Dock Diving

If your dog likes the water, dock diving may be just the activity you’re looking for to help the two of you bond.  A relatively new sport, dock diving was developed as filler material for ESPN.  It has since evolved to become one of the fastest-growing sports for dogs.

The most popular dock diving event is called Big Air.  The dog is put in a sit-stay at the dry end of a 40-foot dock.  The handler goes to the other end of the dock with the dog’s favorite toy.  The handler then has 90 seconds to entice the dog to run down the dock and take a flying leap into the water.  the goal is distance, with winners often splashing down in excess of 25 feet from the end of the dock.

All three competitions are held both indoors and outdoors throughout the year, although most of the action occurs during warm weather months.  Check out the Dock Dogs site for a listing of upcoming events.  Dock Diving International is the sanctioning body for all events, although local events are organized by affiliate clubs.  If you have some time, read the blog posts written by Frodad (Frodo’s dad).  He has a two-parter tongue-in-cheek piece about the origins of dock diving that is absolutely hysterical.

Many competitions have open registration, and most clubs welcome first-timers to competitions and practices tos ee if your dog is interested in the water.

Beware!  Once your dog gets into the water,  you may never be able to get him or her out!  Then it’s time to buy the RV so you can travel to competitions nationwide.  In 2010 the national championship (presented by Royal Canin) will be held in Dubuque, Iowa on October15th – 17th.

Stihl’s Dogs and Logs World Championship is held each year in Stillwater, Minnesota during the month of July.  This event, covered by The Outdoor Channel combines a lumberjack competition and the best of dock diving.

Extreme Vertical competitions are a variation on the Big Air idea.  In Extreme Vertical, a Flappy toy is suspended eight feet out from the end of the dock, over the water.  Each competitor is put in a sit-stay ont he dock, then encouraged to run down the dock and jump high enough to grab the toy, or at least knock it off of its hooks.  The height of the toy is raised after each round, with dogs being eliminated when they can no longer reach the toy.  The winning dog is the one who survives through the most rounds, achieving the highest successful jump.

For Speed Retreive competitions, a toy is floated in the pool  38 feet from the end of the dock.  The dog runs down the dock, leaps into the pool, swims out and retrieves the toy, then swims back to the dock.  The dog with the fastest time from the 20-foot mark on the dock until he or she grabs the toy wins.