Trying Something New - Dock Diving

This weekend was the Salmon Days Festival in Issaquah, WA and at that event (which is kinda fun, btw. If you live nearby you should check it out) they have dock diving put on by the Puget Sound Dock Diving club. On Friday night as I was pondering my up coming weekend I suddenly remembered that all this was happening and I should go ahead and spend my entire weekend in a camp chair with Sadie to allow her to chase a ball and leap into water. Who WOULDN'T want to do this on a free weekend? I mean, sane people might opt to sleep in but sanity is for the weak. So off we went.

Sadie was by far the smallest dog competing. She even got to compete in the 'lap dog' category and anyone who knows Sadie knows she is not exactly lap dog material. I got a chuckle out of that title. She was competing against dogs 2-3x her size but she doesn't care. She just wanted her ball and she wanted in the water.

This is how a typical jump looked:

1) First run out ahead of me while I am (slowly) making my way onto the deck. Gotta make sure the water is still there and hasn't disappeared, afterall. Logical - for Sadie's brain. Water still there? Ok, now I can go back to mom and get ready.

2) Throw the ball as Sadie runs to the ledge to JUMP! 

3) Except not. Sadie would hesitate at the ledge, get as far down off the ledge she could while still remaining on the dock, and cuss out the ball and water for being so far away.

4) Finally get brave enough to jump down into the water. LAUNCH!!!

5) Fly!!! But not very far, because you're a brick on legs :)

6) And finally, canon ball.

Even though she didn't jump very far, she still managed to make it to the finals. She was a stand-in incase anyone in the top 6 for novice didn't make it. She was pretty far down the alternate list so I didn't think she'd make it but wouldn't you know it, she was jumping in the finals! She made 5th place out of those 6 dogs. Our final jump of the weekend ended up being our best. I held her back like I do in flyball and said "Reaaaadyyyyy? REEAAADYYYY SET HIT IT" which was apparently the magic she needed. She jumped with the least amount of hesitation and made it 7'1" - not bad for a brick on legs jumping in her first dock dog comp.

A few more of my favorites from the weekend - this was on the first day. I was so tickled she jumped in the water with all those people cheering her on around the pool. You just don't know what they're going to do until you get up there.

This was the scenery - gorgeous Issaquah, WA. This is Leslie and Rhubarb getting ready to jump. I just love those hills in the background. Rhu got 4th place in the Novice Finals, btw :)

Until next time -