Christi first discovered the disc dog sport in the early ‘90’s, when she was looking for a job for her Australian Shepherd puppy, Wally. She knew from past experience that living peacefully with an active, intelligent herding dog requires training and plenty of mental and physical exercise, and frisbee was a perfect fit. She earned several obedience titles with Wally, and dabbled in agility and herding, but they both preferred playing frisbee and so she chose to place her focus there, as her time during grad school was limited.

Christi also volunteered for Australian Shepherd Rescue and her frisbee champion, Rider, was her first foster dog and an immediate foster-failure. Upon moving to Colorado, she and Rider dominated the local frisbee dog scene, winning 6 consecutive state championships from 1998-2003. During that time, Christi and Rider also won the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge National Championship, the UFO European Freestyle Championship and the Quad-Quad long-distance championship. In 2003, Christi and Rider began traveling internationally to compete, perform and teach disc dog seminars.

 

Wally retired from high-level competition in 2002 and Rider retired in 2005.  Both dogs enjoyed a few more years of performing at demos, shows and local competitions.  For the next several years after Rider’s retirement, Christi switched her focus to judging – local, national, international and world championship events.  She returned to competition in 2012, winning her 7th and 8th State Championships with Banner in 2015 and 2016, and her 9th with Djinn in 2017.  Also in 2017, Christi became the third female disc-dogger ever to be inducted into the Ashley Whippet Hall of Fame.

Christi and her FLYNDOGS have appeared on NBC, ESPN, ESPN2, USA Network, and other national networks, as well as numerous local TV channels and in a national ad campaign. The FLYNDOGS were a fixture at the Denver Outlaws Major League Lacrosse games for more than a decade, and regularly perform for the Denver Broncos, Colorado Rockies and Denver Nuggets, as well as many other sporting events, including: Major League Baseball All-Star Home Run Derby, National Soccer League, National Lacrosse League, Rugby League International, Arena Football League, and College Football and Basketball. These amazing frisbee dogs have entertained audiences all over the world in such diverse venues as international dog shows, comedy clubs, zoos, stock shows and rodeos, state and county fairs, corporate events, fundraisers, birthday parties and shopping malls.

 

Christi teaches group classes and private lessons for pet owners who are interested in training with their dogs, enhancing the human-animal bond, relationship-building and problem-solving.  She uses positive training methods involving no force, fear or pain.  Christi and Chris are also available for frisbee dog lessons, camps and seminars all over the globe.  Contact us for details.

 

 

Chris began competing in the sport of canine disc in 1995, and in 1996 he co-founded the Northern Colorado Disc Dogs, which eventually merged with the Front Range Flyers to become the Colorado Disc Dogs, one of the premier frisbee dog clubs in the nation.

Since 2000, Chris has been instrumental in the planning and operations of the UFO World Cup Championship Series, the first international points series in canine disc competition, with events held annually all over the planet.

 

 

Chris has been very successful in competition with his dogs, including a Quadruped Long Distance National Championship with his talented dog Laika, and three State Freestyle Champion titles and 10 World Finals appearances with his amazing fris-beast Banzai.  Chris is a member of the Ashley Whippet Hall of Fame, and is internationally recognized as a top competitor, organizer, judge and pillar of the sport.   He has performed with his dogs in hundreds of sporting events, and shows all over the world, including as a feature performer at 6 Flags Elitch’s theme park one summer.

Chris and his incredible dogs have traveled the world performing, competing and teaching others how to play frisbee with their dogs in such far-off places as Canada, Europe, Japan, Korea and China.