Top: Jade sails over the jump. A RELAY for dog teams: now that is bound to pull a crowd.
Of all the events at the Pakenham Agricultural and Horticultural Show, the dog competition known as flyball is among the most popular.
Two teams of dogs race in heats, with two others eagerly waiting their turn. They race in lanes to a set of drag racing lights, and when the last light turns green, they are off, jumping hurdles.
The last hurdle is a flyball box with a tennis ball inside. The dogs leap in, and the box releases the ball, which the dog chases on the run, over more hurdles backto the finish line, where the next dog is waiting to start.
Flyball began in the US in the 1970s when a Californian tried to amuse his mad dog with a tennis ball.
In Australia, more than 600 dogs take part in the sport.
Berwick Obedience Dog Club trains flyball teams, with dogs of all shapes and sizes. These teams will perform at the Pakenham Show on 21 March.
And if past years are any indication, audiences will be spellbound.
