A doggone fun day at a canine competition in suburban Chicago

NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- Competitive canines from all over the world gathered in Naperville, Illinois the weekend of September 3rd to compete in the Ashley Whippet Invitational Competition. These daring dogs competed in different events, dazzling the judges and spectators.

Maryann traveled all the way from Ontario, Canada with her dog, Crush. She explained the different components of the competition saying, "Freestyle is based on criteria for tricks, how well the handler and a dog interact, the dog itself, the handler itself, and it's based on a lot of short movements and tricks and then some out throws."

She went on to explain, "toss and catch, you have 60 seconds to make as many throws in as possible and throw it as far as you can to get points."

Competitive canine disc throwing originated around 1974 when dog enthusiast, Alex Stein, began to display captivating stunts with his whippet, Ashley, at nationally televised baseball games. A few years later, the Ashley Whippet competitions were created and have since grown into a global phenomenon.

Oscar Mauricio Arevlo Sanchez, brought his dog, Afrika, all the way from Colombia! Their exuberance and dedication to the sport led them to take first place in the Open Overall Qualifier.

When asked why he travels so far for these competitions, Oscar said: "They have just one short life. Just enjoy it as much as you can with your dog because they are just giving you happiness, that's it."