FAQs

Canine Disc FAQs

Despite diligent efforts, Hyperflite has been unable to locate a manufacturer of plastic dyes that will assure us that its dyes are safe for canines.

Because dogs catch flying discs in their mouths, there is always the possibility that solvents or other harmful compounds used in these surface dyes could be ingested by a canine.

Although we regret that we are unable to offer such discs for sale, we hope you will understand our desire to place the well-being of your canine ahead of profit.

Hyperflite created a specific disc for small dogs like yours. It’s called the Pup disc and is available in all weights and materials as their regular models.

You can find them on the Skyhoundz store here

This is a question that we are asked quite regularly.

Many years ago, Hyperflite elected not to employ the promotional model used in the disc golf industry, for two reasons.

  1. First, because canines are involved, we want to make sure that folks always act in the best interest of their canines and that they don’t take action solely because they feel pressure to perform for a sponsor.
  2. Second, because Hyperflite is the sponsor of the Skyhoundz Series — the largest disc dog series in the World – it would not be appropriate for Hyperflite to pick and choose individual teams upon which to bestow special sponsorships while excluding other teams. Doing so, in our view, might call into question the impartiality of the judges who judge for us, as well as suggest to unsponsored teams, a potential corporate bias in favor of the sponsored individuals.

Notwithstanding the above, although Hyperflite does not sponsor individual teams, every team that competes in the Hyperflite Skyhoundz World Canine Disc Championship receives free discs, gear, shirts, jackets, bags, awards, etc, not to mention admission to the free events that Hyperflite stages for the enjoyment of competitors during the weekend of the World Championship.

In many cases, the competitor kits provided by Hyperflite to every competitor at each year’s Skyhoundz World Championship exceed the token sponsorship often provided to teams who are sponsored by other companies.

In 2015, for example, we rolled out the red carpet in Chattanooga for 126 of the elite teams in canine disc sports.

By according everyone special treatment, we hope to always ensure a memorable experience for both human and canine in which everyone can be assured that they will have an equal opportunity for competitive success.

Hyperflite discs will not shatter in cold weather. However, you also want your discs to stay flexible when it gets cold to protect your dog’s mouth.

Hyperflite’s FrostBite (FrostBite Pup), SofFlite (SofFlite Pup), and Jawz (Jawz Pup) model discs remain flexible in the coldest temperatures. Click (video coming soon) to watch the FrostBite shatter the competition in a cold-weather durability test.

All Hyperflite discs, with their aerodynamic profiles and opposed grip surfaces, can be thrown long distances.

As a general rule, a heavier disc (that has the same profile as a lighter disc) can be thrown farther by an experienced thrower than a lighter-weight disc. However, since you will want your dog to catch your throw, he or she must be able to chase down the disc, throttle down, and make a grab.

For this reason, slower canines will do better with lighter weight discs like the Competition Standard, and Competition Standard Pup while faster dogs can go long with heavier discs like the Jawz or Jawz Pup disc.

Click here to watch a video of Hyperflite Co-founder, Peter Bloeme, as he establishes a light-plastic canine disc world record with a Hyperflite Competition Standard disc.

Hyperflite’s lightweight pro-line discs like the Competition Standard (Competition Standard Pup), Midnight SunFrostBite (FrostBite Pup), and SofFlite(SofFlite Pup), will float if tossed in the water.

Hyperflite’s puncture-resistant Jawz discs will not float, so keep them high and dry!

Our decades of experience in this sport have shown us that it is not the flying disc itself that causes tooth wear, but rather, dirt and grit that can act like revolving sandpaper on canine teeth.

Hyperflite addressed this issue with the design of the K-10 (Competition Standard, FrostBite, Jawz, Midnight Sun, and SofFlite discs). Rather than employ grip surfaces with deep, continuous grooves that retain dirt and grit, like most canine discs, all Hyperflite K-10 discs (standard size and Pup size) feature ultra-low profile, staggered grip surfaces that do not easily retain abrasive substances like dirt and grit. Unlike other discs, Hyperflite K-10 discs are easy to clean with a quick rinse off or wipe down with a towel.

