July 2, 2006

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.

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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Annie Shuppy graduated from the University of Iowa in May 2006 with a degree in economics and journalism. She interned at Bloomberg News in Washington,…
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