Apple the Australian shepherd started slowly in her career as a disc dog, with her owner rolling a Frisbee along the floor for the then 4-month old puppy to chase.
But over time the canine’s skills improved immensely, and now she has an impressive ability to snatch a flying disc from the air while in a full sprint and then hustle it back to its thrower.
And on Saturday, when Tara Bauer-Williamson brought Apple to Jim Dietrich Park in Muhlenberg Township, the two were competing with the hope of qualifying for this year’s world championship.
The duo from Lafayette, N.J., were among about 100 teams squaring off in the 2023 Keystone State River Jam Discdogathon on Saturday or the Skyhoundz Classic Championships on Sunday.
The event is hosted by Mid-Atlantic Disc Dogs, and both days have participants attempting to qualify for the 2023 championships to be held in Chattanooga, Tenn.
The local event has been held at Dietrich park for the last decade, with awards given out for the top teams at the beginner, intermediate and expert levels. Handlers and their canine teammates earn points for completing throws and catches in a variety of events that test their skills and ability to work together.
But while everyone comes to win, the sport also brings people together and is a lot of fun for the handlers and dogs, participants said.
At home when Bauer-Williamson’s husband heads outside to his grill to make dinner, the couple’s dogs follow him excitedly — not because they expect to get some of the food, but because he throws discs to them while he’s cooking.
“They love it,” said Bauer-Williamson, who has been competing for 15 years.
Other events over the weekend involve accuracy, speed, and even a competition in which two throwers team up with one of their dogs.
Matt Repko of Leesport, the event coordinator, said successful dogs need the natural ability to snare an airborne disc with their mouth. But even more important is the dog’s connection with its owner, which allows them to anticipate where the throws are heading.
“You can have the best dog in the world, but without that connection it won’t matter,” he said.
Many of the most successful disc dogs are of the working and herding groups, with Australian shepherds and border collies being among the most common, said Frank Montgomery of Crownsville, Md., a Mid-Atlantic Disc Dogs board member.
But Montgomery has seen winning dogs from many breeds and mutts as well, and he even has had a small Jack Russell terrier that was a good disc dog, he said.
Basic obedience, speed, agility, trainability and a willingness to please are all important attributes, as is intelligence, he said.
New to the sport is Dave Erb of Lititz, who started last year and took part Saturday with his dog Cheyenne, who was having an excellent day of catching.
Erb’s only regret is not taking up the sport sooner, he said, because at 61 his throwing elbow wouldn’t hold up in the Skyhoundz competition, where dogs regularly chase down tosses of more than 70 yards, he said.
He appreciates the camaraderie of the sport, with competitors cheering for each other and their dogs.
“They’re the most awesome people,” he said. “It’s like a family.”
Source: Berkshire mont
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