Headlines and Features

Walter Frederick "Fred" Morrison (January 23, 1920 – February 9, 2010)

Walter Frederick Morrison, 90, inventor of the plastic version of the flying disc, passed away on February 9, 2010. He was 90-years old — or 19 in dog years. Every kid who has ever thrown a disc in a park owes a debt of gratitude to Mr. Morrison for his foresight. But many dogs owe him much more. You see, the ubiquitous flying disc — known to many as the Frisbee — is much more than a toy to millions of eager canines. It is, a profound source of joy, an object of desire, and the glue that has cemented the bond between canine and human for decades. Morrison may not have realized, as he hawked his plastic discs on California beaches, that canines would come to revere the plastic flying disc even more than humans. Today, no person of reasonable intelligence would deny this truism.

Morrison led an unusual life that is not well known to most enthusiasts of the flying disc. His interest in flying objects was likely accelerated by his experiences as a pilot during World War II. At one point, Morrison was even shot down and held as a prisoner of war for eight weeks. Although Morrison is often credited with the invention of the flying disc, that credit more properly belongs to students at Yale University who adapted metal pie tins from the Frisbie Pie Company for campus throwing games. Morrison plasticized and popularized the flying disc and initiated the fad that would introduce the world to the plastic flying toy that would soon become know as the “Frisbee.” Morrison's 1957 sale of the rights to his plastic flying disc invention to the Wham-O toy company put the toy in the hands of a company with the means to promote the toy worldwide. Thus, the trademarked term "Frisbee" became primed to enter our lexicon and the hearts and mouths of our canines.

For Dog’s Sake, Don’t Use the F-word!

Think your dog is a great Frisbee catcher? There is only a small chance that you are right…and it has nothing to do with his catching ability. Look down at that flying disc that Fido has in his mouth. You may call it a Frisbee, but, more likely than not, it isn’t. If it says Hyperflite on the bottom then it is most definitely not a Frisbee disc. Frisbee, is a registered trademark of Wham-O, Inc. The ubiquitous flying disc, is known to the masses as a “Frisbee” because that was the clever name given to it by its inventor just after it was first patented. While the original patent for the Frisbee-brand flying disc has long since lapsed, the Frisbee trademark lives on.

Convincing folks to call their flying discs something other than Frisbees has always been a challenge. In fact, to Hyperflite, and other manufacturers of flying discs, getting folks to call our discs something other than Frisbees, is a bit like trying to make water flow up hill. For a time, Hyperflite tried to wean people off of the trademark “Frisbee” with our “Don’t use the F-word” campaign. We even printed up shirts with the F-word slogan on them (there are even a few antiques from the “F-word campaign” still for sale at the Skyhoundz store). Of course, the F-word to which we refer is the trademark “Frisbee” and not the infamous four-letter word that shares the same initial letter. If we learned anything from that campaign it was that it is enormously difficult to coax people to stop using a word or term that they are comfortable with. When Hyperflite was founded in 2000, we put a big glass jar on our office’s conference table. Every time anyone used the "F-word" to refer to a flying disc, the offender had to put a quarter in the jar. That menacing glass jar, coupled with our frequent lectures, helped change behavior somewhat, but the jar still managed to get full.

In a way, it’s easy to understand that folks cling to the use of the trademarked term "Frisbee" to describe their passion for canine disc play and competition. You may hear a disc dogger refer to his disc-catching canine as a disc dog, or a disc canine, but you are more likely to hear him talk about playing canine Frisbee with his Frisbee dog (also a trademarked term owned by Wham-O, Inc.). For the first 25 years of the sport, until Hyperflite came into being, a Frisbee-brand disc was the exclusive disc of the “Canine Frisbee disc Championship” that first existed. Although it was known by many names in the old days, and had many sponsors, the canine disc championship that existed back in those early days nearly always contained the words “canine Frisbee” in the competition title.

With all this “Frisbee” talk, one might wonder whether the trademarked term “Frisbee” is in danger of falling into the public domain, or, to put it another way, becoming generic? Well, that depends upon whom you talk to. Wikipedia lists quite a few trademarked terms that have fallen into the abyss or that are teetering on the edge. Trademarks like aspirin, spam, escalator, kerosene, sheetrock, cornflakes, bikini and a host of others, are either endangered as trademarks or extinct in many countries.

