine in order to be successful in a Skyhoundz competition. This is completely false. Excessive or repetitive vaulting can work against you because, from a judging perspective, vaulting is viewed as not having a particularly high degree of difficulty relative to a host of other more difficult maneuvers that an innovative team could attempt.
Another popular misconception is that high vaulting dogs receive higher Athleticism scores. In reality, a team’s Athleticism score is determined by a canine’s speed, quickness and leaping ability… but only in relation to the quality of jumps that are commenced from the ground. Repetitive vaulting takes up time and keeps a team from performing more innovative and difficult tricks. If you perform vaults in a Skyhoundz competition, you may impress the crowds, but there are, arguably, many other ways to impress the judges.
In recent years some have criticized Skyhoundz criteria for being too subjective. A number of elaborate and sometimes confusing scoring systems have evolved in an attempt to take the subjectivity out of judging a canine disc team. However, we believe that when teams perform the same trick or throw, there is always a qualitative difference between the performances of the competing teams. This qualitative difference cannot and should not be reduced to an objective standard. Even our distance accuracy event is not truly objective. After all, judges are evaluating whether a dog actually jumped to make a catch, whether the canine was inbounds when a catch was made, etc. We like to analogize attempts to create objective methodologies to the “compulsory figures” event in competitive figure skating. In “figures,” skating competitors individually skate over a series of identical figures etched in the ice. The question of whether the skater successfully skated the figure is more of an objective determination. A judge looks at the marks made by a skater on the ice. The style or athletic effort of the skater in skating the figures is not really relevant. Having said that, I wonder how many people have ever seen a televised ice skating “figures” event or gone out of their way to watch this event? In our view, the rules and scoring system of the Skyhoundz Championships are designed to encourage innovative, exciting and entertaining routines rather than compilations of compulsory tricks and maneuvers that force competitors to share the same path to success.
As always, Skyhoundz judges invite questions at Skyhoundz events. If you want to improve your scores, judges are always happy to make suggestions.
To gain the maximum benefit from your conversation with a judge, be sure to approach the judge in a non-confrontational manner even if you disagree with the scores that you received. Once you understand the rationale for a judge’s scores and see, through the judge’s eyes, how your performance was evaluated relative to the other competitors in the competition, you will be equipped with the knowledge necessary to score better in future competitions.
To conclude, it is important to remember that no matter how you score, competing in a Skyhoundz canine disc competition will always be serious fun for your dog.
Being “In The Zone”
I recently saw a clip of the Oprah show in which she was talking to author Eckhart Tolle about his book A New Earth (which I am currently reading). In the book he talks about how Ego is that part of ourselves that causes us to define ourselves <> by what we do, and by what other people think of us. I immediately recognized myself in those pages. When out competing I’m worried about what other people think of me, of my dog, of my routine choreography. Am I too fat, too old, too uncoordinated? Did anyone see me almost fall over, miss that throw, or forget my routine?
My eyes have been opened!! By being focused ‘outwards’ by concerns about what other people think, I’m not fully focused on what I’m doing. I’m not fully connected to my dog out on the field. I’m not ... IN THE ZONE.
Another thing in that interview really caught my attention and I jotted it down. Eckhart Tolle said, “the need to win drains your power.” I immediately thought of disc play and other dog sport competitions.
The emphasis here is on “need”. Desiring to win and needing to win are two very different things. When we need to win it’s because we feel we have something to prove to either to ourselves or to others.
Ø We need to win to prove to ourselves that we are worthy.
Ø We need to win to gain approval and acceptance from others.
But by needing to win we actually give our power over to others. Our concerns with what other people think, or whether we feel worthy consumes our ego’s, and those very things, or people, or environmental factors (wind) that intimidate us, end up having the power over us. We lose power; we lose focus; we lose energy >> we are controlled by outside forces. We are not ... IN THE ZONE
When I’m teaching dog training one of the things I teach dogs is to get into the zone. I teach them to relinquish attention and worry from outside distractions and how to zero in on the task at hand. And that’s what we human competitors need to do. We need to let go of our worries and insecurities and just zero in on the task at hand. We need to lose ourselves in the moment and be fully present in our routines and with our dogs. We need to GET IN THE ZONE
The need to win and the focus on winning takes our vision too far into the future and disconnects us from the task at hand. We need to focus on the immediate goal > completing our routine the best we can. Never mind what the outcome will be. By trying to control the outcome by obsessing over it, we lose the power to do our best in the moment.
