Joelle Budd's Australian shepherd, River, usually prefers people to dogs. So she was caught by surprise when her dog played so well with Todd Duncan's Australian shepherd-border collie mix, Levi, the first time they met.

That was four years ago, when Budd and Duncan were introduced by friends on the dog competition circuit. Today, the couple share a house in Cumming, Ga., a 3-month-old son, Creek, time with Duncan's 8-year-old son, Austin, and a passion for competitive Frisbee-dogs.

That passion has come to define their lives together. It carries through their days, when both work flexible jobs to leave ample free time to work with their six dogs. She telecommutes as an administrative assistant; he is a self-employed landscaper. And it carries into their weekends, which find them on the road, River, Levi, Austin and baby Creek in tow, to join a cadre of like-minded friends at dog shows and competitions across the country.

Their most recent trip finds them all at the Pier in St. Petersburg, Fla., for the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge. Dog lovers from as far as Miami and Cincinnati are gathered here, for a competition that showcases animals' athletic talent rather than breeding or appearance, and that is a gauge of trust and communication between owner and animal.

It is so hot at the Pier on this Friday that human competitors scoop ice water with their baseball caps and place the hats on their heads, while their canine teammates cool off in plastic wading pools. Budd and the baby seek refuge in an air-conditioned tent as organizers set up for the Jack Russell Hurdle Racing just outside. Budd and River have just qualified for the Freestyle Flying Disc Competition.

She will compete against Duncan and Levi in the finals of that event the next day.

"My strategy is to go out there and have fun," she said.

***

On the Friday night before the competition, Budd and Duncan gather with their circle of Frisbee-dog friends by the pool at a La Quinta Inn -- naturally, one that admits dogs. They let the dogs stay in the rooms and rest as they head to dinner, discussing dog training and nutrition while waiting for a table.

When Budd and Duncan talk about competition -- against each other -- each focuses on the other's strengths. Duncan praises Budd for her knowledge -- she has a degree in animal technology and reads books on dog training. Budd says Duncan has a special ability to connect with dogs and "handles pressure well."

They describe themselves as competitive people who grew up playing sports. Budd, 39, was a farm girl from Canada's Gaspe Peninsula who later worked in a veterinary clinic. She got hooked on the competitive dog circuit when she found a way to blend her love for River, who is now 8, with the sport of Ultimate Frisbee.

Duncan's willingness to pack up the family in their Subaru en route to dog events stems partly from his love of family road trips during his childhood in Georgia and Tennessee, he said.

"We traveled five or six weeks during the summer," Duncan said. "I'm the kind of guy that likes to be on the move."

Duncan, 40, started competing with dogs when he was in his late 20s and is considered a master in the sport. He has posted wins at dog competitions all over the Southeast, and he and Levi, who is 7, are the 2005 UFO - Unified Frisbee Dog Operations - World Cup champions.

He says most of his dogs "break even" in terms of the money spent on traveling to competitions versus prize money. Levi has earned as much as $7,000 in a year.

A win this weekend at Purina means a trip to the nationals in St. Louis.

***

Duncan and Budd arrive with their family at the Pier around 9:30 a.m. Saturday so Budd and River can have their portraits taken. It's only Budd's second competition since Creek was born. The couple sets up River and Levi in cages in the air-conditioned dog tent.

Mike Greener / Poynter Institute Life partners and proud parents, Todd Duncan and Joelle Budd share their passion for "Frisbee-dogging."

Trainers are careful not to wear out the dogs on competition days. Labrador retrievers, border collies and Jack Russell terriers spend most of the hot day in the cool tent while they wait to compete, filling the space with an occasionally cacophony of, "Woof, woof, woof. Arf, arf. Yip."

The top two winners in each category of this weekend's regional competition advance to the national contest in St. Louis in October. The event is divided into six groups: Jack Russell Hurdle Racing, Dog Diving, High Jump, 60 Weave Pole, Agility and Freestyle Flying Disc. Pride in dogs' athletic prowess is apparent everywhere on the Pier. One woman walks around in a T-shirt reading, "Real Women Race Jack Russell Terriers," while another T-shirt honors Cindy, a greyhound who has set world high-jump records.