How successful have we been in assisting in the effort to prevent “genericide” of the trademarked term Frisbee? Well, if you Google “Flying Disc” in quotes, you will get 274,000 hits. “Frisbee” commands well more than one million hits. Even the trademark “Hyperflite” gets more Google hits (300,000) than the generic term “flying disc.” It seems that we’ve done a better job of introducing folks to our own trademark than the generic term “flying disc.” To make matters worse, on rare occasions, we've even heard a few folks speak of tossing their "Hyperflites." Noooooooo! Over the years, many others have been involved in this noble trademark preservation effort, including, but not limited to, disc golfers, ultimate players and the manufacturer of the Frisbee-brand flying disc itself, but the power of habit is a tough nut to crack.

Time will tell whether the trademark “Frisbee” will commit “genericide” like the trademarks “zipper” and “yo-yo.” In the meantime, if you visit Hyperflite headquarters in Roswell, Georgia, choose your words carefully when describing our flying discs. We still have that jar and we’re always listening!

Doberman Rescue Through Pilots N Paws

Hyperflite co-founder, Jeff Perry, recently put his flying skills to good use when he flew his small two-seat aircraft on a mission for the Pilots N Paws organization. Pilots N Paws is a coalition of pilots that provides transportation for shelter and rescue canines that are being moved long distances between shelters or to their forever homes.

Perry, a long-time pilot, has always been a huge advocate for shelter and rescue canines. His 1989 World Canine Disc Champion Gilbert, was adopted from a shelter in Macon, Georgia. Over the years Perry has surrounded himself with foundlings, rescues and adoptees, at one time hosting 11 dogs in his home in Atlanta. Recently, Perry became aware of the efforts of Debi Boies and Jon Wehrenberg who co-founded Pilots N Paws. Perry said, I’ve been looking forward to my first mission with Pilots N Paws and, finally, my work schedule and the weather conspired to give me a beautiful weekend flying day that coincided with an animal in need of transport. The animal, a young female Dobie in need of expensive eye surgery, needed to be moved from northeastern Tennessee to Atlanta, where Atlanta Doberman Rescue had arranged for the dog’s eye surgery.

Everything started with an email flight request sent out to Pilots N Paws volunteer pilots. Perry responded by email to the requestor, Tammara Josselyn, the 
Rescue Director 
at Canine Hope All Breed Rescue of Bristol, Tennessee. Perry exchanged emails with Josselyn to determine whether the dog would be able to handle the noisy airplane environment without midair mishap. Just to be sure, Perry brought along his young nephew, Benjamin Perry, to look after the dog while Perry concentrated on the flying. The flight itself was two hours each way over the mountains, but would have been a 10-hour plus car ride. After landing, in Atlanta, Perry was met by Jane Fratesi of Atlanta Doberman Rescue who would be arranging surgery and a forever home for Coco as she would henceforth be known.

Of the Pilots N Paws organization Perry said, It’s amazing that so many pilots are willing to help transport these animals even with aviation fuel prices that are historically high. But what is even more amazing, Perry added, is the dedication of all the rescue groups, foster families, and shelter volunteers who work so hard to find homes for all of these deserving animals.

Learn more about Pilots N Paws by visiting their website. If you’re looking for a canine companion, check out the beautiful dogs at Atlanta Doberman Rescue or Canine Hope All Breed Rescue.

The Dog Days of Summer

They don’t call them the Dog Days of Summer for nothing. Man’s, and woman’s, best friend, aka, those four-legged phenoms that we call canines have a long list of summer-time exploits. One of the most noteworthy Dog Days of Summer (especially if you are a disc dogger) was August 5, 1974, when Alex Stein and Ashley Whippet raced into the outfield at Dodger stadium during a nationally-televised baseball game. Heck, even the patent for the first disc designed for canine competition was filed during the Dog Days.

But it would be selfish of us disc dog types not to recognize that other non-disc catching canines have painted their stories on the summertime canvas. Many of those canine exploits are printed in the pages of history books. Others, although a bit more obscure, are certainly deserving of note.

One of the most famous canines of all time, Rin Tin Tin, a German Shepherd, was whelped in the summer of 1918. Though it was nearly 100 years ago, is there anyone on planet earth who hasn’t heard of Rin Tin Tin? 

And then there are the Lassies. The original Lassie was named Pal, and the (male and female) descendants of Pal who played Lassie in a series of TV shows and movies, did much of their film work in what surely must have been the dog days of summer.

That floppy-jowled mongrel, also known as Hooch warmed his way into our hearts when the movie Turner and Hooch, was released in July of 1989.

The names Dezik and Tsygan probably don’t ring a bell with many, but these two canines were the first creatures, with the exception of frozen microbes and some top-secret American monkeys, to venture from the earth’s atmosphere into the inhospitable environs we now call outer space.  They made their trip into the blackness on July 22, 1951. Wait a minute — you might be thinking — what about that dog Laika? Laika, was not the first canine in space, though she was the first dog to orbit the earth. Unlike her luckier brethren Dezik and Tysgan, Laika died in space before making it back home to the big blue marble.

And what would summer be without amazing disc dog freestyle competitions! Who among us doesn’t love to watch amazing freestyle routines choreographed to music? Elvis Presley’s version of the blues classic Hound Dog was released during the Dog Days, July, 13, 1956. One of the most popular disc dog freestyle music selections, Bad to the Bone by George Thorogood, was released in September of 1982.

Finally, as much as we love them, the Dog Days must come to an end, and the Hyperflite Skyhoundz Canine World Canine Disc Championship puts the period on summer canine shenanigans with its crowning event.

Hyperflite Delivers Emergency Stimulus Package to White House

Hyperflite, today, delivered an emergency stimulus package to our nation's capital targeted at preserving and defending the irreplaceable historic relics kept in the White House.

The emergency stimulus package, which includes Hyperflite's amazingly-tough Jawz disc, was designed to stimulate new Obama family member Bo into gnawing on his new Jawz discs, rather than the White House's historical artifacts.

First Dog Bo, a Portuguese Waterdog, is a high-strung breed with the means and energy to turn national treasures into national disasters.

Peter Bloeme, Hyperflite Co-Founder, observed that Hyperflite's new TARP (Tooth Avoidance Relic Protection) program represents the first step in a national campaign that will enable families to redirect the nervous energy of their canines into a healthy, safe, and fun activity, thereby preserving family relics for the enjoyment of future generations.

To read Hyperflite's letter to the First Dog, click here.

Vote for Maty!

Maty, the amazing three-legged wonder dog, belonging to Troy Kerstetter and Lynne Ouchida, of Bend, Oregon, is coming to a theater near you... that is, if you vote for her! The two-time Skyhoundz World Finalist, and animal shelter spokescanine from Bend, Oregon is lobbying for a role in a movie called Lucky and Rich. If successful, Maty will play the role of Scrap in a cinema treat directed by Geoff Talbot. Do your part and help Maty make it to the silver screen. Click on the link here and select Maty as your favorite. But hurry, voting ends on July 31, 2009. To see more images of Maty in action, click here.

Going the Extra Mile

Marjorie Perry, wife of Hyperflite co-founder Greg Perry, has been recognized by Georgia Magazine for her work on behalf of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. The Perry's met while playing Ultimate Frisbee in the late 1980's. When they aren't fundraising or shepherding their kids to various and sundry sporting events, they occasionally find time to fling the plastic to their shelter mutt, Glory. For the details on Marjorie's amazing efforts, please click here.

Release date April 1, 2009 Hyperflite Announces The Jawz STK™

Hyperflite is pleased to announce the new Jawz STK. Each Jawz STK incorporates a patented substance called SlobberGlue™ into the plastic polymer formulation. When a dog bites the Jawz STK, the SlobberGlue temporarily bonds to the wet teeth and gums of the canine resulting in a what goes in, never comes out perfect catch ratio. Each Jawz STK comes with a can of SlobberGlue Disc Removal Spray™ and a proprietary SlobberGlue-resistant throwing glove called a StickySlicky.™ The Jawz STK retails for $99.95 and is not recommended for wet climates. For external use only. Use with adult supervision. Light fuse, get away!

