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Dogs of all sizes jump at chance to compete
But it’s all worth it.
Country holds the DockDog World Record in Big Air with a jump of 28 feet 10 inches, and, until earlier this year, was the Extreme Vertical champion with a jump of 7 feet 10 inches.
“He was the world record holder in his prime,” Meese said.
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“Although he had potential, he just didn’t seem to fit in wherever he went until he became one of our dogs,” Meese said.
But he never became a great racer, so Meese decided to switch him to water events after Country showed some interest during a field/water trial in Ohio.
“He couldn’t swim. He just liked to jump,” Meese said.
A plastic pool in the basement to acclimate Country to water and hot dogs attached to toys and bumpers he would retrieve to increase his height and distance fixed all that.
Now, Country can’t get enough of the water – or the competitions. He won his first six DockDogs events in 2005, and he shattered records three times in one day in a competition in Baltimore, Md.
DockDogs is a performance sport for dogs, with events held regionally, nationally and internationally. Performances have been televised on ESPN, and Country is among several dogs featured in a “Top Dog” competition video. He also has appeared on “Good Morning America.”
Meese got hooked on the sport after watching a competition on television. He even was invited to the first DockDogs performance held in England.
The nice thing about Dock Dogs, said Meese – and others agree – is that any dog can compete, from a Chihuahua to a Great Dane.
“I once saw a Jack Russell terrier jump 20 feet,” Meese said.
Plus, dogs are not required to be AKC registered.
Paul Leabhart and his wife, Susan, of Hickory, have been involved with DockDogs for four years, and despite the proximity of their homes in Washington County, they didn’t know Meese until they met him at a competition in Ohio.
“It’s a family sport, and any breed of dog can do it,” said Susan Leabhart, who competes with her 3-year-old chocolate Labrador retriever, Sienna.
Her husband has a 6-year-old chocolate Lab, Moka, who has been competing for nearly two years, and the couple plan to welcome Mossy, a 6-month-old long-legged Lab, into the fold when they feel she’s old enough.
“They love it. They’d be in the pool all day long,” Paul said.
Paul knew Moka had potential the moment she jumped off the dock at Cross Creek Country Park. “Moka was more of a natural,” he said.
Sienna, however, was scared of the water.
“She was more of a challenge,” Susan said.
DockDogs consists of four contests:
n Big Air – a distance event in which dogs jump from the edge of a dock across the pool. The dog can start by running from the beginning of the dock to generate momentum, and distance is calculated from the edge of the dock to where the base of the dog’s tail hits the water.
n Extreme Vertical – a high jump in which dogs jump upward to retrieve a bumper and land in the water.
n Speed Retrieve – involves a run, jump and swim.
n Iron Dog – a combination of the above three competitions.
Dogs also are grouped in one of four categories – novice, junior, senior and master – in each event, and their status is determined by their average distances.
Meese, who owns eight dogs, including three of Country’s pups, trains Country in the aboveground pool at his Fredericktown home. It has a very short deck so Country can’t get much of a running start, but that hasn’t appeared to hamper him at all.
The Leabharts work with their dogs daily. Twice a week the dogs receive water training and they are walked at least one hour every day. Their yard work involves vigorously chasing toys.
“You don’t want the dog to get bored with it,” Paul Leabhart said. “Sometimes, I take Moka hunting to re-energize her.”
Leabhart and Meese are trying to organize a local DockDogs club so competitions can be held locally. Those who are interested can contact Meese at 724-377-0231 or meeseman@hotmail.com, or Leabhart at 724-255-5187 or hotchocolatelab@yahoo.com.
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