Thematic Photographic 7: "Animals" v.2.0

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"Into The Turn"
Lake Benson, NC - September 2003

 Hosted by Written Inc.

"Home Stretch"
Lake Benson, NC - September 2003

 Hosted by Written Inc.

"Kodi at the Beach"
Carolina Beach, NC - August 2002

 Hosted by Written Inc.

"Too Cute For Words?"
Beaufort, NC - November 2003

 Hosted by Written Inc.

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I told you there'd be more dogs didn't I?

Flyball is a four dog shuttle relay, where the dogs pop a tennis ball out of a launcher at the far end of the course and carry it back to the start line. In the first shot you're seeing one of the 2003 Blockade Runners hitting the launcher. It's an awesome spectacle to watch at full speed. The dogs make what amounts to a swimmer's "flip turn" while simultaneously catching a tennis ball that's launched out of the spring loaded contraption you see here.

The second shot features two of the "anchor" dogs for the 2003 Blockade Runners, but don't ask me to remember their names. Each team has to run one "small" dog (usually a terrier of some kind) but they're free to shoose any dogs they want to run the other legs. Border Collies (like the two you see here) are a popular choice among the purebred dogs, but often the best flyball and agility dogs are just good old American mutts. Neither sport has any breed restrictions and the "All-American" (a euphemism for "mutt") is second only to the Border Collie in number of agility titles won in the US.

In the third frame we see Kodi (short for Kodiak) who was definitely not the flyball type, though when she was much younger than she is in this picture she fancied a good game of "roof ball". As you might have guessed, this was a game with no rules or sanctioning bodies. All that was required was a tennis ball and a roof and somebody willing to stand in the yard and throw said tennis ball onto said roof. The fun started when the ball came down, since the dogs could never be sure exactly where it would fall (actually, neither could the humans).

And the final shot shows what looks like a charming display of affection to the uninitiated, but what it actually is is a display of dominance. The dog doing the "hugging" is telling the dog being "hugged" that he outranks him. So when your dog "hugs" you like this, be careful how you respond. At least if you have a large dog. You might be sending a signal you didn't intend.

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