Toss and Fetch

If you and your four-legged friend are looking to shake things up with a little competition, exercise, fresh air and amusement, Katie Ellsworth of Countryside Canine and her co-captain Christi Waldron are gathering a K9 Toss and Fetch Frisbee league in Genesee County.

Small dogs, big dogs, shy or feisty, all are welcome to participate in this timed fetching event with options of using rollers on the ground or frisbees in the air, Ellsworth says.

“It’s something fun to get people out with their dogs,” she said. “It’s an affordable, fun time and really doesn’t require a lot of skill. It’s something we can all build together. So you start with rollers and then you can learn how to throw a frisbee and your dog catches it. So it’s just something fun to get people out there with their dogs and enjoying their time together.”

There will be an informational meeting for people — no dogs this time — at 11 a.m. Saturday at Countryside Canine, 9207 Alexander Road (Route 98), Batavia. 

Ellsworth and Waldron will review the rules of the game and etiquette, as well as how the league works — including that the ranking is posted as part of an international league competition.

If you and your partner are serious enough, you might qualify for international Toss and Fetch, they said.

“You’ll be competing against hundreds of other teams and clubs worldwide,” Waldron said. “Above all else, it’s a great activity to just have fun with your dog and meet great people.” 

The five-week league begins at 9 a.m. on April 21 and the fee is $25 per team (person and dog), and $20 for a second dog.

The response has been enthusiastic so far, Ellsworth said, with 40 members registering. There is no limit to participation, so additional people are welcome and encouraged to attend the weekend meeting. Each team is given 60 seconds to see how many times the dog can retrieve the frisbee and bring it back, and repeat. 

Points are given for each team, and those scores are posted at Toss and Fetch. Don't worry about this being too highly technical or overly competitive, given its online description: “the easiest, friendliest, funnest dog sport on the planet.” Tucked into the myriad worldwide league locations on the map is Batavia, NY. 

Ellsworth has been involved with animals since childhood, having grown up on a dairy farm near North Java and being part of 4-H early on, she said. She hopes to return to 4-H, incorporating her love for dogs, with details yet to be worked out, she said.

She and her husband Andy opened Countryside Canine in Hamlin three years ago and then moved in November to an extensive 78-acre lot in the town of Batavia. She and Waldron have been friends through herding and other dog events, and then Waldron also suggested bringing a disc league to the area.

“And that was my whole goal, and opening a dog place in the area was to kind of bring that back because there’s really not much in the area that offers fun stuff with your dogs,” Ellsworth said. “I don’t think there’s an actual daycare facility, so I’m going to do that soon. I’m just trying to figure out proper personnel being there and such because my husband and I are doing everything by ourselves right now.” 

Plus, with three little kids, that adds to the challenge, she said. Once up and running with a complete line of services, they want to offer boarding, grooming, lessons, doggie daycare, groomed trails for pack walks and hikes, and the Toss and Fetch leagues (there are seven five-week seasons per year). The site is open now for some of those services, and they are planning to expand those this year.

For more information about the league, email countrysidediscdogs@gmail.com for more info or to sign up. Or go to the LINK for the private group. 

Go to Countryside Canine for more details about its services or email Ellsworth at countrysidecaninedogs@gmail.com.