You must have heard terms like dock diving or dock jumping? Well, if you don’t know what exactly dock diving is then here is a quick guide that shall help you in knowing all about it. Especially, if you have a dog as a pet then this article is really important for you.
What is dock jumping or dock diving?
Dock diving, commonly known as dock jumping is a very famous dog sport activity in which trained dogs compete with each other in jumping from a dock for height or for distance, into a water body. Several internationally dock diving events have been organized in the USA, Austria, Germany, UK and Australia.
Origin
This sport first appeared in the year 1997 at the Incredible Dog Competition. This event was organized and sponsored by a food manufacture company for pets called Purina. Today, there are hundreds of organizations that organized dock dive events in different countries such as, The DockDogs Competition initiated in the year 2000 in the USA. Some of the other globally famous dock diving competitions are Great Outdoor Games, Super Retriever Series Super Dock, Splash Dogs, Ultimate Air Dogs, North American Diving Dogs, Dash ‘n’ Splash, etc.
What is a Dock?
Dock is a pre-decided water surface which may vary in size and depth. The measurements are decided by the judging committee. Any water body or pool with the sanctioned measures can be used as dock. This dock is covered in carpet, rubber mat or a turf for safety and better traction. These docks are filled up with water which can be used for diving purpose.
Techniques for Diving
The handlers can basically use two different types of techniques to encourage their dogs to jump into the dock.
Place & Send: In this technique, you need to walk your dog at the end of the dock or you can hold your dog’s back as you’re through their favourite toy into the pool. Now, walk your dog again to the front of the dock at the starting point and lure your pet to get their toy back. Slowly, release your pet into the water to retrieve their toy. This technique is good for dogs who do not like to wait on docks, especially if your pet has a lot of speed.
Chase: In this technique, the dog is asked to stay and wait at the front of the dock. You must encourage your pet to take proper position to0 dive into the water. The handlers must stand at the end of the dock from where they can use their pet’s favourite toy to lure them to jump into the water. The idea is to use this technique to get the dog at an optimum angle to increase its distance by attracting him jump up, instead of just falling flat. This method is a bit complicated to master. However, if your dog is a toy-lover, then he can be taught to follow it.
Thus, if you have a pet dog and you are looking for some fun activities that can allow you to bond with your pup along with helping them in exploring their hidden talents, then dock diving is a must try!
