Hundreds of dogs from all across the country are making their way this week to the Cabelas’ store in Richfield, Wisconsin to compete in the DockDogs National Championship. The competitors are invited to compete in the four disciplines: big air, extreme vertical, speed retrieve, and iron dog. Adding to the fun, there is also an annual awards banquet where additional awards and prizes will be handed out which have been voted on by DockDogs members.

I want to wish all the competitors the best of luck, especially Team Blabrador and Team Missy!

Dogs to Watch: Callie, Wylie, Abe, Colby, Missy, Kody, Reagan, Ares, Quasi, Seven, and Alex.

This past weekend at the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge (IDC) Finals in St. Louis a new world record was set in the “diving dog competition.” Callie, handled by her owner Ben Proposon, broke the world record with a jump of 30′ 10″. The previous record of 30′ 4″ was held by Seven, a german short-haired pointer. The IDC competition measures the dog at the nose, not at the base of the tail where other competitions are measured.

Callie is a 3-year-old female black lab who has been competing with DockDogs for about a year. She competes in the both the Big Air and the Speed Retrieve discplines of dock jumping. Her combination of incredible speed, athletic build, and determination make her an amazing dog to watch up on the dock. Look for big things in the future from this beautiful pup.

With the Olympics set to start on Friday, David Letterman invited some superb four-legged athletes to be apart of his show this past Monday. Three of the top teams in the sport were invited by Purina to do a Incredible Dog Challenge dock jumping demonstration. All three teams did a fantastic job and acted as great ambassadors to the sport.

Here is Sarah Simone and Forest Gumpy (Jack Russell Terrier)

Alisa Wayland and Colby (Yellow Lab)

Rob DeDora and Seven, the defending Purina Incredible Dog Challenge Champion.

Last but not least, actor Seth Rogen decided to try and out jump the dogs.

by Jillian Koeneman

The DockDogs World Championship proved to be a whirlwind competition complete with new world records and new world champions.

The Big Air competition was dominated by the Labradors. Rande Murphy and Quasi, a 18-month-old black lab won the Big Air section of the competition with a winning jump over 27 feet. Second place went to Brian Lilly and Roscoe from Wisconsin, and third place went to Ryan Sluga and Sarge who is also from Wisconsin.

The Extreme Vertical portion of the event was dominated by Belgian Mailinois who earned the top two spots. Defending World EV Champions, Melissa Ness and Stryker from California won with a grab at 7′8″. Jeff Wells and Ares from Ohio followed closely with a 7′4″, and Ryan Sluga and Sarge from Wisconsin in third.

The Speed Reterieve competition saw the breaking of the World Record by the winners Sean McCarthy and Jordan, a one-year-old lab from Iowa. The new world record now stands at 5.29. Dawn Farah and Jynx, a border collie / jack russel mix from Ontario received second place honors, and Tom Dropik with Rocky, a black lab from Minnesota, placed third.

This was the first year for the Iron Dog competition where each dog must compete in the three various competitions. Best average scores overall determine the winner. Chuck Mann and Rebel, a black lab from Louisiana, grabbed the inauguaral Iron Dog title. Following closely on their heals were Grant Rupp and Alex (yellow lab) from Illinois, and Tom Dropik and Rocky (black lab). I’ll try my best here we go!!!

Photos of the winners will be posted shortly. Congratulations to all of the competitors.

Dogs from all over the world are eagerly lining up at the dock today to begin the DockDogs World Championship. The annual competition is held in Stillwater, Minnesota in conjunction with the Lumber Jack World Games. The by-invitation-only event begins today and runs through Sunday where a new Champion will be crowned in each of DockDogs four separate events. Events include Big Air, Extreme Vertical, Speed Retrieve, and Iron Dog. The event will be nationally televised in December on the Outdoor Channel.

Click here for a list of the invited teams. However, Pico and Country both former World Champions will unfortunately not be attending this year’s competition. Missy Mu, former Purina Incredible Dog Challenge Champion will fill one of the vacant spots, along with an unnamed competitor.

It should be a great competition with lots of big jumps and big surprises! Good luck everyone!

Written by Jillian Koeneman

Registration is now open for one of the sport’s premier events at the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Michigan. Hosted by Milt Wilcox and  Ultimate Air Dogs, the events draws record crowds year after year. Competitors travel from across the country and Canada to attend this must-see event.  A pool event, the dock is set up overlooking the picturesque Lake Michigan, The competition is held Thursday-Friday during the Cherry Fest. Registration opened today and it will surely fill up in record time. Check out the Ultimate Air Dogs website for more information and to register your dog.

This week during Dog Bite Prevention week, the ASPCA seeks to educate people, especially children and their parents, about basic safety when interacting with dogs. Most bites can be prevented and avoid by following some simple rules.

