Disc Dog & A Video!

If you've followed my blog for any period of time, you realize that dogs are pretty much the center of my life. Every blog entry mentions them to some degree.  Last year I was struggling with the disappointment in realizing that my baby, Kirby, may never be a frisbee dog. And then with the help of my disc doggin friends, I overcame that started working Kirby in other things. 

Kirby only really saw a frisbee once over the long, cold winter, on Christmas Day, when I shot the 'Aussie Christmas Disc' video. Then it was put away again for another handful of months.

Kirby and I completed beginner obedience and worked on crate games through the winter to keep us occupied. Minnesota winters suck.  But in that time, Kirby and I formed a new relationship.  Now he's so my baby boy.

Kirby was still showing a lot of distraction early in the spring when we started playing frisbee again. But I focused on Frankie and didn't push Kirby.  I signed him up for agility and was completely to terms with my non-disc Aussie boy.  He is good at just about everything else I throw his way.

Three weeks ago, we had a frisbee playdate with a few of the club members.  I brought both Aussies just so that Kirby could have some fun and its just good socialization for him.  I took him out when everybody had gone through once with their dogs, and he started catching throw after throw.  He's never really caught them out of the air.  Was this a one time thing?  Is he just feeling good?  Jealous because all of the other dogs are playing disc in front of him?

DK took him out a second time and again, he was catching and flipping.  I was so excited!  The next day, I took him into the backyard to try again, and was bummed to find that he was more interested in eating the new grass than playing frisbee with me.  But that was fine. He had a blast at the playdate.

Last weekend, Kirby made his disc doggin debut. It was his first comp, and he played well enough that it was worth it for him to go out and have some fun.  Even if he wasnt taking it seriously, he still is clearly having a blast when he plays.  He's such a dork.  Even DK commented on what a doofus he was, but that he was having fun.  That's all that matters anyways, right?

But interestingly enough, he never got distracted.

In the past couple of weeks, we've been building it up.  He is less distracted now and seems to want to play.  And his eye/mouth coordination is finally matured enough that he can jump and catch them from mid air.  He makes me think of Kai, a black bi Aussie of Jason and Andrea's in Florida. I've never met this couple, but I've followed their blog for months and they are Aussie and disc crazy like me. Plus, they are such sweet people and both have offered me so much advice. Kai was acting similar to Kirby in the beginning.  Distracted, uninterested.  Young.  But they have since turned Kai into an up and coming rockstar. Their advice, paired with advice from my own club, is starting to pay off I think.  I couldn't be happier!

I was of mind enough to shoot a short video.  It's shakey because I'm trying to play and shoot at the same time. But you'll get the idea.  Enjoy!

*disclaimer* I realize how rediculous I sound in this video. Don't judge. Kirby loves the baby talk.
Thank you and have a nice day.