My Dog Changed My Life Through Dock Diving - What Will Yours Do?

WRITTEN BY: TOM HOWELL, Jr. Master Trainer at Bark Brains

Does your dog love to run? Jump? Swim? Fetch? If so, dock diving may be the sport for your dog— and you!

I grew up with labs my entire life, and when I got Duchess as a puppy, it was mainly for love and companionship. Little did I know, that spirited yellow lab would change my life. Through dog sports like dock diving, Duchess and I formed a strong bond over the years. Duchess has inexhaustible energy and as a puppy, she often resorted to unwanted behavior—such as chewing, shredding, digging, and barking—as ways to channel her excitability. I tried a variety of methods to remedy the issue but it became quickly apparent that like most labs, she was predisposed to fetch and loved the water. I had never heard of dock diving before, so I took advantage of her natural competitiveness and joined the Palmetto Dock Dogs at the Southeastern Wildlife Expo in Charleston—and the rest is history.

Before going on with Duchess and my story, let me explain exactly what dock diving is for those who may be unfamiliar. Dock diving is a dog sport that involves running, jumping, and swimming from a 40-foot dock into a 40- foot pool. It includes three disciplines: Big Air, Extreme Vertical, and Speed Retrieve. Big Air is similar to the long jump in track and field, where dogs run down a 40-foot dock leaping into a 40-foot pool. The dogs’ jump is measured by how far they jump in the pool with some dogs jumping 30 feet! Extreme Vertical is a discipline equivalent to the high jump where a toy bumper hangs over the water that the dog must knock down. The bumper starts at 4’6” high above the dock and moves up in two-inch increments. Can you believe some dogs in the world jump over eight feet high? Speed Retrieve is a timed, dragstrip-style race to retrieve a toy bumper. The fastest dogs in the world run in under five seconds, but any dog over six months old who is able to swim can compete.

Now back to my story. Five years later after joining Palmetto DockDogs with Duchess placing in several world championships, due to my enthusiasm and commitment, I was encouraged to run for Vice President of Palmetto DockDogs, a position I have held since 2017. Further, my passion grew exponentially over the last few years affording me the opportunity to turn a hobby into a passionate career by starting my own dog training business. Bark Brains™ provides obedience, puppy and behavioral services as well as more advanced training like dock diving and other dog sports.

Based on my personal and professional experience, I have observed that, while most dogs get plenty of love (affection), often their mind (mental) and body (physical) are not stimulated to the fullest extent needed. This results in a variety of unwanted and destructive behaviors that persist until all three needs are met. Dock diving can be the key for both your dog and you because it takes care of all three. Here are just a few of the benefits both dogs and owners gain by getting involved in dock diving.

Positive impacts dock diving has on the dog:

• Mental and physical stimulation: running, jumping, and swimming are a great way to channel both.

• Landing in water is less strenuous on hips and joints than other land based dog sports.

• Helps channel high energy dogs.

• Helps channel dogs with high toy/prey drive

• Improves communication skills with owner/ handler.

• Builds stronger bond with owner/handler

• Provides all dogs with a sense of purpose, especially working dogs.

• Builds confidence in your dog.

• Destructive, troublesome and inappropriate behaviors tend to diminish or disappear.

Positive impacts dock diving has on the owner/ handler:

• Gets you up and gets you active, which is great for cardiovascular health.

• It’s great exercise and isn’t exercising supposed to be fun?

• Helps reduce stress and helps improve mental health by getting you outside.

• Builds a stronger bond with your dog.

• You will notice your dog starts looking to you for more guidance throughout the day.

• Training in general with your dog becomes easier.

• Inappropriate behaviors your dog used to experience disappear or diminish.

• You get to hang out with a wholesome group of like-minded individuals playing with their dogs and that sense of community brings you out of your shell.

• It doesn’t take a lot of time or require hours of practice!

So, get out to the Southeastern Wildlife Expo and try something new with your dog! Your dog will love it. It may just change your life, and career too! ■