Disc-catching canines take flight in Naperville

We've all heard about the cow who jumped over the moon.

And about those rare occasions when pigs fly.

But that's all small potatoes for Naperville's Tom Wehrli, who's used to seeing dogs of all shapes and sizes take flight during the annual Dog Disc Championship at the Grand Pavilion along the city's downtown Riverwalk.

Wehrli and other members of the Midwest Dog Disc Club were out there again Saturday along with a couple dozen hounds who literally shiver with excitement as they get to charge across an open field in pursuit of flying plastic discs.

Wehrli says the highlight of the spring event is almost always the freestyle competition, where the dogs and their human partners perform a two-minute routine that finds the humans putting themselves in all sorts of awkward positions and allowing their canine companions to bounce off their backs and feet in pursuit of the discs.

If you missed Saturday's event, don't despair - Wehrli and other club members will be back in Naperville during the Labor Day weekend for a championship event that attracts some of the top dog-and-handler teams from around the world.