Jump to content
BC Boards

Dock Jumping


Recommended Posts

Does anyone here participate in dock jumping?

 

Secret is a water nut. She is the only one of my dogs who will go out to swim for the fun of it (vs. chasing a toy). She has made some fairly spectacular leaps off a bank, but we have never had the chance to play on a dock before. Despite this fact, I decided it would be fun to enter her & Luke (who is a known plopper, but I'm bringing him for "moral support," lol) in a fun little dock jumping competition at the state fair next month.

 

With that event looming, I thought maybe it wouldn't hurt to try to find a suitable dock to play on in our area. We went and played last night and Secret did great -- I have found one area in her life in which there is no fear. :D It was super fun!

 

Here's a still I got off the video!

post-11040-002990900 1311093314_thumb.jpg

 

The dock got slippery pretty quickly and affected her jumping, so I'm looking forward to seeing what she does on a carpeted dock with better traction. I can see how people get hooked on the sport, though. B)

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We looove dock diving! Kes is 1 leg away from his Senior title in Dock Dogs and placed second in his very first trial with a jump of 19'9"! :D

 

We just had a practice session last night at the local marina and my malinois pup, Aeri, actually jumped off the dock for the first time. At our last club practice she just hung off the end and wouldn't jump, so this is a huge leap (pun intended!). :)

 

Pics from last night:

 

267523_10100673869392268_13703859_61237898_5776114_n.jpg

 

284848_10100673881842318_13703859_61238204_7196624_n.jpg

 

eta: Here's my video from Kes' first competition. ;)

 

Keep in mind that if the competition is in a pool vs a lake you may see Secret hesitate more - some dogs really don't like seeing the end or how clear the water is, so take advantage of the practice time to familiarize her with the set up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, that was seriously cool to watch -- Thanks so much for sharing! I can't believe that was Kestrel's FIRST competition. He's awesome! I'll be happy if Secret jumps 1/3 that well. :D

 

The woman who runs the BC rescue where Secret came from is very involved in dock jumping and has given me a lot of pointers -- Much like you said, that I shouldn't be surprised if she reacts totally differently up on the dock/pool vs. at the lake or river. It makes me feel better that she literally showed zero hesitation her first time going off the dock last night, but I know that doesn't mean everything will be roses at the competition.

 

I don't know what to expect -- It's something that's going on at the State Fair, so I don't know how serious or structured it is compared to other dock jumping competitions. The entry information doesn't mention anything whatsoever about practice time or how much you get to use the dock aside from your 90 seconds and two tries per wave. Because of this, I did enter them in the maximum of three waves each -- just because if they don't offer practice time, I figured they'd at least get a few more tries at it. (I will be shocked if Luke makes it more than 2'....).

 

My friend also keeps reassuring me that they get separated into divisions based on how far they jump, so that I shouldn't worry about Secret being lumped in with dogs that jump 20' --- But again, this entry mentions nothing about divisions, so I have no idea what they are doing. Ultimately, I'm going because I've always wanted to give it a try and "formal" dock jumping competitions never seem to fit into my work/agility schedule. So if we have fun, we win! :lol:

 

Thanks again for sharing -- super awesome pictures and video.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks - I had a blast watching the video myself since I usually just see Kes' butt. ;)

 

Who is putting your event on? If it's Dock Dogs, I know that they have open practice generally an hour before each wave. You are usually limited to one jump or 3 minutes in practice if the event is a big one, but if it's lower turnout you can often get in more time or multiple practice jumps. When you get there, ask around - DD people are generally pretty friendly ime.

 

Dock Dogs competitions *always* divide up by division, even in the Finals. Divisions in Dock Dogs are:

 

Novice 0'1" - 9'11"

Junior 10'0" - 14'11"

Senior 15'0" - 19'11"

Master 20'0" - 22'11"

Elite 23'0" - 24'11"

Super Elite 25' and above

 

That means that even a plopper like Luke should have no trouble getting a title, as long as he actually gets into the water off of the dock! :) Other venues do have different rules, so finding out who is putting on the event would be quite useful to you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's being put on by some outfit called "Pier Pups."

 

http://www.wik9sportshow.com/Pierpups.html

 

I can't make it over to the WI K9 Sport Show deal because I have a trial that weekend, but I saw on that page that they were offering it at the State Fair -- And since my Monday - Friday job is pretty easy to get off (yay for the family business), I decided to go for it.

