Nickie's Skyhoundz
- Thomas Smugala
- 14 hours ago
- 8 min read
You've heard the old saying "keep your eyes on the prize", but have you ever really thought about the truth and meaning behind that wacky phrase—WORK! Yup, the W-word. Some people claim that work is terrible and they can't wait until the day they win the lottery or retire. Well, as the editor of the 573 and someone who prides himself on being extremely observant, I can, without any hesitation, state right here and now to anyone who has the time to read and absorb reality…work is what makes humans happy. There it is, a slice of unsolicited advice from the editor of 573 (who, by the way, lives hidden in these hills too): if you want to be happy, work. Find something you love and put your heart into it. Be it, trashman, plumber, teacher, photographer, roofer, mail delivery, Apple Store rep, mother, cook, artist, Frisbee dog…
When you make work your passion, you will be the happiest person around. When you are the happiest person around, you make those around you happy. If you don't believe this, just look at a dog. Give them a job and he'll be the gladdest thing on earth. Don't give him a job, and he will be destructive and ornery, or at least down in the dumps. You can learn a lot about life by observing dogs and the people who take them into their homes.
Recently, we met a woman who has a great passion for her dogs. She's given them a job, and they picked up the Frisbee and ran with it. I love a story like this: a woman hides away in the hills, discovers something cool in life, and turns her passion into happiness for all around her. Meet Nickie Nowak and her pack of happy Frisbee dogs—doing their job. I've said this a thousand times, I am always amazed by the talent up in these hills.
Meet Nickie Nowak and her pack of happy Frisbee dogs—doing their job.
I work remotely for an environmental engineering company...
I'm Nickie Nowak. I was born and raised in Ste. Genevieve. My husband, Joe, and I live in Weingarten on 20 acres that we share with two mini cows, two goats, two cats, a bunch of turkeys and chickens, and of course, our dog pack. We have four adult kids, two of whom live in Chicago. I work remotely for an environmental engineering company in Michigan, handling document reviews and project management, primarily on government Air Force contracts. I've had dogs for as long as I can remember. My dad got me my first Australian Shepherd, Snickers, when I was about 10 years old, and that's when I fell in love with the breed. Over the years, I have had a few of them (I have five right now). For me, they are the perfect dog – determined, willing, intelligent, and silly. But they aren't for everyone. They require a lot of training and time. They must have a job. If you don't give them a job, they will find one for themselves, and you probably won't like it. For my dogs, Frisbee is their job. It provides them with the outlet they need to be good pets. I always say, a tired dog is a good dog!
Some dogs are born with high drive, while in others it can be built.
There are a number of things that make a good frisbee dog, and I think you'll get lots of different answers depending on the training style and experience of the handler, but for me, the most important thing is drive. Drive is the focus and desire to get the object you're playing with and hold onto it. Some dogs are born with high drive, while in others it can be built. You can build drive-through games like tug keep away, and possession-type drills. When a dog chases and catches the moving object, they have to want to hold onto it. Catching a spinning disc out of the air with only their mouth is tough, so they need to have a good grip. I currently have a puppy that didn't come with built-in high drive, although I know she's super athletic. So we're currently working on simple things like tugging, holding on to the toy, and catching an object moving along the ground. I also have a dog that was born with high drive and focus. For him, training has been about slowing down and continuing the game. He tends to want to hold onto the toy. Tugging is his absolute favorite thing, so that's his reward at the end of a session. If he tugs before the game is over, he won't give the disc back, so I use that as his reward to end the game.
For my dogs, frisbee is their job. It provides them with the outlet they need to be good pets. I always say, a tired dog is a good dog.
Catching a spinning disc out of the air with only their mouth is tough, so they need to have a good grip.
The instructor asked me if I’d ever tried playing Frisbee with him.
My kids were heavily involved in sports, so I spent much of my time sitting on bleachers. When our youngest was a senior in high school, I realized I would have all this time on my hands after she graduated, so I started thinking about what I wanted to do with it. I've always been intrigued and fascinated by agility. When I got Leo, my first frisbee dog, I entered him in agility lessons. After the second lesson, the instructor told me that he didn't think Leo had what it takes to be an agility dog. He was slow and scared of the equipment. The instructor asked me if I'd ever tried playing Frisbee with him. I hadn't, so he dug out an old Frisbee from his garage. When Leo saw that disc flying through the air, I swear I saw a spark in him that hadn't been there before. It was like he looked at me like, "What took you so long?" So, I went home, ordered some dog-safe discs, and taught myself how to throw. Then I found St. Louis Disc Dogs on Facebook and reached out to someone in the area who was competing with the club. He invited me to our very first competition, and Leo and I took first place in one of the events. That began our disc dog journey. Since that first competition in 2018, we've traveled to competitions from New York to California, and Michigan to Texas. The Midwest is a hotbed for disc dog. Missouri is actually nicknamed the Toss and Fetch State because the clubs in St. Louis and Kansas City have won so many Toss and Fetch titles.
