If your dog loves to run, jump and swim, he just may have what it takes to be a diving dog. This relatively new dog sport has become very popular, and is one of the highlights of the Purina® Incredible Dog Challenge®. It combines four of a dog’s favorite activities, running, jumping, fetching and swimming, with one of man’s favorite things, competition – whose dog can jump the farthest?
If you’ve never seen dog diving (aka dock diving), it consists of a dog, a handler, an object to fetch, a 40-foot dock or stage, and a long body of water. The dog sits at the far end of the stage, awaiting the signal from his handler. The dog runs at full speed to the very end of the dock as the handler throws a fetch toy out over the water. The dog jumps in pursuit of the toy. When the dog splashes down, his distance is measured where his nose hits the water. The dog retrieves the toy and swims back to his handler (for a very enthusiastic “good dog!”). The distance these dogs can dive is amazing – it’s not uncommon to see them jump 20 feet in a competition. Some dogs can jump over 25 feet. This is probably why the sport is also known as “Big Air.”
Continued: Labs and Border Collies Excel, but Any Dog, Even Mixed Breeds Can Compete