The Sweet Spot: An UpDog Podcast

Sometimes in the game of Freestyle, handler's really make the judges think about whether something was indeed a throw. Juggles, fidgets, dish spins, etc. What if one of these is dropped? Should it count against the team in their catch ratio? Dre and Jack debate this topic and bring up multiple instances of where this question might be asked. Tune in to hear their thoughts and comment to tell us your opinions. This is a can't miss episode!

Dre and Jack welcome UPDIF champs Ben and Finley Schryock to the podcast to discuss their UPDIF success. Both Ben and Finley took home a first place overall trophy at UPDIF as well as a runner up. Ben and Finley talk strategies and rivalries on this one. This is a can't miss episode!

Dre and Jack introduce a new online Freestyle series starting soon. Catch all the details and get you and your pups registered. This is a can't miss episode.

Earlier this year, the UD team put out an open call for new game submissions. The due date was March 31st and we have 14 games that were submitted and accepted for Beta testing by you, our UD community! From now until the end of the year (12/31/2026) the games will be available for Beta testing at your local events. Dre and Jack discuss a few of the available beta games and the process for providing the creators valuable feedback. This is a can't miss episode.

Dre and Jack couldn't take it any longer and had to release a Freestyle centric episode this week. Dre connects Freestyle with a Netflix comedy special resulting in a cool conversation about standing out from the crowd. Listen in for examples and inspiration on how you could create moments within your routine to stand out and be remembered by the judges.

The UPDIF survey report continues covering "The competitive experience" and the ever interesting and important free response question: What else do you want to tell us about your UPDIF 2026 experience. This valuable feedback is used to help us plan for future competitions. Listen in to see what feedback might lead to new initiatives.

Dre and Jack welcome UpDog team members Kat and Bryan to review the UPDIF 2026 survey data. Get a behind the scenes look at what makes UPDIF tick. Here about some of the frustrations and drama that can occur as the team attempts to put together events 16 months in advance in locations far from home. At some point in the episode each team member gets a little salty! This is a can't miss episode.

Dr. Tim from Dr. Tim's Premium All Natural Pet Foods joins Dre and Jack to discuss how and why he started developing his own line of pet food. He discusses the varying nutritional needs of different types of dogs based upon their "lifestyle". Additionally, he comments on his UPDIF experience and tries his luck with the Time Warp Challenge. This is a can't miss episode!

Dre and Jack give their take on UPDIF 2026, share their favorite moments, and some behind the scenes info. Whether you went to UPDIF or not, this is a can't miss episode.

Bark Board! Andrew Han joins Dre and Jack to discuss his amazing new app created to help you track your dog's stats across organizations and sports. This episode is best viewed as opposed to just listened to.Andrew also tries his hand at the "Time Warp Challenge"This new app is a game changer and this is a can't miss episode.

Mad genius and UpDogger, Bob Hall, joins Jack and Kat to discuss "On Deck Manager". This tool will be used at UPDIF to help players know when they are up and on which field. Listen in to find out how you can download the app to your phone, set up push notifications, etc. so you are never late to your runs and you can keep up with all the UPDIF action. This is a can't miss episode.

Dre is on the road. Kat fills in and, along with Jack, give final updates about UPDIF 2026. This is a must listen episode, especially for UPDIF 2026 competitors.

Aaron Dagres joins Dre and Jack to talk Fireball. Aaron holds one of the top scores in Fireball and shares his winning strategies with us. This is a must listen before UPDIF 2026.

Should the amount of time it took to train a Freestyle trick earn you points? What if that trick, now fully trained, is easy to execute in competition? Dre and Jack discuss this, Dre's Freestyle pet peeves and many other Freestyle scoring nuances. Listen in, find your points!

Jack misses his first podcast. Kat fills in and talks dancing with Dre and special guest, Di Preat Matteson. This is a can't miss episode!

Dre and Jack are joined by Kat for a special "What's Up?" episode. They talk about what's up in the world of DiscDogging with a focus on hot topics (Get it) for the upcoming 2026 UPDIF. This is a can't miss episode!