Interestingly, the toys that cause the most significant tooth wear in canines are fabric discs and tennis balls. These toys retain dirt and grit in their fibers and when canines chew on them, they can wear down their teeth dramatically. Consequently, we don’t recommend that tennis balls or fabric discs be used outdoors where they can become laden with abrasive particles.

Competition FAQs

Absolutely! As long as you have an eager canine ready for action, you can compete paw-to-paw with enthusiasts of all skill levels. That holds true for nearly all Skyhoundz events (including Qualifiers). Only at the World Championship are you required to pre-qualify to compete.

Yes, you may bring your dog to the World Championship as a spectator, but you must keep your dog leashed and clean up after any nature breaks your dog takes.

No. We have always felt strongly that responsible owners are in the best position to determine what is, or what is not, a suitable and safe athletic activity for their canines.

Our goal is to provide a fun event in which you and your dog can compete, not be the dog police. And, even if we chose to enforce an arbitrary age restriction, if someone wanted to cheat, it would be fairly easy to do so.

That said, we always recommend, as a part of being a responsible pet owner, to check with your vet before doing any serious physical activity to make sure your dog is healthy and ready to go. 

While we feel that running and jumping are normal and beneficial for a dog’s cardiovascular system and physical development, we recommend limiting excessive height in jumping and/or vaults, especially in young, or older, canines. 

With any physical athletic endeavor, injuries can occur, but if engaged in responsibly, we feel that canine disc play and competition do not impart more risk than any other dog sport, and contribute to better overall physical fitness (for humans and canine alike).

Teaching your dog to catch a flying disc is not that difficult. For tips and techniques from the pros, view the training tab on the Skyhoundz website. Hyperflite’s canine disc training offerings — which include “Disc Dogs! Training DVD,” the most informative and action-packed canine training DVD ever created, and “Disc Dogs! The Complete Guide,” a 358-page training treatise — will be available at the World Championship, through the Skyhoundz store at www.skyhoundz.com, and as a digital eBook on the Apple iBookstore.

Teams qualify for the World Championship by finishing in the top positions at Skyhoundz Qualifying events held in the U.S., Canada, and many other countries throughout the world. Please go to the Skyhoundz Competition page here to see a current list of scheduled events. 

More than 200 teams from all over the world will qualify to compete. Many of those teams will journey to Chattanooga to battle for World Championship titles.

The first World Canine Disc Championship was held in 1974. Skyhoundz has held World Canine Disc Championships under its name since 2000.

The Skyhoundz World Championship now includes:

  • DiscDogathon World Championship (Bullseye, Bullseye (MicroDog), Freestyle, Freestyle (MicroDog), Pairs Distance/Accuracy, Pairs Distance/Accuracy (MicroDog), Spot Landing, Spot Landing (MicroDog), TimeTrial, and TimeTrial (MicroDog).
  • Skyhoundz Classic World Championship (including Open, Open MicroDog, Open Youth, Sport, Sport MicroDog, and Pairs Freestyle Divisions)
  • Xtreme Distance World Championship (MicroDog, Light Plastic, Classic Plastic, and Unlimited Plastic) in Men’s and Women’s Classes.

Twenty-Four World Championship titles are on the line.

Awards and Hyperflite apparel, discs, and other products are provided to all competitors who qualify for and attend the World Championship.

The top teams receive heirloom-quality trophies and have their names permanently inscribed on the Skyhoundz Cup, the “Stanley Cup” of canine disc sports.

To ensure that the focus is always on the well-being of competing canines, monetary prizes are not awarded at the World Championship.

Any dog can make a great disc dog. In fact, most of the dogs competing at the World Championship were family pets long before they were champion disc dogs.

Past World Champions have included many popular breeds as well as a sizable contingent of mutts adopted from shelter and rescue organizations.

You can’t go wrong with a shelter mutt as Hyperflite Co-founder Jeff Perry loves to say. And he should know. Perry’s mixed-breed animal shelter adoptee “Gilbert” won the World Championship back in 1989.

