It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's ... a Flying Dog?

The Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge is a nationwide competition featuring the coolest dogs and their devoted parents.

The eye-popping event features agility, diving dog, flying disc and racing competitions, and the national finals are held every year at Purina Farms near St. Louis. These photos are from the event in Huntington Beach, Calif., on Saturday, May 31, but don’t worry — you can still see the amazing competition as it’s being aired on local TV stations all across the U.S. during July and August, so check out the listings below.

(All photos courtesy of Purina Pro Plan/Gus Ruelas)

dog — Smoke, a 7-year-old Chesapeake Bay retriever, flies through the air during the Incredible ‘Fetch It!’ event at the Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge in Huntington Beach, Calif.

Bulldog — Bijou, a 2-year-old French bulldog, jumps through hoops during the competition for the Small Dog Agility event.

dog — Cochiti, an 8-year-old Whippet, soaring high above the water while competing in the Diving Dog event.

dogs — Jack Russell Terriers race against each other in the Jack Russell Hurdle Race.

dog — Todd Murnan and his Belgian Malinois, Bella, practice Freestyle Flying Disc.

dog — Twix, a 6-year-old Vizsla, competes in the 30-Weave Up-and-Back event; she came in 3rd place.

dog — “Thank you, Dad! This was the best day ever.” John Murphy and his 6-year-old Labrador retriever, Haole, share a kiss after competing in the Surf Competition; the pair came in third place.

Local TV stations throughout the U.S. are airing the event this month and next. Here is a sampling of the upcoming dates:

July 19 CBS in Buffalo, N.Y.
July 20 CBS in Chicago
July 26 in Atlanta and ABC in Charlotte, N.C.
July 27 NBC in Albany, N.Y.
Aug 2 ABC in Binghamton, N.Y. and TheCW in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Aug 3 NBC Boise, Idaho
Aug 16 NBC in Casper, Wyo. and Cheyenne, Wyo.

For more information, visit the Events Calendar.

Dorri Olds is a contributing journalist for TheBlot Magazine.