Are you ready to level up your game? Of course you are! That's what UpDog is all about: Play, Achieve, Expand!Listen in as Dre and Jack share top secret plans for which game will be leveled up at UPDIF 2027 and played at Level 2. This is a can't miss episode!

The Freestyle Skills episodes continue. Next, Dre and Jack dig into two skills in the Human category: Throw Diversity and Difficulty and Throw Placement and Flight. Listen in to find out what the judges are looking for in these two skill sub-categories and what you can do to Find Your Points!

Dre and Jack discuss strategies they have used to help dogs (and their owners) struggling to play with multiple discs. Listen in and share your own successful methods in the comments below. This is a can't miss episode!

Dre and Jack go through the changes to the Freestyle rules beginning February 2026. This is a can't miss episode.

Dre and Jack run down upcoming events, seminars, training, and hot topics in the month of January/February. The topic of borrowed dogs comes up again as this has come up again on the DiscDog discussions page. Jack and Dre don't hold back and give their hot takes on the subject. This is a can't miss episode.

Dre and Jack discuss their discdog training goals and what they are looking forward to in 2026. Also, stay tuned until the end of the episode as we debut a new SweetSpot jingle. This one was created by the very talented Michael Borts who sings our national anthems at UPDIF. It is very fitting that this week we discuss our dreams for 2026. When you here the song, it will all make sense

Dre and Jack go over the new game rules template for release in January 2026. Additionally, they announce a new games contest and beta testing period. Tune in for all the details on how to both submit and beta test the new games.

Jack shares how some changes in his pack really threw off the dynamics. Andrea and professional dog trainer, Sara Brueske, help Jack understand what might be happening with the pack and share a number of strategies for managing a high drive pack with lots of energy. This is a can't miss episode!

Dre and Jack begin their new Freestyle Skills Series where they select one or two judged skill categories from the game of Freestyle and discuss them. During the discussion Dre and Jack discuss what the judges are looking for in the skill categories of flash and tempo, discuss examples of each, and how players might improve their scores in these skill categories. This is a can't miss episode!

Dre and Jack talk with Daniel about the DiscDog tracker app that allows you to view your UpDog game data easily and neatly on your phone. Track multiple teams at the same time! Daniel talks about what makes this new update better than the original version and shares his thoughts on future updates. If you don't have this app, download it now! Stay tuned at the end for a hot discussion on Oreo balls! This is a can't miss episode.

Join Dre, Jack, and guest Jess Kittredge Nguyen on a lively discussion about winter training activities and how to stay warm while doing them. This is a can't miss episode.

What's up in the world of UpDog and Disc Dogging in the month of December? Dre and Jack give a quick run down of upcoming events to close out the year, some cool tech updates, and they introduce Bottom Stamp Buddies! (patent pending). This is a can't miss episode!

Dre and Jack are joined by Macee Aumack and Finn Proctor to discuss their experience at the AKC UpDog Invitational. Both young competitors found great success at the event, finding the podium with multiple dogs. Listen in to hear the behind the scenes details you won't hear on the ESPN show.

The online Freestyle Crown competition is bigger than ever in 2025 with over 140 teams. The judging for the criterion round is complete and Dre and Jack explain the scoring rubric used and discuss their observations and experiences through the process. This is a can't miss episode!

Creative Freestyler, Rae Baier joins Dre and Jack to discuss pushing boundaries in the game of Freestyle. The discussion explains what it means to push the boundaries, why it's important to do so, and tackles the question of whether or not players who are pushing boundaries get rewarded enough. This is a can't miss episode!

Dre and Jack discuss why you should even go to a competition, what to bring, what games to play, etc. This is a great episode to save the link and pass it on to those beginner teams or that friend that hasn't yet pulled the trigger on going to their first event. We hope you enjoy listening in. This is a can't miss episode!

