Dog Wild

If there’s anything better than having a pack of talented dogs putting on a show at the New York State Fair, it’s having two high-flying canine carnivals going on. That’s the case this year with the Extreme Canines show returning, this year in the Sports Activity Center in front of the Coliseum, and the new Mutts Gone Nuts romping in the Youth Activity Center, near the kiddie midway.

Though the Extreme Canines tour is a bit more professional with its flying Frisbee catchers and high-jump pooches, the Mutts put more emphasis on humor as the dogs get laughs at the expense of the human emcee, making just as much fun. The show comes from Baltimore with a cast of rescue dogs who do flying disk tricks, hoop-jumping, “talking” and barrel rolls. Their nimble Charley climaxes the performance by walking a wire, actually two wires, still pretty good for a four-legged athlete.

The trainer knows that the kids in the audience will want to try these antics with their own dogs, so he inserts a brief lesson in getting Fido to play Frisbee. Bring your camera (as our Nick LoPresti did) for this act.