Incredible Dog Team amazes with canine capers

Every dog can be incredible, according to John Casey, trainer for the team.
By MARALINE KUBIK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
CANFIELD -- Five canine acrobats will showcase their talents during performances at this year's Canfield Fair.
Breezy, Teagan, Jazz, Hannah and Ziggy, members of the high-flying Nestle Purina & reg; Dog Chow & reg; Incredible Dog Team, will show off by completing back flips, headstands and back vaults and jumping 15 feet into the air to snare flying discs in high-energy performances set to music.
Trainer John Casey and the team not only entertain, but educate audiences about animal care and training.
Every dog can be incredible, according to Casey, who adopted two of his dogs -- Hannah, a 2-year-old Australian shepherd-border collie mix, and Ziggy, a 1-year-old Australian shepherd -- from animal shelters.
Breezy, a 10-year-old Australian shepherd, is a three-time regional finalist in disc-catching competitions and has performed at half-time during NBA and NFL games, according to Charles Leone, a publicist for the team.
Teagan, an 8-year-old Australian shepherd, "is just a whiz," Leone said. He is also a three-time regional finalist and a two-time world finalist in flying disc competitions.
Training for eight years
Casey is from Cincinnati and has been training, competing and performing with dogs for eight years. When he is not traveling with his team, Casey works as a carpenter.
Among the places the Incredible Dog team has performed this year are Chicago; Los Angeles; Dallas; St. Louis; San Francisco; Cleveland; Indianapolis; St. Petersburg, Fla.; Vail, Colo.; Baton Rouge, La.; and New York.
The Nestle Purina & reg; Dog Chow & reg; Incredible Dog Team will be on display in the southwest corner of the fairgrounds all day every day of the fair.
Performances are at noon, 3 and 8 p.m. and are sponsored by The Vindicator.
Nestle Purina Pet Care Co., headquartered in St. Louis, is the world's largest manufacturer of dry dog and cat food and semimoist cat food.
kubik@vindy.com