Customer Reviews
I just got my new Jawz STK. It really sticks. Now my dog never misses. You guys rock!
Mr. I. Gullabul

Dude. This Jawz STK is like way rad. Only, my pet parrot bit it and the SlobberGlue Disc Removal Spray doesn't seem to work on bird beaks. Otherwise, I love the disc.
Thomas Toucan

Hello Hyperflite. I just won my first disc dog contest with your new Jawz STK. Sweet! I'll never use a non-stick disc again.
A. Shill

Hungary for Canine Disc Play

It’s not a typo…it’s a country. And, if there is anything you can say about Hungarian disc doggers it is that they love their sport. Disc dogging got its start in Hungary about a year and a half ago when Fly Dogs Hungary, a group organized by Jozseph Arkosi arranged to have clinics taught by World Champion Peter Bloeme. The clinics were a great success and in only a short time, the level of play dramatically improved. It improved so much, in fact, that Arkosi approached Skyhoundz about staging an International Qualifier the following year. To support its newest International Qualifier, Hyperflite’s Jeff Perry flew to Budapest to teach more clinics for the growing population of eager Hungarian disc doggers as well as to help judge the Qualifier.

After four days of clinics, Perry commented that he had fairly well emptied [his] brain but the questions kept coming. Perry was also impressed with the level of skill displayed by the Hungarians, observing that, they displayed the skills one would expect to see in a country that had been exposed to the sport repeatedly for five or more years. Hungary may not be the wealthiest European country, but there is a wealth of desire to excel in canine disc sports, Perry added.

Perry was also very impressed with the fact that, unlike most other countries in the world, a large percentage of Hungarian disc doggers were younger (between 16 and 20). A large percentage of young players means that there will be a strong foundation upon which to build a dynasty that will likely generate Hungarian World Champions in the not too distant future, he added.

On competition day, teams battled for invitations to the Skyhoundz World Championship to be held in Chattanooga, Tennessee in September. Teams from four countries (Turkey, Germany, Czech Republic, and Hungary were represented.

In the Open Division, four teams qualified Péter Seftsik & Choki, Marketa Urbaskova & Chuckie, Conny Sawiczki & Quigley, and Lucie Schönová & Dixi (fourth place finishers Jürgen Bartz & Summit previously qualified in Olen, Belgium).

Four Sport Division teams qualified for the Worlds including Tomas Kocian & Bobinka, Judit Heiczinger & Fly, Péter Seftsik & Brill, and Nóra Prenner & Berian.

In the Microdog Division the small dogs scrapped for invitations to the Worlds and Zita Jelinek & Loki and Andrea Toth & Törpi came out on top.

Rounding out the day, the ever-exciting Pairs Freestylers took the field to the wild cheers of the spectators. Displaying innovative and intricate routines, two teams qualified for the Worlds including Kata Kerényi/Dalma Kárpáti & Daeron and Lucie Schönová/Tomas Kocian & Dixi

Now, let’s talk Turkey. And to do that we must naturally talk about the amazing performance of Tarken Ozvardar, the head of the Ankara Canine College, a world-class canine training facility in Ankara, Turkey. Ozvardar traveled more than 3,000 kilometers from Ankara to compete in the Novice Class of the Sport and Open Divisions. And for his efforts, Ozvardar finished in the top position in the Novice Class of both divisions, quite an impressive showing for his first competitive event. Ozvardar, a European football goalkeeper in his spare time, also put on an amazing defensive display in a pick-up game of “Ultimate Frisbee” following one of Perry’s clinics.

Disc Dogging is alive and well in Europe and we can expect great things from our friends on the other side of the pond.

Hyperflite Skyhoundz World Finalists Paul West and Tucker move on to Las Vegas in the America’s Got Talent TV show.

Hyperflite Skyhoundz World Finalists Paul West and Tucker have qualified to compete in Las Vegas for NBC’s America’s Got Talent show. Tucker and West wowed the judges and the roaring crowd with an excellent indoor routine performed on a 20' x 40' foot carpeted area on the main stage. West threw Hyperflite Jawz discs to Tucker who performed flips, vaults, and other amazing tricks to advance to the next round in Las Vegas.

