Dogs and frisbees are a match made in heaven, as proven by a recent event in Armstrong.
The K9 Frisbee Worldwide League came to a field off Otter Lake Cross Road last week, and around 20 dogs and their owners learned how to play K9 Frisbee Toss and Fetch, a simple sport that pairs up teams of humans and dogs for a fun bout of frisbee throwing and catching.
Mark Vitullo, founder of the worldwide league, stopped in Armstrong as he made his way around the northwest, meeting with different canine frisbee clubs. More than 300 clubs play in the worldwide league, and Vitullo was working to introduce newcomers to the sport.
“Playing frisbee with your dog is just a wonderful exercise and bonding experience for your dog,” Vitullo said.
In Armstrong, Vitullo taught dog owners how to properly grip and throw a frisbee before letting the dogs out to take part in the sport. Participants started by rolling frisbees along the ground for their dogs to chase. This introduces the dogs to the concept of catching a frisbee along its edge. Once the dogs successfully caught a few rollers, the owners could start throwing the frisbees in the air for their dogs to track down.
K9 Frisbee Toss and Fetch is played in a field 50 metres long by 10 yards wide, broken up into 10-yard scoring increments. The sport challenges dogs and their owners to make as many throws and catches as they can in one minute. Points are scored based on whether or not the dog catches the frisbee, and how long the throw was.
“The longer the catch, the more points you get,” Vitullo said.
Scores are submitted to the worldwide league, after which teams of dogs and owners get ranked on a leaderboard.
The league boasts around 3,800 teams of dogs and owners, and Vitullo said it’s a rapidly growing sport.
Toss and Fetch is one of the more beginner friendly dog sports, said Florence Jarrett, a dog trainer whose company is called The Canine Hub, which runs the Armstrong Disc Dog Club.
Jarrett and her dog were at the Armstrong session with Vitullo and took part in the toss and fetch action.
Jarrett was originally part of a dog frisbee club in Kelowna that started up around two years ago. She played a role in setting up the Armstrong club, which became only the second club in the Okanagan including the Kelowna club.
To learn more or get involved, visit Armstrong Disc Dog Club on Facebook.
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