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Dock diving?!!!

4K views 15 replies 13 participants last post by  Hunt'EmUp 
#1 ·
I wandered over to the National Finals for the Dock diving dogs and it sure looked like a heckofa lot of fun. My colleague at work has a little toller that jumps (I'm not making this up) 22 feet. It is spooky and almost physiologically impossible. The BIG dogs (pit bulls, labs) jumped 21 feet to win their division.

Watching it is contagious and I couldn't help wonder how my dog would do. But, their method doesn't seem compatible for a hunting retriever. The dog sits (creeps) 20 feet back from the edge and at a signal, as he races past them, the owners toss their toy into the tank. It looks to me like it would teach my dog to break or otherwise mess with her line manners.

Are there any folks that do both HT's and DD?
 
#4 ·
My big boy would rather dock dive than retrieve! He has a fairly graceful leap for a sizeable lab. His longest jump is 21' 7"! I have no idea how to improve it or anything of that nature, so we just let him have fun. I've entered a couple competitions with him, but it was just hunting shows or bassmaster events where they had the pools available. I was in Montgomery and a German Shorthair Pointer jumped over 25 feet :eek:... Dogs definitely love it and for mine especially, he gets amped up with the other dogs around and has to show off. I don't pass up on the docks if I run across a local event.
 
#5 · (Edited)
I have done it a couplt times with my dogs. Thor's best jump was over 23 feet. I doubt I will do it again. Some people take it to serious and thinks the "titles" from dock diving mean more then what they really are.



Thor with his 1st place ribbon.


Getting Thor ready to jump.
 
#8 ·
I have done it a couplt times with my dogs. Thor's best jump was over 23 feet. I doubt I will do it again. Some people take it to serious and thinks the "titles" from dock diving mean more then what they really are.
http://s30.photobucket.com/user/sbemax4/media/christine019.jpg.html

http://s30.photobucket.com/user/sbemax4/media/dd167.jpg.html
Thor with his 1st place ribbon.
http://s30.photobucket.com/user/sbemax4/media/christine140.jpg.html
http://s30.photobucket.com/user/sbemax4/media/delmarva001.jpg.html
Getting Thor ready to jump.
http://s30.photobucket.com/user/sbemax4/media/delmarva028.jpg.html
Thank you for your comment on titles. It's been my issue with the game for years. It's a ton of fun, my dogs love it, but it's a game. Not a whole lotta training involved. They either jump big or they don't. Don't tell the short jumpers though. They all think they flew 30 feet.

My golden has a 22' personal best my husbands lab went high 23' range.

Ann
 
#6 ·
I think the picture of your dog jumping with his legs extended behind him is very interesting. This little toller I mentioned does that and her jumps are way longer than any other toller on record (and yes, they keep these sorts of records.) I believe that it's typical for labs to jump and pull their back legs up under them.

Clearly the dogs were thrilled to be doing it. (And it's cool that little old Reno was the home of the "national championships".) Seemed to me like everyone was pulling for the dogs and giving each one a big hand.
 
#12 ·
My SH CBR loves it! He's an elite jumper, invited to the worlds last yr. His personal best is 23'11. We do it strictly for fun, a few times a year. His big thrill is the crowd- loves to have people cheer for him. However, he's going to be 9 yrs in a couple weeks, and his jumps are getting shorter and he's slowing down a bit. Dog Mammal Canidae Dog breed Snout
 
#13 ·
I've done it with my CL he loves it. His best jump was 17'7". I saw a lab two summers ago come off shoulder surgery and jump 28'+. It was incredible. As far as training goes it shouldn't mess up your dog. I consider it like giving your dog fun bumpers into a pool.


Dock jumping Dog Canidae Jumping Dog sports


Canidae Dog Water resources Dog breed Carnivore


Vertebrate Mammal Dog Canidae Water
 
#14 ·
My boy loves it, too. Hasn't interfered with his line manners, breaking, or being steady to flush. We've met some awesome people doing it, too.
A quick story...at a dock diving event, I accidentally threw the bumper past the end of the pool into the bleachers. My boy did a great jump, swam to the end, and tried to climb out of the pool to get the bumper. Luckily someone grabbed it and tossed it into the pool for him.
As he and I were walking back to the crating area, someone said to me with a grin, "force fetched?????"
 
#15 ·
I enjoy it. It's something to do in the middle of the summer when it is really hot. My favorite dog is an English Bull dog named Percilla that jumps around 9.5'. She needs a life jacket, or the dog will sink.
 
#16 ·
Mine love it, only I could never get them to go out, and not just up, so we do the vertical instead. Dock diver people are a bit of a strange set ;) I don't think I could do it all the time, but when the docks up we will stop by. The dogs know the difference so don't worry about that ;).
 
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