Duncan practices at home with his dogs, but also takes them swimming and on mountain bike rides to keep them from getting bored with the sport - and to keep himself in shape. An hour or so before the Freestyle Flying Disc Competition is due to start, he warms up with some other human competitors by tossing a few flying discs.

Lourdes Edlin, a Miami dog trainer who judged the event, says that to make it to this level of competition, it's essential for handlers to have close relationships with their dogs. A dog tries to pick up on a partner's move even before the disc leaves their hands.

"At that point, it becomes like a dance with you and your dog," Edlin said.

Despite the heat, Levi is feeling good today, Duncan says. Mood, wind or any number of other factors trainers can't control affect dogs' performance. They can wake up and have a bad day just like people.

"My biggest strength is being able to read dogs," Duncan says.

***

Budd and River will compete second, just after Seiko Mako (a Jack Russell terrier who puts on an entertaining show but ends up placing last), but before Duncan and Levi. She spends the hours before the flying disc competition tending to Creek and trying to quell pre-performance jitters.

"I need to eat because I get the shakes, although I might throw it up," Budd jokes.

Minutes before they take the field, River knows it's time and sets up an excited bark. The event is two-pronged: each trainer and dog performs a timed disc toss-and-catch routine set to the music of their choice, then can score extra points if the dog can catch field-length tosses and land in a designated checkerboard.

River starts his performance by vaulting off Budd's stomach and weaving through her legs to a Red Hot Chili Peppers song. The black-and-white Australian shepherd snags two extra points in the bonus round, and Budd pumps her fists in the air when she sees the catch is good.

Lori Frezer, the girlfriend of fellow competitor John Arnett, holds Creek while Budd performs. Duncan dashes back and forth with jugs of water to cool off the dogs. After she finishes her round, Budd strokes Creek on the back, downs a bottle of water, and takes the sidelines to cheer on competitor Danny Venegas and his dog, Oreo.

Duncan has worked with dogs in diving competitions, an event Labrador retrievers typically dominate, but he says the flying disc people "are a lot friendlier." And although Budd and Duncan will compete against each other on the field, and against fellow handlers Arnett and Venegas, all applaud each other's successes.

Edlin said the camaraderie on the dog competition circuit is genuine.

"When someone goes out there and has a great day, you can only admire them," she said. "You really, truly wish them well."

***

Before he takes the field, Duncan bends to massage Levi's legs in the shade of the tent. Levi props his front paws on Duncan's shoulders in appreciation.

"OK, I'll be watching you," Budd tells Duncan as he walks out with Levi.

Nelly's "Shake Ya Tail Feather" blasts over the speakers, and Levi hops on his hind legs and barks in time to the music. The discs start flying, and the crowd is fixated as Levi pirouettes in the air and shows off his "midair handoff" - a move in which the dog bumps the disc with his nose in midair before clasping it in his mouth.

Then it's onto the bonus points: Levi snags the third throw, but Duncan's fourth throw is a little high, and the disc sails over the barricade that marks the edge of the field. Levi isn't thrown off, however; he jumps over the barricade to catch the disc before it hits the ground. The fifth toss is spot-on and Levi lands with it in the checkerboard, scoring another two points.

Duncan and Levi score 81.5, putting them in second place. Venegas and Oreo are in the lead with 84 and are guaranteed one of the spots at the national competition. But Arnett and 2004 national champion Astro have yet to perform and could claim the second place spot - and the trip to St. Louis.

One Black Eyed Peas song and scores of disc catches later, the judges tally the score.

Arnett and Astro get a 79.

Venegas, Duncan and Arnett all take their places on the stage as the top three winners in this event, accepting their own medals and draping more hardware over their dogs' heads. Budd and River have placed sixth out of the seven teams with a score of 73.5.

Duncan and Levi have earned their shot at the nationals.

***

Back in the dog tent, a smiling Budd cradles Creek and sighs, "Ahh, it's over." She said Duncan and Levi's performance "totally rocked."

Duncan enters the tent and hugs Budd, with Creek gently sandwiched between. He says he's "very satisfied" to have a shot at the nationals in St. Louis.

It will mean another eight-hour drive for the family, but it's become a way of life.

Interested in more? Click here to see the related design project, "The K9 connection."

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