Dog owners hone their flying-disc skills in Naperville
Ed Lustig got the idea when he threw a flying disc to his dog, Queenie, in his backyard.
"She really leapt for it," said Lustig, a Chicago Heights resident. "It occurred to me that it would be fun to do more of this with her."
That's how Lustig wound up spending Saturday morning in Naperville, learning the finer points of throwing a flying disc to a dog.
"I've gotten some great tips today," he said. "Hopefully, you'll be seeing us in some competitions soon."
Saturday's lessons came courtesy of Naperville resident Tom Wehrli and his group the Windy City K-9 Disc Club. Wehrli has been involved in canine flying disc competitions for 30 years now.
"It's an international thing these days," Wehrli said. "We've heard from people in Dubai, France, South Korea. It's everywhere."
Just a handful of people were participating on Saturday morning, something Wehrli attributed to the unseasonably cold weather. Those who came out practiced throwing discs to dogs and to other people.
"It's a beginner's class, and really, it's more about teaching owners how to throw than teaching the dogs how to catch," Wehrli said.
As he spoke, Wehrli watched Lustig struggle to snap off a straight throw in Saturday's brisk wind.
"You've got to angle it down, then really snap your wrist," Wehrli said.
Lustig did so, and delivered a straight, accurate throw.
"See there, you're making us proud," Wehrli said.
Wehrli's interest in the sport dates back to the late 1970s, and it started much like Lustig's did. Wehrli and his twin brother were tossing a flying disc to each other, when suddenly Wehrli's dog jumped up and snatched it out of the air.
By 1980, Wehrli and his wife were entering competitions. In 1993, they founded the Windy City K-9 Disc Club.
Wehrli is passionate about the sport - he maintains a canine disc museum in his home - because he believes it's a fantastic way for an owner to bond with his or her dog.
"It kills me when dog owners do nothing but walk their dogs and then act like they're doing a great job with the pets," he said. "If you limit yourself to that, pretty soon the dog will be gone and you will have missed out on the best things about being a pet owner."
Canine disc competitions are also great exercise for the animals, Wehrli said. He and his family have owned numerous dogs over the years, and they all came from shelters, he said.
"There are so many shelters that have dogs that need a home," he said. "I hope these competitions inspire some folks to get out to one and claim a dog for their own."
Two big canine disc competitions are coming up in Naperville's Centennial Park: one will be a local competition on May 29, and the other will be the Ashley Whippet World Championship on Sept. 5.
Check out windycityK9disc.com for details.