One. Two. Three. Dive! Dogs everywhere are jumping for joy and into the water, thanks to a brand new sport gaining popularity called dock diving.
Since the beginning of time, dogs have loved pouncing into water and playing fetch with their toys, so it’s only natural that someone would eventually turn their two hobbies into a competitive sport.
According to Club Labrador, dock diving is a relatively new sport that has only been around since 2000, when it was introduced at the premier of ESPN’s Great Outdoor Games as “Big Air Dogs.” It was originally intended as a side event, but due to its popularity it was made into an official sport.
There are two rules: The dogs have to be at least 6 months old and their handlers at least 8 years old. But other than that, just about everything else is fair game, according to Carolina Live.
There are several popular dock-diving groups that compete all over the nation, such as Splash Dogs and Dock Dogs. Although the sport is often dominated by retrieving water dogs like Labradors or Irish Setters, there have been a few exceptions.
For example, Aries is a Pit Bull mix who went from a troubled dog picked up by animal control to national champion. Then there’s Joey, a mixed-breed dog who went from death row to international champion in just two years.
“Everybody’s an amateur. There’s no skill or training involved. There’s no breed requirement or anything like that,” Misty Costello, with Dixie Dock Dogs, told Carolina Live.
There are three dock-diving events around the country where you can compete with your pooch: Splash (distance diving); Ultimate Vertical (height jumping); and CATCH IT! (over-water catching).
If you want to see the top pooches in action, a national dock-diving competition is held annually at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship.
So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to make a splash!
PHOTO: live5news.com