The World Championship has been held in cities all over the U.S. including Washington, D.C., New York, Atlanta, Orlando, and Dallas. Chattanooga, Tennessee is the current home of the Hyperflite Skyhoundz World Canine Disc Championship. Each September, in the shadow of Lookout Mountain, the best disc dogs in the world battle for World Championship titles at Chattanooga’s Coolidge Park.

Each World Championship is unique, exciting, and great fun to watch. The best teams in the world always put on a great show for spectators. Whether you are watching the small dogs battle it out in the MicroDog division, the exciting acrobatics of the Pairs Freestyle teams, or the insanely long throws of the Xtreme Distance World Championship, there is something for everyone at the Skyhoundz World Canine Disc Championship.

General FAQs

In fact, Hyperflite Skyhoundz events are even open to canines (or humans) with disabilities. Just a few years ago, a three-legged canine from Oregon, competing in the Sport Division, finished in 7th place in a field of 25 of the elite canines in the World.

Not only are mutts eligible to compete in Skyhoundz competitions, but quite a few have also actually won World Championship titles over the years. Unlike some other canine sports, all Hyperflite Skyhoundz Canine Disc Competitions have always been open to mutts as well as purebred canines.

Yes, for a regularly updated list of canine disc clubs go here.

There’s no better place to appreciate the intricacies of canine disc freestyle tricks than at a Hyperflite Skyhoundz Canine Disc Competition. But, if you don’t compete, you can till learn a lot just from watching more experienced competitors perform their routines.

Even if you can’t make it to the Hyperflite Skyhoundz World Canine Disc Championship, where the best-of-the-best try to claim World Championship titles, you can still watch all the action on DVD. Each year, Skyhoundz videotapes the crowning event in canine disc sports and compiles the best routines into a multi-hour DVD available through the Skyhoundz Store.

It’s easy to stage a Skyhoundz canine disc competition. More than 100 events are staged by Park and Recreation departments, dog and disc clubs, humane societies, rescue organizations, etc. throughout the world each year. The events are great fun for pet owners and spectators alike. Go here for more information.

There is an excellent throwing video/DVD produced by Peter Bloeme – the first and only person to win a human throwing title and a canine disc world championship.

Disc Dogs! Throwing DVD will teach you how to throw a flying disc so that you and your pet can enjoy the exciting and challenging world of canine disc sports. It is available at the Skyhoundz store here.

Any healthy canine that is not suffering from an activity-limiting condition such as hip dysplasia, a heart condition, or an injury can benefit from exercise.

Naturally, we recommend that you have your veterinarian give your pet a thorough physical before engaging in vigorous exercise.

Pick a suitable level grassy area that is free from obstructions and objects that might injure your pet. Keep your initial practice sessions short and give your pet plenty of drinking water.

Water training can be a great form of low-impact conditioning for canines that love to swim. If your local park authority permits this type of activity, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.

  1. First, make sure that there are no underwater obstructions such as rocks, broken glass, or alligators, etc., that can injure your pet.
  2. Remember to give your canine drinking water from time-to-time, because a dog can become dehydrated even while swimming in freshwater.
  3. Discourage your canine from drinking pond or river water that may contain contaminants such as fertilizer, pesticides, or harmful bacteria.
  4. Finally, be sure to keep your pet focused on the disc and keep him from interfering with waterfowl or other pond residents.

First, it’s important to remember that dogs will always have fun playing as long as you seem to be enjoying yourself. It simply doesn’t matter to them if you don’t come home with some hardware. But, if the competitive fires are burning bright, you are in luck! Skyhoundz has a special division at its Qualifiers and the World Championship for canines weighing less than 25 pounds.

The MicroDog Division is the perfect place for Yorkies, Jack Russells, Miniature Poodles, and other small athletic dogs in search of spirited competition and great fun. For more information on the Skyhoundz MicroDog Division, click here.

In 2010, Hyperflite added the Youth Division at its World Championship. This means that kids will be able to compete against their 15-and-under peers in their own division.

