By Griffin Mancuso
Last Sunday, in the middle of a warehouse bustling with families and dog lovers alike, I stepped into the compact demo area, waving nervously to the packed bleachers on either side. The president of Humboldt Disc Dogs introduced me and my dog-child athlete, Oscar Meyer, as newer members of the club with a lot of promise.
While Oscar leaped into the air trying to grab the frisbee from my hands, I lead him to the center of the demo area and gave a thumbs up to the president. The familiar start cue before every disc dog game echoed through the warehouse.
“Ready, set, go!”
I had the honor of participating and volunteering at the annual Dog Expo hosted by the Humboldt Dog Obedience Group. After a grueling five-hour set up the day before, I was ready for Oscar to show his skills – and to buy dog supplies that I didn’t need.
Even though the expo was hosted in one building this year, it was still packed with visitors. Thirty dog breeds were present for visitors to meet and learn about, ranging from the Golden Retriever to the Lancashire Heeler. There were also demos for dog sports like disc sports, rally, carting, and agility.
Only a few Humboldt Disc Dogs members were interested in participating in the demo, and I wasn’t surprised. We normally have our games on an expansive, lush green field in Fortuna, and we were now having to show off our sport in a 30-foot long rectangle with rubber mats for traction. I was determined to make it work.
I thankfully had the foresight to practice on set-up day and realized that my plastic discs would either a) hit a spectator, or b) go skidding out of the demo area and Oscar would follow suit.
Equipped with a new rubber disc that would not injure anyone or send Oscar flying over the fence, I demonstrated the games 4-Way Play and Throw n’ Go along with a few other teams. As Humboldt Disc Dogs is a newer club, I felt its reputation weighing on my shoulders. I felt obligated to prove that my dog had the skill and focus to catch frisbees while surrounded by cheering spectators and barking dogs.
Brimming with energy, Oscar caught the first frisbee throw with ease, drawing cheers from the crowd. I yelled, “Good boy, Oscar!” as he ran back to me, frisbee in mouth. Before I could tell him to drop the frisbee, he started to violently spin and thrash it around. He had too many ants in his pants. The more I chased after him, the faster he spun away from me. Once I grabbed the frisbee, we engaged in a brief game of tug-of-war as the audience roared with laughter.
Besides the spinning shenanigans, Oscar did fantastically and I did not hit anyone. I left the demo area with a relieved smile and gave Oscar lots of love and treats for a job well done. After the fact, the president told me Oscar was a crowd favorite.
I spent the rest of the conference sprinting around trying to recruit booths for the upcoming All Breeds Show in July and observing the demos. Keeping myself busy helped me resist the urge to spend hundreds of dollars on dog-themed hoodies, leather collars, leashes, homemade dog treats, dog art, ceramic dog bowls, and wooden dog coasters.
As someone who is just starting out in dog sports, I was glad to have the opportunity to see demonstrations of the sports I haven’t tried yet, especially agility. I have been told by several members of the dog sport community that agility is a rich man’s sport. Coming in at a whopping $22 per entry and hundreds of dollars for classes, it would not be an ideal sport for a college student. However, watching a poodle go flying over hurdles and diving through weave poles is really convincing. I might have to consider it despite the state of my checking account.
One of my favorite parts of the expo was getting to meet dog breeds I otherwise wouldn’t see out and about in Humboldt. I got to meet a lovely 8-year old Drentsche Patrijshond named Mr. Tickles. The more I pet him, the more he drooled, and he’d paw at my hand if I dared to stop. The Irish Wolfhound, whose back reached just below my chest, stared at me blankly while I ran my fingers through his wiry coat. Vinnie the Lagotto Romagnolo’s entire body wiggled with excitement before I even approached him. One of the Greyhounds, Maxwell, wanted nothing to do with me and refused to sit still for a photo. Maxwell was my favorite.
While I enjoyed the expo as a dog nerd, this event is especially important to the casual dog-lovers and families visiting. The Dog Expo exists to educate the public on responsible pet ownership, how to take care of different dog breeds, and all the amazing skills dogs are capable of. Maybe next year I’ll suggest a rescue dog booth for Oscar and I.
