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Our WET Dock Jumping weekend
Topic Started: May 16 2011, 06:55 AM (573 Views)
Casey1
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Magical Leopluridon
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So this weekend was our first outdoor dock event of the year. It is a fund raiser event for a local animal shelter and it is so much fun. Unfortunately... the weather this year was not the best. Saturday was not bad, it rained on our way there but stopped as we were setting up our pop ups. It was HUMID and mid 60's. It cooled as the day wore on, but never officially rained until after we left. I had a bunch of first time friends come and give it a try. They had a great time. Sunday was COLD, windy and WET!!!! However our entries were paid, the dogs jump into water so they didn't care. It was a miserable weather day. We took one pop up down and consolidated into one, because of how windy it was. I was worried the pop up would collapse. Our new one is nice.

We took all four dogs on Sat, but Belle was just there to hang out and socialize. This was Gabby's very first dock event competing. We had not had a chance to get her off the dock prior as out weather has not been good. We let her go off the ramp first, she remembered that, flew up the ramp and into the pool. Yeah she likes to swim. We did that once more then onto the dock. The dock is about 2' above the water level. We tossed Gabby's toy in, and she was like "what do you want me to do?" She was wanting her toy something fierce, but not sure how to get it. So we let our Lab Quinn on the dock with her. Hubby threw Quinn's bumper in the water, Quinn flew in and Gabby right after her. That was all it took. We did a couple more practice jumps just to get her comfortable. Comfortable she is!

First splash we had Gabby and Quinn in it. Quinn jumped 18'6". This was a short dock (20' opposed to 40') competition so the dogs often do not jump as far. I was impressed with 18'. Gabby's score for her first splash was 10'6" Not too shabby at all! Second splash we had Gabby, Quinn and Teddi jump. Quinn did not jump as well but certainly nice, 16' range I think. Teddi I was FLOORED with, she jumped 11'2" normally her first event in a LONG pool she jumps under 8' so I was ecstatic. Gabby was more confident, and she jumped 11'4", that put at the end of the day Gabby and Teddi one and two in the junior division.

Sunday... The first splash again was Gabby and Quinn. Quinn jumped 19'1", and Gabby... jumped....13'8"!!!!! GO GABBY!!!!! She was not phased by the cold, wind and rain at all. Considering she has no undercoat, no fat on her body and a shaved neck she had to be really cold. We put Teddi only in the final splash on Sunday. She was not real happy with the weather. She has had some bad weather incidents when jumping (lightning when she has been on the dock and she does not like noise) so she played silly Teddi stopping on the dock before jumping. She did jump and her jumps were 7-8' I was still proud of her. She wanted to play and would drag me to the dock, I think maybe she thought when she got there it would not be raining up there?

All three of my dogs qualified for finals. Quinn in Master, Teddi and Gabby in junior, Gabby was in second place qualifying, Teddi moved down to 5th. Had some bigger jumpers come on Sunday. Teddi jumped the same in finals, Gabby was cold but jumped great and pulled of a couple 12' jumps. She finished 3rd in finals behind mature seasoned jumpers. Quinn finished 2nd in Master division. I was very happy for all my dogs. Here are pics from our day yesterday. Gabby got the most camera time (photographer not us).

Oh and by the way... today is Belle's 8th birthday. One year ago today she had her FCE so glad that won't happen again.

Ann

Here's Teddi:
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Here's Quinnie Quinn:
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Here's Gabby!!! (oh she goes back for another spinal tap on Friday)
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Ann
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Reynard Ridge
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What the hell? There are dog jumping into water distance competitions?? :huh:

I need to do some googling on this one.
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Buryinghill1
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Reynard Ridge
May 16 2011, 07:07 AM
What the hell? There are dog jumping into water distance competitions?? :huh:

I need to do some googling on this one.
Oh yeah. Big business.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dock_jumping

I wonder how many handlers slide off the end of the dock on rainy, slippery days :teehee:
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Casey1
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See Ultimate Air Dogs, Dock Dogs and Splash Dogs.

Lots of fun, very addicting, dogs love it, and.... not a "lot" of training involved. They either jump or they don't.

Ann
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Casey1
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Buryinghill1
May 16 2011, 07:19 AM
I wonder how many handlers slide off the end of the dock on rainy, slippery days :teehee:
I walk VERY carefully EVERY time... I have seen it happen... don't want it to be me. With each step, check that dog is staying, check the end of the dock....

Ann
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Indy
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Yay doggies! The pictures are great, they look like they are having so much fun :) And good to see Gabby looking so bright eyed after what she's been through.

