Making a Splash

MAKING A SPLASH At WestRover Water Sports, soaring dogs dive and splash their way to better health.

By Jeana Durst

Something really fun is happening in Westover. (Just take a look at these photos and try not to feel the excitement.) At WestRover Water Sports, dogs sail through the air at jaw-dropping heights in pursuit of a “dummy” before launching happily into the pool.

They are participating in one of the fastest-growing sports competitions for dogs: dock diving. NADD, or North America Diving Dogs, awards national titles for diving dogs that achieve excellence in speed, distance, and height; the organization works in conjunction with the AKC to recognize titles. (However, dogs do not have to be registered with the AKC to participate and all breeds and mixed breeds are welcome to this sport.)

WestRover Water Sports, owned and operated by Jennifer and her husband Dr. Jay Crisman, DVM, is Alabama’s first and currently only permanent NADD regulation dock diving facility. Open since June of 2018, the Westover facility has already hosted four NADD events and is prepping for a Wild West Themed Southern Round Up

PHOTOS BY RON BURKETT

Dock Diving event this May. (And yes, that means dogs dressed as outlaws and saloon patrons.) So as you can imagine, it’s a good time for pets and handlers alike, but the competition is also serious sport, and the health benefits are innumerable.

In addition to hosting NADD events, the Crismans, who also own and operate 280 Animal Medical Center, opened the water sports facility with the purpose of keeping pets happy and healthy. They offer swimming and dock diving lessons, water safety lessons, and even water therapy. (And the saltwater system in the pool is safe as well as good for a dog’s skin and coat.) The facility is on the same grounds as 280 Animal Medical Center, which also boasts a regulation-sized agility field. “When we walk out back during a break or after work and hear barking, splashing, and laughter from the pool and agility field, it warms our hearts and reminds us why we do what we do as vets,” Jay says.

Jennifer got the idea for the pool after seeing a mobile dock diving unit at an agility event in Columbiana but she had already been looking for an outlet for exercising her dog who had suffered a spinal cord injury. The one to call if you are interested in learning

more about dock diving and training, Jennifer the 40-foot mark near the end of the pool, runs the pool and trains animals—and she and the dog will either jump off the dock or also judges the NADD events. run down the ramp to swim to retrieve the

In case you were wondering what those dummy and swim back to the ramp to exit events entail: It is essentially a game of the pool. For this competition, they are judged fetch, played in a swimming pool. To play, on speed. your dog needs to be in good general health and up to date on preventive care. TRAINING & EVENTS There is a short learning curve, and many To train dogs for diving, it really helps dogs are ready to compete after only a few if they are toy-motivated. “If they want to training sessions. Dogs compete in three chase their toy on the ground, then most categories: distance, height, and speed. At likely they will jump in the water,” Jennifer WestRover the dock is 40 feet long and 8 says. The best thing is that anyone can feet wide, so there’s plenty of room for dogs come out to an event and try the sport to get a running start. (Can you imagine the during their “Try It” sessions after the cuteness overload of a Papillion running competitions. this?) Divisions for the dogs classify them Check WestRover’s calendar for one of based on distances they can jump. the many events. In addition to hosting NADD sanctioned dock diving competitions DISTANCE Dock-diving dogs are judged on the distance they can jump from the edge of the dock to where they land in the pool. “For distance, handlers can throw anything in the pool to get the dog to jump, and the dog doesn’t necessarily have to retrieve it,” Jennifer explains. The throw toy has to float and not be edible. Would you believe that that NADD world record is 37 feet! like the Aloha Splash and Tailgates and Touchdowns (both NADD qualifiers), they also host dog birthday gatherings, open dock days, and private exercise sessions. One thing is for sure, swimming with your dog is always a good idea. “Just 30 minutes of pool time provides as much benefit as more than twice that time running,” Jay says. Plus, dogs need to have a job. “Behavior problems and obesity are two AIR RETRIEVE The air retrieve event is based on height using a dummy suspended 4 feet above the water, so the dog has to jump high. It’s of the most common issues I see in dogs. It may surprise you that those problems often have the same cause: inactivity, and boredom,” Jay says. Consider that studies judged by distance, however. For this event, show that lean dogs live on average two NADD has a standardized dummy. “It’s a years longer than dogs with obesity. With Nerf floating dummy made specifically for all of these benefits and the undeniable fun NADD,” Jennifer says. that’s unleashed, dock diving is one of the fastest-growing sports for a reason. HYDRO DASH For more information, visit

In this event, the standardized dummy is @DocWestRover on Facebook or suspended just inches above the water at www.wildwestoverk9.com. Reach your market with us — (205) 617-9609 or matthew@jbmcmedia.com 9