# Who's involved in DockDogs?



## vcm5 (Apr 20, 2011)

Wow!! Quite a jump! I do not participate but I see several dogs regularly at the park who do - they say they have a blast!


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

Caue and I competed once and had a blast. The workers were pros and made it a great experience. I hope to get the chance to do it again soon.


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## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

It was soo fun! Dooley learned to jump the same day he took a first place and the next day a second place in novice. I can't wait for them to come back to our local fair as that is the only time they are within a reasonable driving distance. This year I am going to enter Tag, he should FLY!

The people running the event will help you get your dog jumping right away, so no prior training is really necessary. Just make sure JJ likes the water!


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## Phoebe's mom (Jan 17, 2012)

I want to get my dogs into Ontario dock dogs but it's hard to go to training sessiOns and meets. They are so far!! It would be great though


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## Enzos_Mom (Apr 8, 2010)

What city are you in? We don't do Dock Dogs because they only allow 1 person on the dock...my husband and I both like to participate and Enzo's sit-stay is hopeless when he's presented with water. lol So, we jump with Ultimate Air Dogs, which allows 2 people on the dock. I hold Enzo back while my husband goes to the end of the dock to throw his toy as Enzo gets to him. UAD is owned by Milt Wilcox, who was one of the pitchers for the Detroit Tigers when they won the World Series back in the 80's.  UAD also just started UAD Canada, so they'll be adding more events shortly!


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## JDK (Jul 30, 2011)

Enzos_Mom said:


> What city are you in? We don't do Dock Dogs because they only allow 1 person on the dock...my husband and I both like to participate and Enzo's sit-stay is hopeless when he's presented with water. lol So, we jump with Ultimate Air Dogs, which allows 2 people on the dock. I hold Enzo back while my husband goes to the end of the dock to throw his toy as Enzo gets to him. UAD is owned by Milt Wilcox, who was one of the pitchers for the Detroit Tigers when they won the World Series back in the 80's.  UAD also just started UAD Canada, so they'll be adding more events shortly!


I live in Westchester County, NY, but the event was in Dutchess County. Millerton to be exact, which is about an hour from where I live. Unfortunately, that's the only event this year that's within reasonable driving distance from which. Most of the other ones are a good 3-4 hours away. If I was going to compete and enter the Eastern Regional, I would make the trip, but it's a little far to travel as a spectator. 

There's a DockDogs club at the place the event was held, where there's a regulation dock and pool that's free to use by members of the club. I believe it's $250 a year to become a club member. That doesn't seem bad considering I could shoot up there on the weekends and take full advantage of the pool throughout the spring and summer. Even if we weren't going to travel to every event in the Northeast, I'm sure JJ would just like to go up there and jump in the water with the other dogs.

I'm not familiar with Ultimate Air Dogs, I'll have to look into that one. I'm not quite sure how JJ's sit-stay will work out when he sees a big pool of water in front of him. I guess that's what the practices are for though.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

We love to dock jump, but I do NOT like extreme vertical. I've seen too many dogs come down on their backs doing it, and it looks like the potential for injury is huge.


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## TheCrewAndUs (Sep 11, 2011)

I wish they had more events around here... 

As a spectator, do you just show up and watch or do you have to register?


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## Mosby's Mom (Oct 19, 2011)

Dock diving is so much fun! We haven't competed yet, but take Mo for lessons for big air. I will say for us, the biggest challenge is getting Mo out of the water after a jump! His trainer jokes that he's one of those dogs that would just swim until he drowns if you'd let him.


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## JDK (Jul 30, 2011)

Ellejee said:


> I wish they had more events around here...
> 
> As a spectator, do you just show up and watch or do you have to register?


You can just show up and watch. You only need to register if you want to participate.


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## S-Dog's Mom (Jan 9, 2009)

JDK.. I was AT that event with Simon, my golden and Stormy, my chocolate lab! Simon is actually the current Novice National Big Air Champion!
And by the way, the picture is of Brian Tait, Treasurer of the Hudson Valley DockDogs, and his dog, Atlas. (I made the swim vest for him too!) 
It's an absolute blast!!!!
I can tell you that there will be more events coming up that haven't been posted yet on the DockDogs site.
JOIN THE CLUB.. you won't regret it!!! (I don't think it costs that much unless you're getting a season's pass for the pool)?
If you have any questions, feel free to PM me!


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## DCDogs (Jul 10, 2012)

Anybody live near St Germain, WI? The Wisconsin DockDogs has an event coming up August 2nd thru August 4th. I'll have 1 of my 4 Goldens there, Louie. He jumped 17'9" at the last event we were at in Green Bay in April. Great time for the dogs and I would bet we would have plenty of time open for practicing at that event because it is mostly during the week. So if you on vacation and have you dog, stop by and register to jump your dog. If you had to board him because you are on vacation, stop by and ask for DC Dogs(Bob), I'll be by the registration tent most of the event with Louie nearby. That will give you your Golden fix for the weekend.


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## Stretchdrive (Mar 12, 2011)

I have wanted to give dock dogs a try for a long time now. I do not know if my dogs would jump into the pool though. My girl just started jumping off the dock at the lake this past weekend.


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

I am thinking of trying it with Buddy. He is starting to get pretty comfortable with swimming. Unfortunately, he has a palm sized hot spot on his butt right now so no swimming for a few weeks.

How do you get started? The only one I can find near me may be in August in Cranbury, NJ. I can't locate a training place .


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## DCDogs (Jul 10, 2012)

Stretchdrive said:


> I have wanted to give dock dogs a try for a long time now. I do not know if my dogs would jump into the pool though. My girl just started jumping off the dock at the lake this past weekend.


