The Sweet Spot: An UpDog Podcast

Dre and Jack have been on the road doing shows, seminars, etc. They connect on this episode to catch each other up on what has been going on. They discuss the best vehicle/RV with which to head out on the road with your pups.

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 u...

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 providi...

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!