Dogs on the fly

By Lia Bichel
MORE than 200 dogs are wagging their tails in excitement as they prepare for the largest flyball event in Australia this weekend.
The Berwick Obedience Dog Club is hosting the 2010 Supercoat Flyball National Championships at the Dandenong Show.
The event is similar to a relay for dogs and entails each team of dogs running down a lane of four hurdles, jumping on a box which pops a ball out, and then running with the ball back over the four hurdles across the line.
Once the first dog crosses the line, the second dog begins its run.
The first team to complete an unflawed run and cross the line wins the heat.
Ula Tourloupis from the Flyball Nationals Committee said there were a record number of teams registered for the event.
“We have a record 46 teams from as far away as Queensland and Tasmania. This is approximately 250 very excitable dogs,” she said.
The flyball event will be held over both days of the show.