 

These are the rules for the fair:

 

http://www.wistatefair.com/pdfs/competitions/entry_info/open_entry/other_contests/DOG_JUMPING.pdf

 

So yeah, it pretty much says nothing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow you're right! Sounds like a freestanding group, so anything goes. It also sounds like there is no division formatting, so that's kind of a bummer, but I'm sure you guys will have a blast anyway! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great videos - for both the dogs. And I love little Kaiser with his vest!!

 

I do not participate with my dog (although he may like it since he is not afraid of water, I just don't have anwhere to try it out.), but I have been to several competitions as an observer. It's fun to watch both the more experienced dogs who will jump 20'+ and also the newbies who do sometimes plop in the water. All dogs get enthusiastic applause.

 

Funny story: I did attend one competition at the WV State Fair. I think it was Splash Dogs. The start time was delayed about 30 minutes while they were waiting for some late-arriving competitors. My husband and I had arrived in time to get a good seat up high in the bleachers. We happened to sit next to the guys who were running the camera and computer to measure the dives - and so I started asking them some questions while we were waiting. (They also demo'd how the camera and software worked for measuring the dives. Pretty Neat!)

 

They told us a funny story about one competition in the Midwest (Arkansas, Nebraska?? I forget). As you know, dogs dive best for their favorite toy. One of the competitors came up for his turn, and before the staff could react and stop him, threw out a LIVE RACCOON for his dog to dive after. Apparently there was no rule that prohibited using live animals as 'toys' - but there was soon thereafter! (Who would have thought that anyone would even try that?)

 

I have no idea if they DQ'd him or not, but the shock of seeing the live raccoon really etched the incident into their minds.

 

Jovi

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love watching dock diving. Both videos were great! The dogs looked like they were having a lot of fun.

 

Neither of my dogs would enjoy it. Bear loves water, but only if he can touch the bottom and dig in it...he's very careful to test the depth before he gets in. Meg only gets in if its really hot...I've never seen her actually swim, just wade and splash a bit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DH and I went to an event a few years back. People could just bring their dogs the day of the competition. It was obvious some people (and their dogs) had never done it before. One poor Lab jumped in, then panicked, swam to the side of the tank and they had to drag him out. He was totally freaked.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The videos are awesome! Ive never thought about doing this as a sport, but it looks so fun. And, I didn't realize that there are titles to be earned. Can anyone recommend any 'getting started' links? I think my biggest issue would be my inability to throw.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always recommend that people check out the venues: Splash Dogs, DockDogs, Ultimate Air Dogs, etc. You can often find a local club and/or events to watch so you can get a more handson start. We found a local club and then a marina willing to let us use their docks after hours and the rest is history. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you are that close to Purina Farms, you should have oodles of opportunities to try out the sport! Off the top of my head, I know they are running at the UKC Gateway event in October, but I wouldn't be surprised if they have something going on a few times a month there.

 

Events are typically about 3-5 hours for me, sadly, which is why I have yet to get to one. We don't have any clubs in this area that are involved in the sport. It's hard enough to find a suitable dock (that isn't being used by boats, lol).

 

I've always loved watching dock jumping on t.v., so I'm looking forward to seeing it in person finally, and trying it out!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Erin, that is so cool! Your video makes me want to try dock diving. I don't know which one of mine would actually do it, though. Wick is terrified of water, and Lou is pretty lazy. I guess that leaves Mr Versatility, Rex! Off to find somewhere that does this. Thanks for posting that!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One of the competitors came up for his turn, and before the staff could react and stop him, threw out a LIVE RACCOON for his dog to dive after. Apparently there was no rule that prohibited using live animals as 'toys' - but there was soon thereafter! (Who would have thought that anyone would even try that?)

 

Well, I admit it has crossed my mind in passing ... I always said Woo would have been a stellar flyball dog if only they would let me use a live squirrel in the box instead of a ball ;-) I jest of course ... I would never have done it, but it was tempting!

