Jumping for Toy : Dogs Have Their Day at Frisbee Championships

Neither lucrative shoe contracts nor breakfast cereal endorsements loom on the horizon for these athletes. They don’t even wear shoes, much less eat cereal for breakfast.

Nor are they waiting for some superstar Hollywood agent to throw them a bone. They are just looking for something to sink their teeth into.

They found it at the 1991 Come ‘N Get It Canine Frisbee Championships on Saturday at San Buenaventura State Beach.

About 500 spectators watched pooches of every description grasp for a fleeting disc and a moment of glory. All those years. All that practice. All that back scratching. Now was the time to take a place in the sun or go back to the doghouse.

The competition is one of about 100 Canine Frisbee Championships nationwide leading up to the world finals in September in Washington. The nationwide competition is also known as the Ashley Whippet Invitational in honor of a dog that was a three-time champion.

All 31 participants in the Ventura event are eligible to compete in the Southwest Regional Finals in Pasadena in July.

No previous experience was required. While some masters were simply out for a day in the sun with their best friends, for others this was serious stuff.

Kathy and Mike Miller of Hacienda Heights have entered dogs in Frisbee competitions for more than nine years. Mike Miller is the Southwest regional coordinator for the Ashley Whippet Invitational. The Millers, who are both data processors, said the canine Frisbee events take up most of their weekends.

“It’s certainly not profitable, other than the enjoyment we get out of it,” Kathy Miller said. “The prizes are a T-shirt and sports bag.”

The Millers agreed that the sport is a good way for a dog to stay active and healthy. Mike Miller said the competition provides a good workout for him, too.

“I try to always have a Frisbee in my hand,” he said. “It’s good choreography for the routine.”

They own three Belgian Tervurens--Cas, Nite and Pro--but Pro was the only one competing in Ventura on Saturday.

Kathy Miller said Nite is a novice and not ready for competition and Cas, who has competed for nine years, is temporarily out of action while recovering from surgery to reconstruct her hip.

“One thing about Frisbee dogs, “ Kathy Miller said. “They never quit.”

John Brant, a painting contractor from Ventura, said his dog Rikki hears the word “Frisbee” and dashes to the hall closet where it is kept.

She is all muscle and can leap shoulder high, Brant said. But Bishop, his 11-year-old dog, catches the Frisbee and then sits and just holds it in his mouth.

“Bishop did good today,” Brant said. “He went out and came back each time. I was really proud of him.”

Tom Clark of Thousand Oaks and his daughters, Jessie and Jenna, entered Pepper, a 3-year-old Dalmatian female, in her first Frisbee competition.

“She didn’t eat breakfast,” Clark said, “but she seems to have more energy.”

Pepper has no larger aspirations on the Frisbee circuit, Clark said, but he plans to teach her how to water-ski with some special skis that he is making for her.

After looking good in practice rounds, Pepper gave a lackluster performance in the first round of the competition. Clark said he didn’t think it was from overtraining.

“She’s pregnant,” he said. “She gets tired pretty quickly.”

First place in the competition went to Britt, owned by Glen Medford of Castaic, said Jenise Heck, recreation coordinator for Ventura Parks and Recreation. Sam, owned by Gary Suzuki of Ventura, won second, and the Millers’ dog, Pro, won third. Best effort went to Slam Dunk Sammy, a 12-year-old dog owned by John Shannon of Ojai.

Slam Dunk tried very hard, but she couldn’t get the Frisbee, Heck said. “She couldn’t even get to the Frisbee.”