In Las Vegas, America’s Got Talent performers are divided into 2 groups, music, and variety. The music acts consist of singers and musicians. The variety group, in which West and Tucker will compete, consists of other acts. Cuts will be made as the show progresses and when the group is down to 20 performers, America will vote and eliminate 5 out of the music group, then 5 out of the variety group. The remaining 10 performers will perform head to head in the next round, where the field will be narrowed each week. The winner stands to earn a one million dollar prize!

Hyperflite and Skyhoundz wish Paul West and Tucker great success as they claw their way closer to the big prize.

To see West and Tucker in action, go here.

Animal Wellness Magazine

In the April/May issue of Animal Wellness Magazine, there was a nice write up on the 2006 Hyperflite Skyhoundz World Canine Disc Championship. View full size cover: [here], article here: [1], [2], [3].

Disc Dog Competitions: Too big for their own britches?

In recent years, canine disc competitions have been spreading like wildfire. Increasingly, dog and disc clubs are getting into the competition organization business by staging competitions for the various contest organizers as well as their own club events. There have never been more choices and opportunities for disc dog enthusiasts than there are right now.

As if that weren’t enough, canine disc competitions are occurring in countries that you wouldn’t normally associate with rampant canine ownership. For example, last spring, a group of Hyperflite celebrity canines performed for three days in Shanghai, China. Skyhoundz recently staged its third clinic in as many years in Seoul, Korea. In 2006, Hyperflite local championships, DiscDogathons or Open Qualifiers were held in Canada, Italy, Korea and four European countries with significantly more participation expected for 2007. In places as diverse as Russia (two dozen stores in Russia now carry Hyperflite canine discs!) and Taiwan (where two stores battle to sell the most Jawz discs) disc dog sports have captured the hearts and minds of the canine-owning populace.

If increased popularity weren’t enough, the dynamics of canine disc families are changing as well. Increasingly, competitors who compete at Skyhoundz events have multiple canines. In the old days, it was unusual for top competitors to have more than one canine capable of competition at the elite level. Now, more and more top competitors are succeeding in competition with more than one canine. Even competitors who just compete for fun want to bring their entire pack with them when they travel to compete in disc dog contests.

Inevitably, with growth there will be growing pains. Last year, Hyperflite sponsored more than 120 disc dog contests around the world. That figure represents the largest number of competitions sponsored by a single organizer in the history of canine disc sports. In the face of rampant growth, contest organizers like Hyperflite and Skyhoundz, look inward to see what, if anything they can do better. We ask ourselves: where is our sport headed and how can we keep the sport fresh and encourage participation without limiting competitive opportunities? We also ask those who compete in our contest series for their opinions. A recent Skyhoundz poll only served to confirm what we have been hearing via e-mail and telephone. That is, an overwhelming majority of competitors who compete in our contests want to continue to have the opportunity to compete with multiple dogs. We know for a few competitors, this will not be good news. However, rest easy, because for 2007 we are giving disc dog competitors even more opportunities for competitive success.

Skyhoundz has been adjusting its contest series to meet the needs of modern canine athletes and ever-larger canine families. For example, at the Skyhoundz World Championship, competitors can now compete for four distinct World Championship titles. Three of those titles have been added in the past five years. Twelve teams from each Regional (in contrast to the two teams that qualified for the Worlds less than a decade ago) qualify to compete at the World Championship. As interest in canine disc sports grows, Skyhoundz believes that competitors will continue to seek new and exciting ways to have fun with their canines. Just as American families have grown larger over time, the number of families with more than one canine continues to grow as well. Skyhoundz will rise to the occasion with competition formats and venues that are fun, exciting, challenging and accessible to all participants, including multiple-dog families. At Hyperflite, we love disc dog sports as much as you do and promise to continue with a wise stewardship of the Skyhoundz and Hyperflite DiscDogathon competition series.

Operation Migration

Hyperflite Co-founder Jeff Perry took a few days off of work this week to assist with a very important project that has absolutely nothing to do with disc dogs. Always fond of anything capable of flight (which naturally includes our four-legged friends!), Perry was delighted to help Operation Migration in its mission to help re-establish the endangered wild Whooping Crane population. Each year, Operation Migration raises hatchling Whooping Cranes and teaches them to fly in formation with an ultralight "mother bird" aircraft. This year, 18 birds are making the thousand-plus mile flight from Wisconsin to Florida to learn the migratory route that they will follow for the rest of their lives. Once the birds have been shown their migratory route, they can make the trip independently.