The MN club has some jumps that are into lakes, at least they used to. I got my dog used to jumping into a pool by using a friend of mine's in ground pool. The biggest problem they seem to have jumping into a pool is the water is clear and they don't see the surface. Once I got her to jump into an in ground pool I never had any problems with the above ground pool.


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## Mosby's Mom (Oct 19, 2011)

If you can find a local Dock Diving club near you, they usually have times in their practices for non-members to come and jump. They will help you out getting your dog in if they've never jumped before, or provide you with tips to jump better (at least they do at our local club!). At our club, it's only $5 for non-members to jump, and they're super helpful and friendly. Cheaper, and sometimes better, than finding a training place.

And about the lake - there is a Dock Diving event here in MD where the dogs jump in to a pond, so perhaps there is an event like that near you?


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## Stretchdrive (Mar 12, 2011)

I went to a dock diving fun day put on by the local BC rescue yesterday, and both my dogs jumped into the pool! It was so much fun! I loved watching the more experience, confident dogs. I definately want to try it again with my girl!


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## Tayla's Mom (Apr 20, 2012)

We have our first class with our 8 month old, Tayla, on Saturday. Can't wait.


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## DCDogs (Jul 10, 2012)

Mosby's Mom said:


> If you can find a local Dock Diving club near you, they usually have times in their practices for non-members to come and jump. They will help you out getting your dog in if they've never jumped before, or provide you with tips to jump better (at least they do at our local club!). At our club, it's only $5 for non-members to jump, and they're super helpful and friendly. Cheaper, and sometimes better, than finding a training place.



Yep, we do that at all our club jumps too. Great way to try it. Then if you decide to compete that $5 goes towards your registration fee.


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## Tayla's Mom (Apr 20, 2012)

Just had our first dock diving lesson on Saturday. She had fun, but I had to help her jump one time (slight push) and had to get in the pool one time for her to jump to me. Other than that she just wouldn't jump. She is a cautious girl and it takes her a while. Didn't like swimming until about the 3rd time. We will go back again.


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## Mosby's Mom (Oct 19, 2011)

Tayla's Mom said:


> Just had our first dock diving lesson on Saturday. She had fun, but I had to help her jump one time (slight push) and had to get in the pool one time for her to jump to me. Other than that she just wouldn't jump. She is a cautious girl and it takes her a while. Didn't like swimming until about the 3rd time. We will go back again.


I am REALLY surprised they let you push her. At the club practices and lessons we took - they were so super adamant about never ever ever pushing your dog in. You took jumps from the ramp at first, and then just coaxed the dog in by either getting in yourself, encouragement at the other end of the pool and sides (splashing the water, etc), or use the net with a handle to hold the ball/toy just out of the dog's reach and throw it up and down....


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## BrycesMom (May 23, 2012)

is there a minimum / good age to start? how young can the pups be?


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## Tayla's Mom (Apr 20, 2012)

Mosby's Mom said:


> I am REALLY surprised they let you push her. At the club practices and lessons we took - they were so super adamant about never ever ever pushing your dog in. You took jumps from the ramp at first, and then just coaxed the dog in by either getting in yourself, encouragement at the other end of the pool and sides (splashing the water, etc), or use the net with a handle to hold the ball/toy just out of the dog's reach and throw it up and down....


It was a joke. We did the ramp first also and after she went in on more of a fall in (joke on pushing her) I got in the water for her second jump. You can see my hands are not near her.


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## Tayla's Mom (Apr 20, 2012)

Tayla's Mom said:


> It was a joke. We did the ramp first also and after she went in on more of a fall in (joke on pushing her) I got in the water for her second jump. You can see my hands are not near her.


Guess you can't see because I didn't post pictures on this site, but here it is.


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## vleffingwell (Jan 12, 2011)

Enzos_Mom said:


> What city are you in? We don't do Dock Dogs because they only allow 1 person on the dock...my husband and I both like to participate and Enzo's sit-stay is hopeless when he's presented with water. lol So, we jump with Ultimate Air Dogs, which allows 2 people on the dock. I hold Enzo back while my husband goes to the end of the dock to throw his toy as Enzo gets to him. UAD is owned by Milt Wilcox, who was one of the pitchers for the Detroit Tigers when they won the World Series back in the 80's.  UAD also just started UAD Canada, so they'll be adding more events shortly!


Hope to see you at some of the events!!


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## Enzos_Mom (Apr 8, 2010)

vleffingwell said:


> Hope to see you at some of the events!!


We didn't make any this year and we're SO disappointed - hoping to make the Dearborn Mutt Strut our first even next year, but we'll have a newborn, so I'm not sure how well that'll go. I'm hoping they bring back the River Days event this year.


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## Bentleysmom (Aug 11, 2012)

Ultimate Air Dogs looks like a blast! I've been on their sighting reading the rules and watching videos. I think I know what Bentley will be doing next summer


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## Enzos_Mom (Apr 8, 2010)

Bentleysmom said:


> Ultimate Air Dogs looks like a blast! I've been on their sighting reading the rules and watching videos. I think I know what Bentley will be doing next summer


You should bring him out to the Mutt Strut in Dearborn in May! It's a great first event. They do a "donation jump" where you pay $5 to have your dog just get up on the dock and give it a try. They're not competing at that point and the money goes to charity. It's usually after the competitions for the day and they'll let the dogs take as many turns as they'd like (2 jumps, then it's the next person's turn, but you can get back in line) until the end of the day.


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