![](https://www.readingeagle.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/REG-L-Disc-Dogs1018.jpg?w=978)
during the Mid-Atlantic Disc Dogs Skyhoundz Classic Qualifier event Saturday at Jim Dietrich Park in Muhlenberg Township. (BILL UHRICH – EAGLE READER)
Apple, the Australian Shepherd, began his career as a disc hound slowly, with his owner rolling a Frisbee across the floor for the then 4-month-old pup to chase after him.
But over time, the dog’s skills have improved tremendously, and she now has an impressive ability to catch a Frisbee in the air in a full sprint and then bring it back to her thrower.
And on Saturday, when Tara Bauer-Williamson brought Apple to Jim Dietrich Park in Muhlenberg Township, the two were competing in hopes of qualifying for this year’s world championship.
The Lafayette, New Jersey, duo were among about 100 teams competing at 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 on both days, participants attempt to qualify for the 2023 Championships to be held in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The local event has been held at Dietrich Park for a decade and prizes are awarded to the top teams at beginner, intermediate and expert levels. Handlers and their canine teammates earn points by performing throws and catches in various events that test their skills and ability to work together.
But while everyone comes to win, the sport also brings people together and is great fun for handlers and dogs, participants said.
At home, when Bauer-Williamson’s husband heads to his grill to cook dinner, the couple’s dogs eagerly follow — not because they expect to get some food, but because he throws discs at them while he cooks.
“They love it,” said Bauer-Williamson, who has been competing for 15 years.
Other weekend events involve precision, 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 must have the natural ability to catch a flying disc with their mouths. But even more important is the dog’s connection to its owner, which allows it to anticipate the direction the throws will take.
“You can have the best dog in the world, but without that bond it won’t matter,” he said.
Many of the most successful disc dogs are in working and herding groups, with Australian Shepherds and Border Collies being among the most common, said Frank Montgomery of Crownsville, Maryland, board member of Mid- Atlantic Disc Dogs.
But Montgomery has also seen winning dogs of many breeds and dogs, and he even had a little Jack Russell Terrier who was a good discus dog, he said.
Basic obedience, speed, agility, trainability and 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 competed on Saturday with his dog Cheyenne, who was having a great day catching.
Erb’s only regret is that he didn’t start the sport sooner, he says, because at 61, his throwing elbow wouldn’t hold up in Skyhoundz competition, where dogs regularly chase throws over 70 yards, he said.
He enjoys the camaraderie of the sport, where competitors encourage each other and their dogs.
“They are great people,” he said. “It’s like a family.”