Along the way, near major metropolitan areas, volunteer pilots fly their aircraft above the Operation Migration ultralights and trailing Whooping Cranes in a role referred to as "high cover. " The high cover aircraft handle communications with air traffic control during critical flight segments. In addition, high cover pilots help alert the ultralight pilots if any birds drop out of formation as well as assist with navigation through crowded and restricted airspace. It was in this high cover role, that Perry flew, on December 5th, as the Whooping Cranes transited the busy Atlanta airspace.

"The mission that the crew of Operation Migration has undertaken is criticial to the survival of this species," Perry notes. In the 1950's, the Whooping Crane population was down to less than 15 of the majestic birds and they were, literally, on the verge of extinction. The present Whooping Crane population stands at approximately 320 birds. "The pilots and staff of Operation Migration are the most dedicated and professional bunch of people you will ever meet," according to Perry. "Because of the efforts of Operation Migration," Perry adds, "the Whooping Crane will, in our lifetimes, thrive again in the wild."

For more information on Operation Migration and their heroic efforts, visit www.operationmigration.org. To follow the birds on their journey, visit the Operation Migration Field Journal here.

See special reports here.

Holiday "Feastivities"

The Holidays are upon us and we would be remiss if we neglected to include our four-legged friends in all of the "feastivities." The Atlanta Journal Constitution recently reviewed a book of recipes formulated specifically for canines. The book, which is entitled "Real Food for Dogs: 50 Vet-Approved Recipes to Please the Canine Gastronome, includes such recipes as Great Gravy Cookies and Pup-Cakes. Check out these recipes here and make your pet's "nice list."

Former Hyperflite Skyhoundz Canine Disc World Finalists "Sniff Out" Fame

Michael McKenzie, of Tacoma Washington and his beloved pooch “Good Boy Blue” have a chance of a lifetime—to become the new face of Milk-Bone Original Dog Biscuits! Good Boy Blue, and his pet parent, Michael McKenzie are finalists in the Milk-Bone Make You & Your Dog Famous Search. They are hoping to dig up some votes from their fellow competitors on the disc dog competition circuit and beat out the other four finalists for face time on the Milk-Bone box! Between October 16th and November 6th Americans can go here to vote for their favorite couples in each size category. Never before has a pet parent hit the store shelves alongside their furry friend. more...

2006 Hyperflite Skyhoundz World Championship Report
Words are simply not adequate to describe the drama and excitement of the 2006 Hyperflite Skyhoundz World Canine Disc Championship. But since words are all I have, I will get right to it. For 72 hours in Atlanta, disc dogs most definitely ruled. more...

2006 Hyperflite Skyhoundz World Championship
Are we there yet!? As the countdown timer on the Hyperflite website slowly winds down, most of our dogs don’t need much of a reminder that the World’s are just around the corner. The fanatics among us have suddenly gone from one practice session every other day to morning and evening sessions every day…and three or more sessions on each weekend day, rain or shine. more...

Pampered pets pig out in Pompano Beach
For just a moment let’s take a trip to dreamland. Imagine that you and your beloved canine companion have just competed in the Hyperflite Skyhoundz Southeast Regional Championship held in Florida. It was a tough competition but you managed to score an invitation to the Hyperflite Skyhoundz World Championship. Let the party begin! more...

Deadly Aflatoxin: Is your pet food safe?
Aflatoxin is certainly not a household word. But if you are a pet owner, it is one that you should resolve to become familiar with. Your pet’s health may be at stake. O.K., here’s the science. Aflatoxins are mycotoxins that, in addition to being extremely toxic, are also carcinogenic and immunosuppressive in nature. Alflatoxins may cause injury or disease even when ingested in small amounts. Aflatoxins are produced as secondary metabolites by many species of Aspergillus fungi (most notably Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus). Many agricultural crops including corn, rice, wheat, nuts, soybeans, sunflowers and even milk, are vulnerable to attack by the fungi that produce aflatoxin. more...

