Disc-Dog-othon, in aid of Hearing Dogs

Disc-Dog-othon, in aid of Hearing Dogs

Between June 9th and June 10th 2007, Disc Dogs UK will be running a 24 hour Disc-dog-othon to raise cash for Hearing Dogs on their 25th anniversary.

It is likely to be held at their headquarters at Saunderton (A few miles North of High Wycombe)

You will need at least £15 sponsorship for each dog you wish to use (it doesn't even have to be sponsorship, £15 or more out of your own pocket will do just as well)

In order not to overwork the dogs we will need at least 24 dogs taking part.

If we don't get 24 dogs we'll still run an event but it won't be as long, possibly 16 hours if we get between 16 and 23 dogs and 12 hours if we get between 10 and 15 dogs. This could be changed but it is likely to be similar to this.

Full rules will be posted early in the new year but it is likely to go something like this:



Start 12 noon on Saturday 9th June
Finish 12 noon on Sunday 10th June

Teams of eight dogs if possible, i.e. if we get 3 teams of 8 dogs we'll have our 24 competitors, better still if we can get either 32 or 40 it would make more money for HEARING DOGS for DEAF PEOPLE.

Teams more than likely will be put into place about an hour before the start based on experience and dogs ability.
If you can get a team of eight together yourself all the better.

Each dog will "play" for 2 minutes scoring 10 points for each catch reguardless of whether it is dropped afterwards and also reguardless of whether or not the dog jumps up in the air to cach it, ALL CATCHES = 10 points
Only the 40 feet marker will be in play and every disc must be caught (or retrieved) beyond that marker to score.

For newbies, the disc may be retrieved if the dog cannot catch, either you or the dog can retrieve it BUT it must be touched by the dog before the handler retrieves it. ALL RETRIEVES = 5 points

All discs must be thrown from the "throwing line"

After 2 minutes you have 30 seconds to leave the arena WITH YOUR DOG ON A LEAD, the next dog will then have 30 seconds to enter the arena ON LEAD before the time starts.

This means that each dog will take up 3 minutes (i.e. 2 minutes play + 30 seconds entering the arena and 30 seconds leaving the arena.

NO dog will be allowed to play for more than 50 minutes total, during the 24 hours (i.e. 25 goes)

NO dog can have more than two goes in any one hour period.

NO TEAM can have two consecutive goes, unless the other team is not ready. In this case the same team CAN run but cannot use the same dog that has just being used. The team that was not ready will be penalised 50 points for not being ready



The organisers must be informed when your dog is being fed and you MUST NOT use your dog within one hour of it being fed, doing so will mean imediate dismisal for YOU.

The 24 hours will be run in three hour sectors (8 in total) with at least one team not running in each three hour sector. (i.e. if there are three teams, teams one and two will be disc dogging for three hours while team three sit out and rest/sleep for three hours, then teams one and three will be disc dogging while team two sits out etc.)

Wherever possible scoring and judging will be done by the teams taking part at THAT TIME and not by the team sitting out.
EVERYONE MUST HELP OUT WITH JUDGING AND SCORING

No dogs in, or near being in season

No playing with any toys, other than tug types within 100 feet of the arena.

You must be in full control of any dog that may show aggression towards other dogs. Definately no aggression towards people allowed.


OUR TARGET IS 35,000 POINTS IN THE 24 HOURS

Bearing in mind each go, will last 3 minutes (including changeover), and there are 480, 3 minute periods in 24 hours, each go will need to score an average of 73 points.

Most dogs get around 9 runs in 2 minutes therefore 8 of these must be successful to reach our target, a tall order!

PLEASE BEAR IN MIND THIS IS ONLY A ROUGH IDEA OF HOW THINGS ARE GOING TO WORK AND THE RULES WE WILL USE, I'LL KNOW FOR DEFINATE SOMETIME IN JANUARY, MAYBE EARLY FEBRUARY.

This sounds interesting, are there specific rules to compete in dog frisbee generally?

Normally the rules are slightly more confusing (if you're interested in how the points are scored) You can find the rules at the disc dogs uk website http://www.disc-dogs-uk.com a long with other useful info

Paul

Thanks Paul, off to have a look

It is great that you are doing something for the "hearing dogs for the deaf".

We, in Australia have just one centre, It is in South Australia, and they do a great job, but they are so underfunded!

These dog's make such a remarkable difference to the lives of the people who they are "homed" with.

I would even go as far as saying that they are just about as good as guide dogs for the blind!

The dogs make a great difference to the lives of deaf people.

Congratulations!

Hearing Dogs is my favourite charity and I will be donating the puppies from my next litter (less the one/s I want to keep) to them.
Becky

As many people as possible should support this - the dogs in Australia are treated the same way as the Guide Dogs for the Blind - able to go where their owners go.

Our dogs are rescues.

I have seen people go from being "recluses", to being people who are out at about.

A wonderfull charity.

We are having to put a limit on a maximum of 40 entries; lets face it, any more than that and the 24 hours wouldn't be a chalenge.

We currently have enough space left to take another 24 dogs based on the people who have already shown an interest.

Paul