Jumping, flying, splashing, and competing fun!

Three separate, different, competitions comprise the Dock Jumping program: Big Air, Extreme Vertical, and Speed Retrieve™.

 

Big Air
Big Air is the long jump equivalent for canine athletes. At speeds over 20 mph, Big Air dogs catapult themselves off the end of a 40-foot dock into a 28,000-gallon pool to retrieve a floatable, retrievable object, like their favorite toy. Jump distances are measured from the end of the dock to where the base of the dog’s tail breaks the water. The world record is currently 28’ 10”, held by Country, a greyhound/coonhound mix, and handler Kevin Meese from Pennsylvania. Here’s a link to a good article on Getting Started with Big Air.

Extreme Vertical
Country also set the world record of 7’10” for Extreme Vertical (E.V.), a high jump contest in whch the dog launches upward in order to knock down a bumper suspended over the water. Runs are shorter, and speed is reduced in order to achieve maximum height about 8 feet from the dock.

 

 

Speed Retrieve™
New this year to the program, Speed Retrieve™ is a sport for any and all comers. Racing against the clock, each competing dog runs, jumps, swims, and retrieves an object located on an extender at the end of the pool, at a distance of 58 feet from the 20 foot mark on the dock. The time to beat is 5.37 seconds, set by the Michigan team of Dean Skillman and yellow Labrador Wylie.

Buckeye DockDogs is open to any dog that likes water and fun—regardless of breed, size, shape, or ability. Fun and rewarding for both human and canine, the rules of DockDogs are simple:
1.) only one person may compete at a time;
2.) only one dog may compete at a time;
3.) only one floatable object may be used to throw.

Download DockDogs FAQs here.
Download complete rules and policies here.
For more information, visit www.dockdogs.com.

Check out the “Training” section at SportMutt for more information on getting started in dock jumping and prepping for your first competition.