The online Freestyle Crown competition is bigger than ever in 2025 with over 140 teams. The judging for the criterion round is complete and Dre and Jack explain the scoring rubric used and discuss their observations and experiences through the process. This is a can't miss episode!

This is a revised version (audio intro) of Tuesday's episode. If you already listened to "The Disc Dog Deck" episode, this is a repeat.Join Dre and Jack as they welcome their guest Ben Moren. Ben is an UpDogger who has created a unique invention that is sure to make the job of running timers at your event a whole lot simpler. Ben is the developer of the Disc Dog Deck. Listen in to find out why you need this device and how to get it.

Join Dre and Jack as they welcome their guest Ben Moren. Ben is an UpDogger who has created a unique invention that is sure to make the job of running timers at your event a whole lot simpler. Ben is the developer of the Disc Dog Deck. Listen in to find out why you need this device and how to get it.

Wow, this one goes off the rails! Dre and Jack are joined by Inspire Dog Podcast host Ben Rimbey to talk about success in the game of Freestyle. Lots of interesting tangents taken here that will surely lead to future, connected episodes. Listen in as the trio discuss different types of discs and their possible impact on catching/success.

LubriSynHA Family of Products was one of our Unobtanium sponsors for UPDIF 2024. Dre and Jack are joined by Lauren Fraizer, of LubriSyn, to discuss the origins and benefits of LubriSyn Hyluronic Acid. It gets interesting as Jack and Dre both share personal success stories with the product. This is a can't miss episode.

Dre and Jack discuss how to get started building a Freestyle routine by using UpDog games and patterns as the foundation for your sequences. Listen in and take notes on how to build your first three Freestyle sequences! Do it!

Listen in as Dre and Jack give a rundown of events happening in October and also discuss some hot topics from the discussion pages. Hot topics: Borrowed Dogs? Getting in Shape for our Dogs

Is your dog running past your discs instead of slowing down and making the catch? Listen in to this episode to learn what Dre and Jack have to say about helping our dogs make the catch!

Dre, Kat, and Jack discuss the upcoming Freestyle Invitational. Kat shares logistical info, Dre explains how the idea of the Freestyle Invitational came to be, and Jack laments his absence of an invite. If you are thinking of attending or just a Freestyle fan, this is a can't miss episode.Related: The episode: Big Freestyle Changes

Dre and Jack discuss upcoming events, what they've been up to the past month, and whether or not your dog should look at you?

Dre and Jack discuss the concept of "Find Your Points" in the context of Freestyle. Every dog and every player has unique skills and limitations. How you leverage these opposing attributes results in awarded points. This is a can't miss episode.

Join Dre and Jack as they interview the UPDIF 2025 4-Way Play Champion, Lydia Brewer. Lydia shares her game strategies and some training tips. Dre brings Freestyle up every five minutes and Jack shares his personal stories of failure with 4WP. You don't want to miss this episode!

Jack and Dre dig deep on the topic of flipping. Why do it? What types of flips are there? How do you teach a flip? When should you start teaching a flip to your dog (Don't listen to Jack). This is a can't miss episode.

Dre and Jack discuss the UD strategy games and whether or not Lefty players have a disadvantage. Perhaps, maybe even an advantage in some games. This episode is approved for both lefty and righty players.

Dre and Jack talk about some upcoming events, Fireball strategies, a potential new timer, and nut sacs.

Join Dre and I as we interview UPDIF 2025 Time Warp Champion, Zach Perlmutter. Zach gives us multiple insights into his strategies and practice secrets. If you want to shave a few seconds off your Time Warp runs, don't miss this episode.

Our monthly update episode featuring segments keeping you up to date with the "Hot Topics" in the UpDog and Disc Dog world. This month, Dre and I chat about a new disc approved for UpDog play, troubles with pre-jumping, upcoming contests, the current status of fireflies and much, much, more. Stay up to date with this can't miss episode.

The second episode in our UPDIF Champions series. Listen in as Finn Proctor discusses his love of throwing distance, his opinions on rollers and flyers, and colorful dyed discs.