Despite the great effort by the ASPCA and other organizations to educate people, during dock jumping events I encounter so many competitors and their children who don’t think twice about coming up to Bailey and petting him. With his constantly wagging tail and happy-go-lucky demeanor Bailey is always attracting the love and attention of others. People assume that because of his breed, he wouldn’t hurt them. In this case they are correct, as Bailey is very people friendly. However, I know a few labs that aren’t. It floors me how many parents let their children come up without asking and hug and pet Bailey. The fact of the matter is that no matter what the breed, large or small, a dog is an animal and can bite.

As competitors we must also remember that at events, a dog’s adrenaline and energy are running on overdrive. They may be more likely to react in a negative way when startled or approached by a stranger. By making sure you ask the owner if you can pet the dog is the best way to ensure both the safety of the dog and yourself.

Dog bites can be debilitating physically, emotionally, and psychologically to both the victim and the dog’s owner. Many dog bites lead to lawsuits, and in the most severe cases to the euthanization of the dog.

Education and common sense go a long way when dealing with dogs. Make sure you take this opportunity to educated yourself and your children about the simple, easy steps you can take to keep yourself and the dog safe. Click here for a downloadable educational activity to share with your kids.

Look out Teva Mountain Games, here comes the dogs. Yesterday, DockDogs announced they will be coming to the Teva Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado June 5-June 8. The Teva Mountain Games are considered to be the largest outdoor adventure sports festival in the world.

This year’s extreme athletes representing sports such as kayaking, rafting, and paragliding will share the stage with some high-flying canines. DockDogs will host three separate events: Big Air, Extreme Vertical, and Speed Retrieve. Both newcomers and seasoned veterans are welcome to compete. You can register your dog at the DockDogs website.

Amongst all of the cool things to do at the Teva games, everything from live music to art exhibits to sporting events, Teva  touts the dock jumping event as number two in it’s Top Ten Things +1 New Thing list.

What do you get when you mix five Labradors, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, a German Shorthaired Pointer, and a 19,000 gallon pool? You get some of the best high flying canines in the country competing at the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge. The regional competition is being held at the Central Florida Fair this weekend.

An elite group of competitors are set to take to the dock on Saturday to determine who will advance on to the finals at Purina Farms, in St. Louis later this year. All of the dogs featured in this competition are easily jumping over 22’ feet [measured at the base of the tail] and have been the winners at previous competitions this year hosted by Ultimate Air Dogs.

This list of competitors include:

Rob Weiss & Midnight [BL]
Courtney Graham & Gauge [CL]
Joann Chronister & Rebel [YL]
Perry Ludwig & Lily [YL]
Patrick Moultrup & Duke [GSP]
Ron Parker & Dakota [CBR]
Alisa Wayland & Colby [YL]

Local dogs will also have a shot to compete in a last-chance qualifier on Friday. For a complete schedule of events click here.

Other events included in the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge are Agility, Jack Russell Hurdle Racing, 60-Weave Poll Racing, Freestyle Flying, and Disc.

Another huge step of progress in the sport dock-jumping was made on Monday with an announcement from DockDogs regarding the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge. The press release below gives all of the details [as excerpted from www.dockdogs.com].

Mar 31, 2008 at 12:00 AM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Medina, OH March 31, 2008: J4 Promotions Inc. is pleased to announce that the DockDogs® Big Air® World Champion will receive an invitation to compete in the 2008 Purina Incredible Dog Challenge National Championships competition this October. The invitation becomes part of the DockDogs® World Championships prize package structure for the Big Air® Competition. “We’ve been in discussions with Purina for awhile about having the DockDogs® World Champion compete at the Challenge. We now feel that the time is right to proceed with this opportunity considering the steep growth curve of the sport and the opportunity to contribute even more to its growth through exposure at the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge,” said Grant Reeves, CEO for DockDogs®. “We are honored to have the opportunity to send the winning Big Air team to the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge because it is considered one of the premiere canine sporting events in the country where the ‘best of the best’ come to compete for the title of ‘Top Dog.’” Not only is the number of canines participating in the dog diving sport increasing, but the level of talent among the top diving teams in the country continues to improve. Both the Big Air competition and the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge, promote the sport as a great bonding opportunity for dog owners and their dogs, as well as a perfect outlet for channeling a dog’s energy into something positive. “2008 is an extra special year of Olympic proportions for not only the human athletes, who will vie for gold medals at the Summer Games, but also for the canine athletes, who will compete in Olympic-style events at the Challenge, ranging from agility to freestyle flying disc to dog diving,” said Jim Allen, Manager Experiential Marketing, Nestle Purina PetCare. “We expect that the addition of the DockDogs World Champion to the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge Finals dog diving competitor list, will take the competition to the next level, and could result in a couple world-record breaking performances”. As an added bonus to the invitation, DockDogs will contribute $500.00 toward the winning team’s travel expenses. For more information, stay tuned to www.dockdogs.com or www.purina.com.