NICE CATCH; TOP DOGS PIT SKILLS AT FRISBEE.

Byline: Jesse Hiestand Staff Writer

Jaeleen Sattler's border collie Splash tore across the turf at a canine Frisbee competition Saturday, leaping five feet in a blur of white fur to snatch a plastic saucer in her jaws.

Sighs of awe and envy washed through the crowd of more than 300 dog lovers, many with families and furry friends in tow, who lined the field at the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park on Victory Boulevard in Reseda.

But Sattler, like several other competitors, came off the field somewhat disappointed with her performance in the first round of the 1999 Friskies Alpo Canine Frisbee Disc Championships.

This was serious business - a shot at competing in the world championships on the line and a few bad throws or missed catches could derail those dreams.

Splash, still a puppy, just wagged her tail.

``Sometimes you have good days, sometimes bad,'' said Sattler, 36, a fourth-grade teacher from Whittier. ``But you know the dogs don't care. That's what's so great about it. They're just so excited to be out there.''

No question about that, said Doug Heffner, 46, a construction superintendent from Acton whose 3-year-old golden retriever mix Maggie went from catching Frisbees in the front yard to being a fierce competitor.

``It's the only thing she lives for,'' said Heffner. ``She'd trade me in for a Frisbee if she could.''

Fifty-four teams took part in Saturday's competition, which was open to anyone living west of the Mississippi and drew people from Texas, Oregon and Arizona.

Both amateur and advanced teams took part in three rounds before three judges.

The winners were expected to get an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., next month for the world championships.

Reigning world champion Bob Evans, a Dallas native, and his Australian shepherd, Luke, came to Reseda on Saturday for their last chance to qualify for the finals after a poor showing at an earlier competition in Houston.

``The competition gets tougher ever year,'' said Evans, who at 66 is the oldest world champion. ``We have all these young kids that can do all that fancy stuff without running out of air.''

Indeed, moves like back flips, vaults and multiple catches can draw big points for their acrobatic style.

The sport has come a long way in the 25 years since an Ohio man snuck his now-famous whippet, Ashley, into Dodger Stadium during a televised game and started playing Frisbee on the field with the dog during the seventh inning stretch.

That defining moment in the sport's history was followed the next year by the first canine Frisbee competition. The sport has grown in popularity ever since, particularly in the United State and Japan, said an organizer of Saturday's competition, one-time world champion Peter Bloeme.

``Dogs naturally love to run, jump, chase things and use their mouths,'' Bloeme said. ``It's like they're hunting the disc - tracking and chasing it.''

The breeds that seem to do best at catching Frisbees are border collies, Australian shepherds, Labradors and good old mutts, he said.

``Generally speaking people think of mutts as healthier, smarter dogs because they have to be to survive,'' Bloeme said.

Many spectators were resigned to the fact that their dog, however talented otherwise, was just not cut out to catch Frisbees.

``She has trouble catching her food,'' E.A. Berman, 75, of Reseda said of Natasha, a 3-year-old Doberman//Labrador.

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Photo

PHOTO Owen leaps over his owner, Pon Saradeth, during the event at the off-leash dog park in Reseda.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer