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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.
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