Of course, kids have always been allowed to compete in all of Hyperflite’s competitive divisions and many already compete with a parent in the always exciting Pairs Freestyle Division. For more information on Hyperflite’s Youth and Pairs Freestyle Divisions, click here.

Hyperflite makes the world’s best flying discs for dogs. Hyperflite’s canine discs were designed by World Champions especially for canine disc play and competition. Hyperflite’s culture of innovation has taken the canine disc from a disposable “gnash it and trash it” item, to professional-quality athletic equipment for the modern canine athlete.

But that’s not the whole story. Many have come to realize that if they want to make an investment in the future of canine disc sports, Hyperflite flying discs and Skyhoundz products are a great choice. Why? Here are just a few of the reasons —

  • No flying disc company does more to give competitors free opportunities to compete with their canines (more than 1,000 free local canine disc competitions in the past 20 years).
  • More competitors qualify to compete in the Hyperflite Skyhoundz World Canine Disc Championship (also free to those who qualify) than in any other championship competition in the sport’s history.
  • The Hyperflite Skyhoundz World Championship also features twenty-four competitive divisions representing the most World Championship divisions available in the history of canine disc sports.
  • No canine disc company does more to promote and grow canine disc sports than Hyperflite. Examples include the informative content available for free on the Hyperflite and Skyhoundz websites. Hyperflite’s free training guide, Disc Dogs Rock! (available in seven languages), helps make it affordable for anyone to learn to play every dog’s favorite sport.
  • No canine disc company has been more innovative than Hyperflite in the design and manufacture of canine discs (including a U.S. patent). You won’t see that on other canine discs.
  • No canine disc company does more to help the causes that matter to disc doggers than Hyperflite. From partnering with shelter and rescue organizations to advocating on behalf of homeless animals, Hyperflite leads the way. Hyperflite will continue its vigorous advocacy whenever possible by speaking out loudly against breed bans and other ordinances that are anti-pet.
  • Finally, when you purchase Hyperflite products, you’re not only buying the best canine disc equipment on planet earth, you are buying into the essence of what it means to be a disc dogger.

But don’t take our word for it…let your canine be the judge.

You can visit the Skyhoundz website for information on competitions in your area. Skyhoundz competitions provide excellent opportunities to meet other canine disc enthusiasts who can share training tips with you.

Also, check out the Skyhoundz store for informative training DVDs and books designed by World Champions to get you off to a good start as well as help you perfect your technique.

We like to say that, with patience and lots of positive reinforcement, any healthy canine can be taught to catch a flying disc.

Over the years, we’ve seen it all — from Poodles to Pit Bulls and every size, shape, and disposition in between. Some dogs are easier to teach than others, of course.

Some trainers appreciate the natural tendencies of retrieving breeds such as the Labrador, Golden, or Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. Others prefer the herding breeds including the Border Collie, Australian Shepard, or Australian Cattle Dog.

About half of the dogs that you see in a typical competition are mixed-breed canines, many of which were adopted from local animal shelters. Many more are purebred canines rescued from shelters by disc dog enthusiasts who believe, as we do, that shelter and rescue canines make great disc dogs and wonderful pets.

Jeff Perry, Co-founder of Hyperflite, won the World Championship in 1989 with his mixed-breed canine Gilbert, an animal shelter adoptee.

Although disc dog series, over the years, have occasionally offered prize money to teams who win their contest series, the Skyhoundz Series will never do so.

Our philosophy is, and always has been, that monetary prizes do not promote an atmosphere of fun and camaraderie that is essential to the enjoyment of this sport by participants, and, more importantly, the well-being of competing canines.

We believe strongly that when money enters into the equation, competitors may be tempted to act in a manner that is not always in the best interests of their canines.

At each Skyhoundz event, top competitors compete only for award medals, plaques, and such, that serve to commemorate their achievements on the field of competition.

Most significantly, everyone who competes in a Skyhoundz competition has a wonderful opportunity to have fun in the park with their eager canine companions and with other like-minded disc dog enthusiasts.