Since that first competition in 2018, we’ve traveled to competitions from New York to California, and Michigan to Texas.
Yes, we compete at a high level. But to have a connection with your dog, you don’t have to compete. At the end of the day it’s about spending time with your best pal. That’s really why I do what I do.
The leader of the pack.
Leo is a 9-year-old Australian Shepherd.
There’s Leo, who is a 9-year-old Australian Shepherd. I owe everything that the dogs and I have accomplished to him. Without him flunking out of agility school, we would have never found this passion. Leo’s specialty is distance and toss-and-fetch. I like to call him the Jim Edmonds of frisbee. Discs that you don’t think are catchable, he somehow manages to catch, and with flair! His longest catch to date is 72.5 yards when he was in his prime. He’s slowed down a bit with his age, so we play shorter games now, although he still loves the long ones! There are about five organizations that host disc dog competitions, and Leo has qualified for all the World Championships in each.
Rollie is a 3-year-old border collie/Australian Shepherd mix.
High Roller, or Rollie, is a 3-year-old border collie/Australian Shepherd mix. His parents are both high-level disc dogs, so he was born with all the talent and athleticism. He has challenged me to be a better handler because he’s just so willing to do anything. We recently started competing in freestyle, which is basically a 90-second routine set to music that showcases your dog’s skills and tricks, but we’re still learning so much. Rollie is the superstar, though! In 2024, he placed 2nd in Pair Distance and Accuracy at the Skyhoundz World Championships. That game involves two people taking turns throwing to one dog. The object is to score the most points in 60 seconds. We actually tied for 1st place, but after the tiebreaker, we ended up in 2nd place. This year at Skyhoundz, Rollie placed 3rd in Xtreme Distance Classic Plastic with a catch of 69.25 yards. Rollie and I are just starting our competition journey, and I am SO excited to see where we go. Rollie also competes in dock diving, and we just started agility lessons – so maybe I finally got my agility dog!
Marshmello is a 5-year-old Australian shepherd.
Marshmello is a 5-year-old Australian shepherd. She mainly competes with my husband, Joe, as his dog, but I like to steal her sometimes because she's easy to play with. She likes the mid- and short-range games. She’s incredibly competitive and is really coming along nicely as a disc dog. She and Joe qualified for a couple of Skyhoundz games this year as well.
Clark Beans is a 6-year-old beagle/Pomeranian mix.
Clark Beans is a 6-year-old beagle/Pomeranian mix I fostered as a puppy and fell in love with. I became very determined to teach him to play frisbee, and he does! He loves to jump high to catch the disc out of the air, but I call him the backyard warrior. He gets pretty intimidated at competitions, so we don’t usually compete. Plus, his beagle nose tends to take over. He is a pretty good trick dog, too. He’s so fun to teach tricks to because he’s so smart and willing to learn. Leo is Clark’s best friend. They are very bonded and definitely keep each other company.
The trophies are just the icing on the cake.
Amigo is a 3-year-old Australian Shepherd.
Amigo is a 3-year-old Australian Shepherd. He plays frisbee in the yard, but he has some issues that prevent him from competing, so he’s happy to play at home. One of the things he loves to do is chase a remote control car. I’ve found that remote control cars are great for exercising dogs' bodies and minds.
Lemon is a 5-month-old Australian Shepherd.
And then there’s Lemon. She is a 5-month-old Australian Shepherd and is just beginning her disc dog career. We train daily on some aspect of disc, even if the disc isn’t involved. She loves to play keep-away with a ball of fleece on a rope. Her true passion is water, though. I’m thinking that dock diving may also be in her future.
Skyhoundz is the world’s largest disc dog competition organization
Skyhoundz is the world’s largest disc dog competition organization, founded in 2001 by Jeff Perry and based in Georgia, USA. It sanctions hundreds of local qualifiers annually across more than 20 countries, culminating in annual World Canine Disc Championships held each September in the United States. Events include Distance & Accuracy (Toss & Fetch), Freestyle, and unique formats like Skyhoundz Classic (long-distance) and Xtreme Distance. Open to all breeds and handlers of any age or experience level, Skyhoundz emphasizes fun, sportsmanship, and the human-canine bond while promoting responsible pet ownership. Its trademarked tagline remains “Love ’Em & Leave ’Em with a Smile.”
Get Out There! Create something. Learn something new. Take a hike. Start a business. Do something. Do anything. What one person can do, another can do. That sunken sofa will be fine without you.
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