CityView Magazine

52 | October/November • 2009 decision to bring their pets out for the team. Shawnee Taub brings Gaius, a Pomeranian. Taub's in-laws own a flyball team in Texas and recommended the sport. "I wanted him to socialize with other people," Taub said. "I can take him out in public more now. Before, he would just freak out. He gets really excited when I tell him it's time for flyball. He runs and sits in front of the door because he is ready to go." Becky Evans brings her Jack Russell terrier, Fred, out for the exercise and play time. "He loves it," she said, "and it gets him to expel a lot of his energy and to interact with the other dogs. He picked it up fairly quickly and has made a really good part of the team." Jill Speier cheers on Emma, her black lab mix. Speier says she is beginning to see the dividends of her hard work; already, Emma is a better listener. "It's very exciting to see your hard work because we have been working over a year on it," Speier said. "She is a much better dog since she has been doing this." Melissa Richardson brings Oz, another Jack Russell, for the owner-dog bonding experience. But there's plenty of dog- to-dog bonding, too. "When she sees them running, she gets really excited and she can't wait for it to be her turn," Richardson said. Owners say they enjoy the benefits, too. "If we're not doing this, we're couch potatoes," Taub said. "The fun thing about the sport is everybody is a dog lover, and they enjoy playing with their dog," Angela Castro said. "It's a lot of fun. When we let these dogs go in the backyard, they play together like a big ole bunch of kids." CV The fun-loving Freedom Flyers are looking for more members. The team meets on Sundays. For more information, call 273.3624. curious?

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