I think the jumping looks like a blast for all involved.
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Trialbyfire
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Soooo fun!!!!! (except the weather, of course!) :clap: :clap: :clap:

Do the dogs get to take a running start, or have to jump from the standstill? Do you try to get them to catch the toy in the air?

Just wondering what the strategy is. I don't think Gimme would jump off a dock, but you never know. He likes the water better than my other two brittanys did, but the whole "ears under water" thing isn't a big hit for most of them.

Love the pictures!!! :cloud9: :cloud9:
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Buryinghill1
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Forget dock jumping... this one won't even go out to pee in the rain :teehee:
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Casey1
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BH that is WAY funny!!! I am sure not for you.

TBF yes the dogs are allowed to use the full dock to come down, though some choose to stop at the end, then jump.

There are different ways to achieve the jump. One is called "place and send". You take the dog by the collar, walk to the end of the dock, have the dog watch you throw the toy in to the water, then take them back and let them run and jump. This method does not encourage a dog to jump 'up' and the up gives them 'more' distance. See Quinn's pictures again go see 'up'.

The second method is called the chase. Here you put the dog at the end of the dock in a stay command. You walk to the end. You release the dog to run toward you, as the dog approaches you throw the bumper. Ideally just a few inches in front of their nose, so they are reaching for it through the entire jump giving them the most distance. HOWEVER the timing on this is hard. It is the method I plan to use with Gabby and I SERIOUSLY need to work on my throw and timing. In training you want the dog to catch the object, then in competition throw it just out of their reach. Hubby can do this but his timing is off, you can see the bumper a little too far out of Quinn's reach. Here is a picture of Quinn reaching for the bumper to catch it
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There is a game called Catch It, the dogs jump is only counted if they catch the object, and in the two jumps the dog is allowed, if they catch both their jumps are added together. So if a dog catches twice with 11' jumps that gives them 22'. If a dog jumps 20' twice but catches it once, the 11' dog wins.
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Barn Girl
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That looks like SO much fun!!! Glad to see Gabby back in action!

I wish I'd known about this sport back when I had my lab mix. He loved to dive off of the pier at my parents' lake house after a stick or toy. I could hardly keep that dog OUT of the water. I miss having a water loving dog, I had so much fun with him. Now, I have one that will barely get her toes wet and another that is like BH1's doggie and says "no way" to rain. :sigh: Needless to say, we do not take either to the lake with us in the summer!
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Reynard Ridge
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Buryinghill1
May 16 2011, 07:19 AM
Reynard Ridge
May 16 2011, 07:07 AM
What the hell? There are dog jumping into water distance competitions?? :huh:

I need to do some googling on this one.
Oh yeah. Big business.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dock_jumping

I wonder how many handlers slide off the end of the dock on rainy, slippery days :teehee:
That was interesting reading, BH1, thanks.

Weird stuff. Glad you had a good time with it, Casey1. :yes:

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Black Tack
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Buryinghill1
May 16 2011, 08:11 AM
Forget dock jumping... this one won't even go out to pee in the rain :teehee:
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:clap: :clap: Such a cutie! JTM's pup lies like that as well and would feel the same way about jumping off a dock :no:

I think it looks so very cool, hadn't realized about all the different techniques etc. So happy to hear Gabby is back into fun stuff again and feeling all better :woot:
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kady05
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Congrats! I have a friend that does Dock Dogs with her Pit Bulls, definitely not the norm you see out there. Her dogs do great though! I'm considering trying it with Wilson if I get some time this summer.. we shall see.
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RNB
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Reynard Ridge
May 16 2011, 07:07 AM
What the hell? There are dog jumping into water distance competitions?? :huh:

I need to do some googling on this one.

RR....you do need to get out more and become more worldly. :teehee:
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Casey1
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Magical Leopluridon
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kady05
May 16 2011, 02:13 PM
Congrats! I have a friend that does Dock Dogs with her Pit Bulls, definitely not the norm you see out there. Her dogs do great though! I'm considering trying it with Wilson if I get some time this summer.. we shall see.
We have some SERIOUS jumping pitties here. In fact the dog that beat Quinn in Master was a pit. Those dogs are incredible. One of my friends dogs held the record for distance in a pit. Rajah was INCREDIBLE!!!! He is older now, but can still jump.

My friends who work for Dearborn Animal Shelter who the fundraiser was for, has a LOT of pits. In fact they had a "kiss the pit" booth to raise money. It was funny.

Ann

Here's Petey:
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and Kiss a Pit :teehee:
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