Because your canine athlete might require more than a walk around the block .
Is your dog always the first one to jump into lakes or pools ? If your dog live for weak games of fetch , you may have a champion dock - diving hound in the fashioning . According to theAmerican Kennel Club(AKC ) , dock diving event is one of the most popular canine sports , and it ’s light to see why . Watching dogs leap into the air is a pretty gallant affair , not to name the fun of see them make a big splash . Should you and your dog dive into this sport too ?
What Is Dock Diving?
Dock diving is a diving competition made for dogs . They launch the distance of a dock ( a platform ) and jump into a puddle to call back a toy that ’s been thrown in the water . The prima donna ( or jump ) is measured found on altitude and distance , harmonise toNorth America Diving Dogs . Some contest also grant the dog that ’s quickest at retrieving an object .
Besides being good exercise , sorrel diving is fun for water - loving detent who are toy - drive , says Linda Torson withDockDogs Worldwide . And , it ’s a special way to spend time with your whelp .
Dock Diving Gear for Dogs
It ’s ideal for dock diving practice to have a pool or lake that your cad can practice jumping in to call back a miniature . But , monish Torson , do n’t send your andiron running down a diving display board design for people .
" It ’s too narrow and might be too high up . Our docks are two feet [ above ] the water supply surface , " she says . " Have your dog jump off the side of the pool or else . "
Besides a body of water system for your dog to make a spatter in and your andiron ’s preferred floatable , retrievable toy , you do n’t need any other equipment . you could even groom your frankfurter at plate without a pool or lake . What Torson call " country oeuvre " is beneficial for practise your pup’ssitandstay cuesas well as retrieving and making sure your wienerwurst is fit and ready for competition .
Photo: Portland Press Herald / Getty
Best Dock Diving Dog Breeds
Popular breeds for dock diving include theLabrador retrieverandBelgian Malinois . " Whippetshave been recently take the sport by tempest too because they ’re extremely fast and athletic , " Torson reports .
But what ’s more important than spawn iswhether your bounder likes to swim . Not every bounder revel commence wet . Breeds that are more potential to take to the mutant let in those with a history of pulling waterfowl from pool and lakes includinggolden retrieversandNova Scotia duck tolling retrieversor other breed that fly high in watery configurations like thePortuguese water dog .
How Dock Diving Training for Dogs Works
Assuming yourdog sleep with how to swim(and ca n’t get enough of it ! ) , the first step is to instruct your puppy the dock - diving technique . Keep preparation positive and playfulness and master each of the follow steps before moving on to the next one :
1. Play with your dog’s favorite toy on land.
Get your whelp excited to trail the toy in your hand and then raise it in the air travel to get your hotdog to jump for it . Give scores of praise when your dog jump for the miniature .
2. Move playtime to the shoreline.
recur the actions in step one but in a little chip of water so your dog gets comfortable with splashing around .
3. Try the first cued jump.
Have your dog sit on the shoreline while you stand in a piffling snatch of weewee with the toy raised up in the melody in front of you . prompt your frankfurter to follow get the toy . When your dog jumps into the weewee to get it , go bats with praise .
4. Make it more challenging.
increasingly move your domestic dog further back on ironical land and continue increasing the height of the plaything .
5. Try doing the jump off a dock.
put your doggy at the jumping - off full stop of the dock . contrive the toy about five feet from there . If your puppy does n’t jump , go back to working on the shoreline . If your wienerwurst does make the leap , congrats ! Now you’re able to shape on having your dog sit a little further back on the dock and throwing the plaything a trivial further in the piss .
The key is to construct your dog ’s confidence with practice session and by keep it fun . DockDogs hasaffiliate clubsacross the country , which is a great place for newbies to go . They restrain training sessions and playfulness jumps , so your weenie can get experience on an official dock .
If your pup loves piss and toy , why not give it a try ? It ’s good physical exertion for your furry chum and an opportunity for you to meet other pet parents . But most importantly , it ’s a blast !
