Virgina Outdoor Sportsmen Classic Aug. 22-24 Last Chance for PURINA

Wow, Three weekends in a row, SKY is going to get her exercise.
Looking forward to seeing everyone again.

wooo hoo ginger finally gets to meet sky

Milt wrote:Just an update to this event. UV will be at this event and Catch It. Schedule will reflect these changes at the event. This is also a UKC sanctioned event.

Two more things ginger gets to do We are so looking foward to the end of this month

Hi I'm new here & to the sport. I have 2 questions.

1. Am I completey insane to bring my dog that has never been swimming (he does love water) to the event & see if he will do it? The main reason I'm asking is that this is the only event in my area & I hate to miss out on the fun.

2. My breed has docked tails (& this dog in particular an extremely short dock) so how do they judge the distance. From what I read in the rules it says from where the tail breaks the water but not sure you can tell on my dogs.

Welcome to our online home. The distance is measured to where the base of the tail meets the body. It makes things a bit more even since some dogs can be longer than others or in your case where there is a short tail.

How old are your Britts we would love to meet them. We hunt with two Britts that hate water and would love to meet your two. We are coming down from Michigan on Friday and will be jumping Saturday and Sunday and look forward to Hopefully meeting your pointers their as well.

P.S.
They are hunting dogs so I think they will jump, not that I am biased or anything. Pointing dogs rule. Oh and are they force fetched? While this is not needed for dock jumping but is often used with most hunting dogs like your brits to encourage constant retrieval and performance. I saw some of the titles on your dogs and I don't know if you have done any work on retrieving but if you have I am sure you have heard wether or not force fetch is a good idea or not but for many MANY hunters a solid force fetch program is the foundation to having a consistent retriever.

Although force fetch may not be required for dock diving it helps the dog understand their part in the symbiotic relationship that is dock diving it is their job to get the toy and your job to make a good throw.

But many people do not believe in force fetch they feel it is a means of intimidation, but I believe the dog learns better with mental an physical training than if you give them for human example a time out or make them sit in the corner and think about what they have done punishment.



Anyway that is way off the topic. But, as Kel says below you do not need force fetch for dock diving. But it sure does help. At least that is my opinion.

The Britt I will be bringing is 3 years old. He loves to play in the water but has never actually been swimming anywhere. I was just on the UKC site yesterday looking for events when I saw this was near where I live & I hated to miss out since it was so close by. Tanner's still a bit of a goofball but he will chase toys I throw into the wading pool we have at home.

I was trying to talk a couple friends into bringing their Britts but one is at a hunt test seminar & the other has a newborn baby (human) at home. So it will probably just be me & Tanner.

Wow you guys are driving a long way!

Michelle,

Every dog if different. Going to the event is a good way to start as you will meet a lot of helpful people there.

Yup, as Alisa said, it's where the BASE of the tail meets the dog's rear, so no worries on having a short tail.

Please, feel free to come out and give it a try! Even if your dog has never actually been swimming, you can still introduce them to the sport. The best way to do it is via the exit ramp. I would not recommend taking a dog who has never swam directly off the big dock before allowing them to first get used to the water and swim around a bit. Otherwise, there is a good chance that you could spook them when they land after jumping and the ground goes out from under them unexpectantly. It's also good to use the ramp first so they know how to get back out of the pool. Many new dogs get upset or even panic if they cannot figure out how to get out once they jump in. It's much safer and less stressful to introduce them slowly and so that they have the greatest chance at succeeding.

Also, not to start a debate or anything, but, if your dogs are force-fetched, I would NOT recommend connecting that with dock jumping. Many dogs are hesitant enough as it is their first time and, if they are, stress gained due to an expected correction will only add to their worries. If you choose to use force-fetching for work or field trials, that's fine and your choice. But dockjumping is a sport with an emphasis on being fun and without undue stress. So, if the dog does not naturally jump on his own and is obviously stressed and/or hesitant, your best bet in introducing them to the sport is through patience and gradual steps forward, rather than force, which just tends to result in avoidance, stress, or even fear.

Furthermore, I do not consider dock jumping a "job." While others may consider it such (which is completely fine), I see it as a sport and a "for fun" activity. Assistance Dog work is a job... Search and Rescue is a job... etc. Dock jumping, and all the other sports we participate in, are just that... sports. I want my dogs to enjoy these activities, along with their actual work. I do not use forceful methods in any of my training. Others may have their own preferences, and that's fine for them. Yes, having a dog sit in a corner for a time out makes little to no sense either... but there are plenty of ways to "correct" a dog without applying physical pain. There are also ways to teach new behaviors without applying physical pain either.

Of course, again, this is MY OPINION. Others are free to disagree in any way or on any level they wish.

Kel wrote:

Please, feel free to come out and give it a try! Even if your dog has never actually been swimming, you can still introduce them to the sport. The best way to do it is via the exit ramp. I would not recommend taking a dog who has never swam directly off the big dock before allowing them to first get used to the water and swim around a bit.

So will there be an opportunity to do this? Would I be able to practice with him some & see if he can do it or do we just have to sign up & see how it goes? Also is there a person in the pool when the dogs jump in??

Kel,

I agree 100% you don't need force fetch for dock diving.

n2britts - you might want to consider getting in the pool yourself !! That's how we got our pup used to the water

Agreed... it's often best if "mom" or "dad" gets in the water! Although, maybe you can "convince" someone else to help you out in that area if needed. As most of the group knows, I'm in there most every event... whether it's for starting a new dog of my own or helping others with their's.

As for there being time to give it a try, yes, there is near always open dock time between Splashes when you can practice/try it out. Of course, you will need to sign up and sign a waiver first, but then you're welcome to get in line and give it a go.

While I won't personally be at this event, I know plenty of the other teams attending are very friendly and helpful and I'm sure they would be happy to give you a hand with introducing your pup to the water and dock.

Best of luck!

Okay if I'm going to be getting wet then what would be the proper attire for me to wear??

Also I'm assuming we will probably be the only Brittany there so if you see a very excited dog with an extremely shy owner wandering around please someone take pity on us!

I usually just wear shorts and a t-shirt with a bathing suit
underneath. I also wear Keen waterproof sandals or flip flops, as
opposed to shoes... soggy sneakers are no fun! Plan on getting
wet even if you don't get in the pool yourself, though. Packing a
change of clothes for after the event is always a good idea.

I personally advocate wearing quick drying clothing such as those made for water sports (nylon or poylester, rather than cotton, fabrics). Life is much more pleasant when one dries quickly (at least at cold weather events)!
As you can see from the above posts, people do get wet because they choose to, but also because their own dog(s) or others get them wet, and sometimes because they inadvertantly go for a Dippy Award