Most athletes that achieve great things (Olympic Gold for example) will say that ‘in the moment’ they were not thinking about winning or losing. They were just lost in the race, the routine, etc. They were IN THE ZONE
Our first ever Canadian World Champion, Katherine Ferger, was in the zone in Atlanta last year. In her High Flyin’ k9s interview she said, “ … our final placement wasn't something I was thinking about during the competition at all …... I didn't want to put any pressure on me or my dogs at all … In the end it turned out to be a strategic way to calm my nerves, which certainly helped our competition.”
As the sayings go: Sing like no one is listening. Dance like no one is watching. And when out on the field this season …. let’s all disc ... IN THE ZONE.
Maintaining Behaviour
Building reliability on behaviour is different from "teaching" behaviour. It can all be done positively. Usually behaviour breaks down because the trainer ups the ante too quickly > assuming the dog 'knows', when in fact the dog just got lucky a few times. Compare it if you will, to learning a new disc throw. You practice the new throw and finally you get it right >> do you now know it? Are you 100% proficient at the throw yet? In all wind conditions? Did that one/first correct execution of the throw seal it permanently in your mind and muscle memory?? Or will the next 5 or 6 or 10 times you attempt it after that first "correct" response, be failures? You did it once but can you do it again? How many correct executions of the throw (in all wind conditions) does it take before you are 100% proficient. Now think about the things we train our dogs to do and the expectations we have of them to be able to execute behaviours 100% reliably. Behaviours fail because reliability has not been achieved. Reliability fails because we don't give the dog adequate time and rehearsal of the behaviours for them to become solidly sealed in the dogs mind and muscle memory. And .... because we haven't proofed for distractions that challenge the dog sufficiently to learn how to function in the face of distractions. It's also important to remember that while a person or dog can perform a behaviour in an environment where they are focused on just that one thing, adding distractions will affect the ability of the individual to perform. And depending on their level of proficiency with the behaviour, they may not be able to perform at all, or they may perform at a lesser level of execution ..... slower response time, slower execution. I know that if I’m concentrating on something (even just writing this article) and someone starts talking to me, that distraction interferes with my train of thought. I can’t focus on writing when someone is talking to me. But I’m able to write and think just fine with the television or radio playing in the background. The distraction of the television/radio is not as great as the distraction of the person talking to me. Similarly, I can drive with the radio playing but if I’m going slow concentrating on looking for an address or street name, the radio is too distracting and I have to turn it down. So while the distraction of the radio is something that I can handle in one situation (normal driving), it is too great a distraction in another situation (looking for an address). So even if your dog can perform a behaviour in the face of distraction in one environment, he may not be able to do it in another environment.
I saw a television show about memory function and an expeirment was done with gymnasts where their performance was measured on a tumbling sequence when all they had to think about and focus on, was the sequence. Then they asked the athletes to remember a series of numbers while they were tumbling and repeat the numbers at the end. Having to remember the number sequence affected the execution of the tumble. Many years ago I saw a similar exercise done with another group of gymnasts where they asked the athletes to recite a nursery rhyme while they tumbled. Some couldn't do it at all. Some struggled but got through. And others did okay although their level of execution was not up to par. So now let's go back to our dogs. We teach them behaviours, but in order to build reliability, we also have to add challenges that affect their ability to perform. So as trainers it's our job to introduce a variety of distractions and challenges starting with very small easy to achieve steps and gradually increasing the level of difficulty.Maintaining a level of proficiency is also important. Oftentimes we teach dogs "life skills" behaviours but don't maintain them. We just expect the dog to remember the skill when we need them to. Take the Come cue for example. How many people practice come and randomly reinforce it on a daily basis? Most dogs are taught Come and then just expected to do it whenever needed and regardless of distractions. Muscle memory is developed by repetition of motor skills. So it is important to maintain behaviours that we would like to keep sharp on execution. Don't rely on the dog to know how to come off distractions if the only time he gets to practice it is when life throws a curve ball at him. Again let's look at humans. I can type really fast now because I use the computer a lot. I don't have to think about what fingers to use on what keys. I think a word and my hands type it. I have developed good muscle memory for the skill of typing. My handwriting on the other hand, has gone to hell in a hand basket!! Have I forgotten how to write? No. But my ability to do it well has suffered from lack of practice. I haven't sufficiently maintained the behaviour of hand writing to do it well. Now back to dogs > if we don't practice and maintain behaviours on a regular basis we cannot expect the dog to have a reliable response when we need or want it.I tell my students that if they have a good quick response to a cue in practice, they'll have a good chance of a reliable response in real life. But if they have a so/so response in practice, chances are they'll have no response in real life. So building reliability is just a matter of simply teaching a reliable response. Think of it as a hypnotic suggestion ..... 'when you hear the word Mississippi you will cluck like a chicken'. You don't think about what to do when you hear Mississippi > you just do it. That's the kind of response you want from your dog. Teach behaviour and maintain behaviour. Often we teach, but fail to maintain.
