Summer Sports for Dogs: Dock Jumpingby Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger 25 Jun 2008 05:13 PM Does your dog love the water? Does he love to fetch? You may have a world-class dock jumper on your hands. Dock jumping is exactly what it sounds like -- a dog takes a running leap off a short dock into a pool of water. Where does fetching come in? The dog is usually jumping off the dock because he's chasing a toy or a training "bumper" (a salami-shaped canvas toy). A competition set-up includes a dock platform around forty feet long, a lake or portable pool, and an exit ramp off to the side. The dock sits two feet above the water, which is a sizable drop for many dogs. The jump zone often has measurement markings to help you judge how far your pooch can fly. In competitions, judges and/or cameras will help spot the distance jumped. Are you ready for an amazing dock jumping statistic? The longest recorded dock jump is 28 feet, ten inches! Before you send your dog off the dock, experts suggest taking your pup into the water using the exit ramp. This helps get your dog used to being in the water -- more importantly, it shows your dog how to get out of the water. Once your dog is comfortable in the water, it's time to see if he'll jump. Grab his favorite fetch toy and toss it off the end of the dock. Some dogs will jump right in; others will need more encouragement. You and your family can have fun jumping off the dock to show your dog how it is done. Some dogs learn by example, too. Taking your dog to a dock jumping competition can show him (and you) how it's done. Most competitions judge things like distance and jump height. Dogs are divided into groups based on how far they can jump -- so you might see little dogs and big dogs competing in the same groups. A dog performs two jumps during a "splash" (also known as a "wave" or a round). The longest jump in the splash is your dog's score. Learn more about Aimee Amodio  Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover... Relevantpets tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags dock jumping, summer, sports for pets, sports for dogs, water Discuss this article
|
Pets categories |
