Gone To The Dogs
Canine Stars Steal the Show
by Jim Evans

Ashley Hoskins probably didn’t know what she was getting into when she married Don "Rocket" Hoskins 22 years ago last month, but it was love at first sight when they were introduced to each other one fateful day by a friend in Carlsbad.

They both also loved dogs, so she probably figured the odds were in her favor. After all, what else do you need to stay happily married ever after? At least if you have a little tiff with your spouse, you can always go out and throw a flying disc around with the dogs and forget about your troubles for a while, right?

Rocket won three individual World Frisbee Championships and six National Championships in his heyday but decided it was more fun with a canine partner. He teamed up with an enthusiastic whippet — a smallish dog similar to a greyhound — years ago and turned a youthful pastime into a major form of sport and entertainment.

Rocket and Ashley now maintain an entire team of dogs known as the K-9 Comets, which performs all over the county. They have appeared in numerous NBA and NFL halftime events and at schools and other public venues everywhere — including the Super Bowl — and most recently at Ramona Elementary School.

Don and Ashley Hoskins have appeared on the “Today Show,” “Good Morning America,” and numerous NBA and NFL halftime events all over the country.

They have appeared on the "Today Show," CNN, MSNBC, "Good Morning America," ESPN, and Fox News, among others, captivating crowds with their canine performers. They also have appeared in several feature films with their extraordinary form of entertainment.

"But we enjoy performing at elementary schools most of all," Ashley said. "There’s just something special about the natural enthusiasm of young children and their affection for dogs, and we always have so much fun with them."

Their ranch in Ramona is the only Frisbee flying disc dog ranch and training facility of its kind anywhere. Their six primary dog "stars" perform an array of incredible aerial acrobatics and speed catches.

"We work mostly with working breeds and retrievers because they are just better suited to the type of entertainment that we do," Ashley said, " but we have worked with virtually every breed at one time or another."

Their current team of stars is an international menagerie of breeds, including Australian cattle dogs, Chesapeake Bay retrievers, Australian kelpies and a standard poodle.

"We even used a Saint Bernard once," Ashley recalled, laughing, "but by the time he finally lumbered to the Frisbee, it had already landed on the ground. When he brought it back to us, we could hardly see it because his mouth was so big that it covered almost the entire Frisbee!"

Yuck! Only a true dog lover could appreciate that.

How do they train a dog to chase a flying disc? "We usually don’t have to teach an adult dog to chase a Frisbee — they either do it or they don’t," Ashley said. "Some dogs just aren’t natural chasers. But we start working with the puppies when they are 8 weeks old by rolling the Frisbee along the ground and teaching them to retrieve it. Then, as they mature, they have gotten used to playing with the Frisbee and seem to really enjoy it."

The Hoskins use a Wham-O "Fastback" Frisbee flying disc for most of their performances.

"We have found that it just seems to have the right weight and profile for entertaining and is generally easier for the dogs to catch," Ashley said. But it is not necessary to buy special equipment or even have a certain breed of dog to enjoy playing it with your dog.

"Just have fun with your pet and enjoy the interaction," she said. "It’s really all about fun anyway."

To see photos of some of the spectacular aerial acrobatics performed by the K-9 Comets, visit www.frisbeedogshow.com or call (800) 427-7117 to schedule a performance at your next event.

Yes, believe it or not, dogs can really fly to catch a disc — unless they are Saint Bernards, of course!