ALL NATURAL HOME MADE FLEA SPRAY
Here is a recipe for an economical home made flea spray that you can use on your dogs and the environment.
1 large lemon, rind and all, sliced paper thin
Put in bowl with 1 tbsp of crushed rosemary leaves (or 6 sprigs fresh)
Pour over with a quart of hot, near boiling water
Let Steep Overnight
Strain and put into a large spray bottle & KEEP IN FRIDGE!
Shake Well Before Using.
If a dog has dry skin or allergies, add a tsp. of tea tree oil and 1 tbsp of Aloe pulp. The key is to use this from the fridge > it will not be effective if it is room temperature.
In Conversation With …
Angelea Ewtushik
ED: Hi Angela and thank you for being our interviewee for this newsletter. Let’s start at the beginning. How long have you been involved with the sport of canine disc?
AE: 7 years
ED: And how did you first get involved with the sport?
AE: I had a terrier X with lots of drive and wanted to try a new dog sport
ED: Have you had any mentors along the way or has it been a self taught journey?
AE: Mainly self-taught, but Ron Watson has helped me a lot along the way
ED: Do you have any favourite players?
AE: Ron Watson, Tracy Custer, several European players
ED: Who has most inspired you &/or influenced your game?
AE: My dog Rally. Drive, intensity and pure love for the game comes out as soon as he sees a disc and this motivates me to try and become as good a player as he is. :-)
ED: Do you have a favourite move > either one that you perform or a WOW! move to watch?
AE: I don't really have 1 favorite move, but instead I am "wowed" when a variety of moves are performed in a sequence that flows effortlessly and highlights the communication bond between the handler and dog.
ED: What is your fondest memory in the sport to date?
AE: Helping others learn new tricks, moves and work through any issues. The most memorable is helping teach a young dog and the excitement when they make their first CATCH!
ED: If you had to describe your vision of a perfect freestyle routine, what would it be like?
AE: As mentioned earlier, moves and sequences that are executed with such ease that it seems effortless and flows with no obvious breaks. The dog is always in tune to what the next move is and the bond between dog and handler is present with very little "noticeable" communication.
ED: What advice do you have for new players to the sport?
AE: Get out and have fun!! But safety is the #1 priority, so if you are not confident with your throwing ability, seek training and practice a lot without your dog.
ED: What advice do you have for those already in the game?
AE: The sky is the limit for creativity!! Never think that you are done learning and always remind yourself that it is a game and as long as you are having fun with your dog, that’s the top priority. The moment it becomes "work", you need to step back and re-evaluate your situation.
ED: Thank you Angela for your input and good luck with Rally this coming competition season.
Angela Ewtushik has been involved in dog sports and training for over 10 years. She travels throughout North America competing in many dog sports including flyball, agility, rally obedience and disc dogs. In 2007, Angela and her Berger des Pyrenees "Rally" won both the Open Freestyle and Pairs Freestyle at the Skyhoundz Canadian Regional Qualifier. Angeka livess in Mount Forest, Ontario and conducts disc workshops as well as private lessons. She can be reached at scruffy_superdog@hotmail.com.
Angela and Rally
Quotable Quotes:
“True intelligence is all about knowing that you don't know everything -- be humble, and keep learning” (author unknown)
Get Rid Of Those Pesky Mosquito’s
I don’t know if this really works but with Heartworm and other mosquito borne diseases threatening us and our dogs, it’s worth a try! I received an email from a friend up north with a forwarded message about mosquito control. The product of choice? Listerine!!! Supposedly you spray it around the area, grass, door frames, etc., and it kills the mosquitos.
The Triple Crown Disc Dog Championships
The Triple Crown Disc Dog Championships are fast approaching. All pertinent information about the trials can be found at:
http://triplecrowndiscdogchampionships.blogspot.com/
Thank you to our sponsors for this event:
Who’s Walking Who
Dog Condo.ca
Dog-Ma Dog Walking & Sitting Services
Burns Dog Food
Instil Photography
TTL Action Photography
Gotta Go Throw/Little Flyers
Wellness Magazine
Rollover Dog Food
Border Collie Central
Border Collie Rescue Of Ontario
Foxfire Publishing
Sgt. Woof Dog Grooming and Pet Sitting Services
Pawsitive Art
Besslin Border Collies
Lifestyle Dog Training