 

Mr. Woo has been to dock diving practice and did very well, as he loves to both jump and he loves to jump in the water. But I could never get it together to go to practice enough. Plus, practice was in a K9 H20 therapy pool, and nobody holds competitions here as there's nowhere to really do it :(

 

3032879387_156d54d876_z.jpg

 

However, a little kelpie X cattle dog I placed a few years back ended up moving to Australia and became the inaugural dock diving champion of the country, also beating the distance record for the UK in the process. That warmed my heart :)

 

I am jealous of all your dock diving opportunities. I would so love for little Woo to find his niche, other than bunny killing ;-)

 

RDM

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So I read this thread last night and went off to google "Dock Dogs" to see if there might possibly be something in my area (there is never anything closer than an hour away for me and more often it's at least twice that)

 

I found an Ultimate Air Dogs event a half hour away in a couple weeks. I'm seriously thinking about checking it out just for kicks. I have to email them to see what's involved with giving it a try. Kenzi loves toy and loves water so it might be something fun to try out for a day.

 

y'all are a bunch of enablers :lol::lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lucky you! From what I've read, Ultimate Air Dogs is a great group and very inviting to newbies. They offer the most amount of practice time of anyone out there -- So even if you only enter one wave, apparently you can stay and use the dock for practice the rest of the day (waiting your turn, of course).

 

UAD is also UKC sanctioned, so if your dog is UKC registered you can earn titles.

 

The first UAD event in my area is at a pet expo in March, I think. I do believe I'll have to try to get to that this year!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mwahahahaha I am converting more people to dock diving (evil grin here). ;) It really is a fun sport, very newbie friendly, and fairly easy to get into.

 

Here's a link to Dixie Dock Dogs - they have articles on training for those who are interested in getting started but don't have a club nearby: http://www.dixiedockdogs.com/dock-diving.php

 

If anyone is in NC and wants to come watch the dogs and I train or wants to give it a try themselves at our marina (in Stokesdale), just let me know - we're always looking for local friends! Just this week I got Becca and Sam out to play around on the docks for the second time and everyone had a blast, even if one of Becca's shoes escaped. ;)

 

eta: Further enabling - Dock Dogs events (not sure about the other venues) actually *pay* for placements in the finals in each division. Kes basically paid his entries at his first trial! I can think of very few dog sports that actually have cash prizes, let alone $100, $75, and $50 for 1st-3rd places in each division!

 

And just for fun, a pic I forgot to upload until today, from our first competition. :)

 

284710_10100675839843468_13703859_61274361_3603651_n.jpg

(photo by Shutter Paws Photography)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am another that would love to get into Dock Diving. Brody loves the activity, he and my husband practice all the time, of docks and banks but the nearest competition is up in Maine 5 plus hours. Seems silly to live by the water and have no dock diving. I am sure there are loads of dogs and owners in Rhode Island that would love to try.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's probaby the warmest day of the year here. And there is a river practically in the back yard. So instead of playing regular fetch in the river this evening, I decided to see if either Kipp or Kenzi would jump off a log after it instead.

 

Kipp really, really wanted the toy, but nope, he wasn't jumping off the log to get it. I think he is convinced tha the water might eat him if he can't touch bottom.

 

Kenzi was a bit different - with a little encouragment she splashed off the log, after a couple of splashes, she started to really jump for the toy :D not huge distances, but 6-8 feet so it was decent jump. Not quite a dock, but I think I've got a new summer game to play with her!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yay Kenzi!

 

Kes used to be like Kipp, so don't give up yet! At Kes' first CDD practice he jumped once, went under, and decided he was never jumping off another dock ever again. You can see how that ended. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I took Tempe to a dock diving open practice/training. Considering her excessive fears of many things I didn't really expect that much considering once I got there and realized how disorganized this was going to be... Now Tempe does LOVE swimming and it is probably her favorite activity so I at least had hope.

 

With the all the barking dogs in a smallish bldg, Tempe was stressed (yes she is afraid of barking) and dogs would not just bark but also lunge over the wall. I had to "push" her in a couple times but she finally at least jumped in on her own but not very far. I was still proud of her though because the place and all the crazy dogs could be very intimidating to even the stable temperament dogs. She was even starting to want to go to the dock location instead of trying to leave.

 

I want to go back again but it is almost a 3 hr drive one way and they days they have done it I have had other plans.

 

We are trying to get our new above ground pool up and running so may have to see about making a "dock" just to get her used to it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yay Tempe! I know someone who made a minidock for their home pool, so it's def doable!

 

New video for your ogling pleasure! Last weekend was supposed to be a competition at our club's lake, but the water level was waaaay too low (41" below the dock surface vs the regulation fof 24" or less!!) so it was converted to a fun jump. We had a new personal best of 21'06", due in part to the low water level, but Kes was jumping nicely, too. :)

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...