Ker-splash! What evokes images of summer fun better than a lake, a pier, a tennis ball, and the wagging of your friend’s tail? Take all the wonderful things about an athletic pup shooting off the end of a pier, laser-focused on that ball, sailing through the air and landing with a fantastic splash, and add a bit more to it in a competitive dog event, and you have yourself. Dock Dogging!
What is Dock Dogs about?
In the year 2000, “Big Air” dogs were a filler event at ESPN’s Great Outdoor Games. No one really expected it to take off (excuse the pun) the way it did, but the event ended up drawing huge numbers of spectators and a traffic-stopping level of attention. Since then, an organization to create formal standards and competitions has emerged and the popularity continues to rise. Known as dock jumping, dock diving, or “splashing dogs,” this sport has become incredibly popular in both the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as other places around the world.
Details please!
There are three main Dock Dogs events: Big Air, Extreme Vertical, and Speed Retrieve. The Speed Swim, a fourth event has been added this year. Each event is scored separately and dogs may enter any or any combination of events in a Dock Dogs competition.
Big Air is described by the folks at Dock Dogs as “a natural extension of having fun with your dog.” In the Big Air event, the dog can start anywhere on the pier and, on command, run up the pier, jump off the end into the air (chasing a toy), and jump as far as possible from the edge of the pier. dock.
The Speed Retrieve event requires a specific start point within 20 feet of the end of the pier. The dog’s job is to run down the dock, jump, and swim as fast as possible to the end of the pool.
In the Extreme Vertical event, the dog can start anywhere in front of the 20-foot mark on the dock. A “bumper” (soft floating toy) is suspended 8 feet from the dock and at the start of the event is held 4.5 feet high (as measured from the dock). The dog has to run down the dock, jump high and grab the bumper or throw it into the water. As the dogs succeed with this, the bumper rises higher and higher.
The new event, Speed Swim, is a swimming race for dogs. From a stop at the end of the pier, the dog must jump off and swim to the end of the pool.
What types of dogs can compete in a Dock Dogs competition?
The question really is what types of homeowners can participate, and the answer might surprise you. Owners must be 7 years or older, dogs must be 6 months or older, and after that, no restrictions! Dock Dogs is a sport that an owner with physical limitations can enjoy with their dog. Since you as a human don’t need to run, jump, or swim, you can help your dog get great exercise, enjoy tough competition, and have a great time, even from a wheelchair.
Large, athletic dogs will have an advantage, as will dogs with a natural affinity for water and a strong drive to “play.” For a dog to compete successfully, he needs to have a strong take off, ideally pushing himself off the end of the dock with his toes. But even the smallest or least athletic dogs can compete, have fun, and enjoy the excitement of the cheering crowd at a Dock Dogs event.
