Canine calisthenics

Jigsaw the Boston terrier could never be show material. With one blue eye and one brown eye, she'd be kicked out of the ring on the first go-round.

That doesn't stop her from being a rocket when it comes to racing through hoops, jumping hurdles or zipping through tunnels.

"She's a maniac," says her owner, Jennifer Offinga of Portland, Ore. "She gets out there and she's very driven and wants to work. The world revolves around her."

Jigsaw is one of the Superdogs, a troop of dogs brought to Reunion Arena last weekend by the Iams Co. for a show of athletic and obedience skills.

"It just can't get any more fun, just being out here and playing," says Lorraine Jurovich of British Columbia, owner of a bearded collie named Rip. "It's not real; that's the only way I can describe it. It's unbelievable fun."

The performers are a mix of purebreds and cross-breeds, with some of the dogs having been adopted from shelters after a hard start in life. They've been taught their skills by their owners, who lead them through the show.

Backstage before the show, owners get into their costumes, '50s style rock 'n' roll outfits, matching the theme of the show.

The dogs, with names such as Diesel, Smokin' Pistol, Hairy Potter, Tonka and Einstein, get glittered up.

"Does anyone want some fairy dust?" one performer asks as she circulates with the glitter.

The performance is accompanied by a Pet Fest, in which rescue groups show off dogs available for adoption.

The Great Dane Angel Network brought four of its gentle giants, which enjoyed the constant petting while their owners endured a constant stream of horse-and-saddle jokes.

Carol Snelson, a nanny from Mesquite who's there with her adopted Dane, Merlin, smiles politely.

"I went through PetsMart once and counted the saddle comments," says Ms. Snelson, 40. "I got it 14 times.

Down the way is the Ferret Lovers' Club of Texas, demonstrating the friendliness of a few of its animals.

Austin Koliba, 9, of Allen, cradles Sebastian the ferret in his arms, gently stroking him until the weasel falls asleep.

"Guess we'll have to stay here all day," says his father, David.

There are puppies, kittens and a 154-pound Great Pyrenees, Boomer. Like the other dogs on display, he's relaxed and enjoying all the attention. With one nudge, he's on his back for a tummy rub.

Not everyone is happy with the event. Outside the arena, there's a small protest by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, who picket, accusing Iams of using a contractor that didn't properly care for animals in its nutritional research. Iams responds that it will closely monitor research to ensure the comfort of cats and dogs.

In the show ring, the emcee, who goes by the single name Chase, stages races between teams of dogs that must negotiate jumps, ramps and tunnels.

The owners sometimes use toys as bait to get the dogs moving faster. Jigsaw latches onto her toy so tightly that Ms. Offinga simply picks up the toy, dog and all, and carries the Boston off like a handbag.

Teak, a red Labrador retriever, goes through most of the show carrying a toy duck in his mouth.

"What's a retriever without a duck?" Chase asks.

At one point, Chase picks a girl from the crowd to compete against the dogs in a timed event, going through a series of hoops. She gets skunked, of course.

In some events, Chase encourages one side of the arena to root for one team, and the other for the other team.

The audience really gets into it, booing and demanding a win when a dog misses a jump or a tunnel.

"We're pretty competitive over here," says spectator Nina Lynn of Grand Prairie, who's cheering and booing with her boyfriend, Scott Sweeney. "These dogs are amazing."

One of the events that everyone cheers for is a series of jumps, each one higher and higher. One by one, the smaller dogs are withdrawn as bars are added to the jump.

Disaster strikes once, when an Australian shepherd named Red Ryder crashes into the jump, sending the bars flying and the dog limping off.

"It's always my fault," says his owner, April Hanson of Grand Rapids, Mich. "It's never the dog's fault."

She turned her shoulder while he was preparing for the jump, distracting him and making him turn, she says after the show as Ryder nestles between her legs. Another performer in the show, veterinarian Carol Helferof Portland, Ore., massages Ryder's shoulder and leg and determines that he's just bruised.

The accident means that Ryder can't do his lengthy "freestyle," or dance, performance.

But the climax of the jumping was Sprint, a borzoi-whippet mix that jumps 63 inches, tying the world indoor record, Chase says to massive applause.

"The dogs really have to be in excellent physical condition for this," says Ms. Helfer, owner of a Staffordshire bull terrier named Spam.