Dock Diving with Poodles

An Interview with Rich Merchant
www.donatapoodles.com

Interviewer: Charlene Dunlap

Charlene: Rich, how did you and Sue become interested in the sport of dock diving?

Rich: We first saw dock diving as an event in 2000 on ESPN’S Great Outdoor Games and thought it would be a lot of fun for our Standard Poodles.

Charlene: How long has dock diving been a competition event?

Rich: I believe Dock Dogs was the first venue of this type in the U.S. It was established in 2002.

Charlene: Would you please describe what dock diving is and tell us a little something about the sport.

Rich: In most competition venues a dock diving team is made up of two members – the dog and the handler. The handler’s job is to set up the dog on the dock and throw the toy into the water at the right time and in the right place. The dog’s job is to have fun – to run down the dock and jump into the pool after the toy.

The team has two minutes from the time they step onto the dock and complete the jump before there is a “time out” declared and the team receives a “no jump.” Besides receiving a “pass” or “no pass” there are criterions for judging an event: in Dock Diving, it’s distance – the dog jumping the furthest wins the class. Two other classes have recently been added at Dock Diving events; these are Extreme Vertical, which is for height, and Speed Retrieve, which is for speed.

The pool at a Dock Diving event is 20 feet wide by 40 feet long and 4 feet deep. The dock is 8 feet wide by 40 feet long and is 2 feet above the water. There is a ramp out of the water on the side of the dock for the dog to exit the pool.

Charlene: I noticed in your video that, for practice, you have a pool set up with a table-height dock. As a competition event might look quite different to a dog, are competitors able to practice on the equipment before the event so the dog is familiar with it?

Rich: Yes. The dock is usually open for practice 30 to 45 minutes before the competition. Each team can practice for two minutes. You can take as many turns as you like during practice as long as everyone gets their turn.

Charlene: In your video clip, your parti-colored Standard Poodle Lacy really seems to be enjoying herself. What is the first thing you did to start training her for dock diving?

Rich: The first thing we did was to teach her to retrieve on dry land. Next, we had her retrieving her toy from a kiddies’ pool. Then it was off to the lake to train retrieving out of the water from the shore.

Charlene: Do you do any conditioning or special training to introduce the dog to dock diving?

Rich: No, not really. Lacy has a very high toy drive and really loves the water, so it was just a matter of getting her going in the right direction.

Charlene: Dog sports such as agility, obedience, and field-work are all about control. How does dock diving compare to these?

Rich: You still need control but you don’t have to do as much directing. The dog has to have a good stay and recall, and he has to have quite a bit of focus.

Charlene: Does a dog have to love the water to be trained for this sport? Or, is a strong retrieving drive sufficient?

Rich: I think for it to be fun for the dog, he has to at least like the water.

Charlene: Have you seen other Standard Poodles trained for dock diving?

Rich: The only other Standard Poodle I know of is a silver male who competes in the Splash Dogs venue in California.

Charlene: How many opportunities are there to compete?

Rich: There are usually four to six waves (rounds) at any event. With there currently being three venues, there are several events. Unfortunately, there are only two to three events a year in our area.

Charlene: What titles can a dog attain in dock diving?

Rich: It depends on the venue. Dock Dogs is the only venue in our area right now. You can earn the titles of Novice, Junior, Senior, Master, Elite, and Super Elite.

Ultimate Air Dogs has partnered with the United Kennel Club this year, so you can earn UKC titles at UAD events that are UKC licensed (some UAD events are not.)

Charlene: What is the longest jump on record and what breed holds this title?

Rich: It was 28’ 10” and is held by a Greyhound/Coonhound mix. I don’t know if that record still stands. The longest jump I can find for a Poodle is 22 feet.

Charlene: For those interested in dock diving, are there any safety concerns they need to be aware of to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience?

Rich: The two biggest safety concerns I can think of are to always be aware of the spectators who are not “dog smart” – especially young children, and to always give other dogs at these events their space – not all of them are friendly towards other dogs.

Charlene: There is such a thing as “dry drowning” where a person ingests water and later, when out of the water, drowns from water in the lungs. Is this ever a problem with dogs who may swallow water as a result of their eagerness to grab the toy?

Rich: I’ve never heard of this happening at a dock diving event. The biggest concern we have is making sure there is no water left in Lacy’s ears when she comes out of the water.

Charlene: Are they any URLs about dock diving that you would like to share?

Dock Dogs is: http://www.dockdogs.com/

Splash Dogs is: http://www.splashdogs.com/

Ultimate Air Dogs is: http://www.ultimateairdogs.net

Charlene: It’s been a pleasure learning about this exciting new sport! Thanks so much for your participation.