A Primer on Skyhoundz Freestyle Judging Criteria
Okay, so canine disc competition is your new favorite activity. And, imagine that, your dog digs it too. To add to your growing karma cache, a Hyperflite Skyhoundz competition is coming to a park near you. The plan is for you and your dog “JJ” (short for Jumping Jehosaphats) to show up, win everything and carry home all your awards in the wheelbarrow that you happened to bring with you…just in case. And you wouldn’t be the first person to think, based on your backyard exploits, that competition success is a foregone conclusion. more...

Chew on This! Your dog’s destructive behavior can be ancient history
Most dogs, and especially athletic canines like Vizslas, require vigorous exercise. Shortchange an energetic canine in the exercise department and you just might bid farewell to anything from sheetrock to sofas. Being highly intelligent creatures, dogs have a knack for “communicating” to you via your most valuable or cherished possessions. A chewed up pair of shoes says, “hey, you haven’t walked me in two days.” Damage that escalates to a large piece of furniture or family heirloom might signal even more desperate attempts at communication. Pay attention, because your canine is telling you that even angry attention from you is better than no attention at all. Once more for emphasis – a bored dog is a destructive dog. more...

Making the Wind Your Friend
Most likely in your competitive endeavors, you have experienced conditions in which the wind appears to change direction and velocity with rabidity and in seemingly unpredictable ways. I remember one particularly awful performance of mine that happened about a million years ago in San Francisco’s Candlestick Park. During a 49r’s half time show, strong gusty winds mixed with rain caused me to take drastic and ultimately futile measures. Rather than use the Fastback discs to which I was accustomed, I elected to use golf discs (years before discs like the Jawz became available). I reasoned that golf discs would be the only way to penetrate the swirling 30-40 mph gusts. The end result was an ugly personal spectacle that I vowed never to repeat. The four of us who performed that day had a tough time of it for sure, but one individual rose above the conditions…by staying under them. The individual that I am referring to, who performed with a small dog, kept his throws low to the ground, and close in. Whether by luck, or by design, this team found the only safe zone in the stadium…the area not more than two feet above the ground. The lesson that I learned that day, was to be prepared to make extreme (but not extremely stupid) adjustments when the conditions are extreme. more...

Stray Rescue - Hurricane Katrina Update
Those of you fortunate enough to be present at the 2005 Hyperflite Skyhoundz World Championship Awards Banquet got to hear a wonderful talk given by Randy Grim, founder of Stray Rescue, a no-kill animal shelter in St. Louis. Grim became a celebrity when he rescued “Miracle Dog” Quentin from St. Louis Animal Control after Quentin survived euthanasia in a gas chamber. In the days before and after the awards banquet, Randy and his Stray Rescue organization were hard at work saving many of the canine victims of Hurricane Katrina. For an update on Stray Rescue’s efforts, click here.

Important Federal Pet Legislation Under Consideration
After numerous reports of pet owners refusing rescue after Hurricane Katrina because their pets were not allowed to accompany them, the House of Representatives introduced legislation (H.R. 3858) that would require state and local authorities to address issues associated with evacuating people and their pets.  Although it is too early to say how the legislation will ultimately fair, it is encouraging that the importance of pets in the lives of people is gaining attention.  Another important pet-related legislative effort is in the works, with bipartisan support...Click here to check the legislative status of the Antifreeze Bittering Act.

The American Red Cross – Your Dog’s Best Friend
Many people know that the Red Cross is often first on the scene of natural disasters that impact human beings. What you may not know is that the Red Cross also cares about our four-legged friends. The Red Cross has prepared a 111 page Pet First Aid Book (complete with more than 100 illustrations) to help you when your pet becomes injured or sick. The Red Cross also offers Pet First Aid Courses at select Red Cross chapters.

Have Dog Will Travel
It wasn’t that long ago that traveling with your pet was a monumental inconvenience.  Stories abound of pet owners sneaking their canines into hotels or sleeping in rest areas because pet friendly hotels were few and far between. Times have certainly changed. Even upscale hotels are getting into the act with special pet perks and programs. Some hotel chains permit pets at all of their properties with no security deposit required. For the scoop on “who let’s the dogs inn” click here.