Las Vegas DockDogs Blog

Las Vegas DockDogs looking for Nominations for Board & Officer Positions

2012-01-06T19:52:00.001-08:00

It is time to nominate board and officer positions for the Las Vegas DockDogs club. If you'd like to nominate yourself or another member for a position, please e-mail me at LasVegasDockDogs@gmail.com. We have a number of events coming up quickly, so I'd like to close nominations and open up voting pretty soon. Let's have nominations in by Friday January 13th at 12pm PST.

Once I receive all of the nominations, I will contact the nominees to let them know they have an opportunity to accept or decline the nomination. We are not just looking for a warm body to fill the position, we are looking for people to dedicate some time and effort towards the club to help make this our best year ever!

As far as Officer and Board positions, this is what the DockDogs head office is encouraging all clubs to eventually have in place by 2012:

· President

· Vice President

· Treasurer

· Secretary

· Sponsorship/Marketing Director (overseas all sponsorship and marketing aspects for club and events)

· Sanctioned Events Director (built in event manager and main contact with head office to organize all events, practices, training seminars, fun jumps, etc)

· Social Networking Director (coordinates and maintains club website, Facebook page, blog, newsletter etc)

If you'd like to nominate someone (or yourself) for any of the above positions, please e-mail your nomination to LasVegasDockDogs@gmail.com.

The following are additional positions we are hoping to fill in the near future, once the above positions are filled:

· Merchandise & Award Director (coordinates, orders, distributes and tracks all merchandise and awards for club and events)

· Historian (catalogs and captures all photos, video, interviews, articles, etc)

· Volunteer Director (self explanatory)

· Social Events Director (coordinates all banquets, fundraisers, membership drives, etc)

Thanks and we greatly appreciate your support to help make 2012 our best year yet!

Lianne Hassen
Las Vegas DockDogs, president

Have Fun with Your Dog while supporting the Lili Claire Foundations

2011-09-25T20:22:00.000-07:00

Coupon for Las Vegas DockDogs Membership - SAVE $10 off your membership....10% of proceeds go to the Lili Claire Foundation to help kids in need.

Las Vegas DockDogs in the News!!

2011-09-25T20:08:00.000-07:00

Check out these amazing little pit bulls from Las Vegas DockDogs. We are so proud of Luna and Zap for being our local cover girls!!!

Big Air Dooley vs the Go Pro Camera

2011-06-19T19:14:00.000-07:00

'Juice' the Border Collie vs The Go Pro Camera!

2011-06-19T19:00:00.000-07:00

Membership Drive - Join Now and Save!

2011-06-11T17:44:00.001-07:00

Just in time for the summer heat, Las Vegas DockDogs is offering a discount on membership!

Animal Blood Drive

2011-06-11T17:39:00.000-07:00

Please join us at Sit Means Sit on Saturday June 18, 2011 for the 2nd annual animal blood drive!

LOCAL DOG BECOMES WORLD CHAMPION ATHLETE

2011-06-11T16:56:00.001-07:00

Contact: Lianne Hassen
Owner, Dog Trainer
Sit Means Sit Dog Training Tel.: 702-756-6444
E-mail liannehassen@sitmeanssit.com
www.sitmeanssit.com

For Immediate Release
September 20, 2010

LOCAL DOG BECOMES WORLD CHAMPION ATHLETE

Las Vegas, Nev. - A local dog named Rex and his handler, Lianne Hassen of Sit Means Sit, just won the 2010 DockDogs World Championship title for "Extreme Vertical" during the 2010 STIHL Dogs and Logs World Championships held this year in Salem, Oregon.
DockDogs is a fun performance sport for canine competitors which includes four contests: Big Air, Extreme Vertical (EV), Speed Retrieve and Iron Dog, which is a combination of all three. Judging for distance, the Big Air competition judges how far your dog can jump from the edge of the dock across the pool. The Extreme Vertical (EV) is the "high jump" for dogs where dogs jump upwards from the dock in order to retrieve the official DockDogs Flappy toy, landing in the water. DockDogs Speed Retrieve involves a run...jump...swim environment. The clock starts when the dog leaves the starting line on the dock and stops when the dog swims to the end of the pool and retrieves the official DockDogs Flappy toy.
This World Championships event brings in the BEST DockDogs teams in the world to put their heart and soul into competing and show off their dogs' amazing gifts of talent, timing and athletic prowess. Sit Means Sit, the largest U.S. based dog training company with its corporate headquarters in Las Vegas, was extremely proud to have seven out of the 40 teams invited to compete in this year's event. Teams must earn invitations to compete in the World Championships at DockDogs events held regionally, nationally and internationally throughout each year.
"DockDogs is a blast for the dogs and very entertaining for the crowds," said Hassen. "Rex must have jumped over 50 times over the course of the event weekend. It was great competing against new teams I had never met in Extreme Vertical, and they gave Rex a workout."

In addition to earning the World Championship title for "Extreme Vertical" this year for jumping up 7'8" feet from the dock, Rex was a busy boy and also won second place in "Speed Retrieve" and fourth place in "Iron Dog." Rex truly is one of the world's most athletic dogs.

* * *
Established in 2006, Sit Means Sit is the largest U.S.-based dog training company. With its first location and corporate headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada, Sit Means Sit has truly revolutionized dog training. The company started franchising in 2009, and there are now 62 locations throughout the U.S., Canada and Australia, 47 of which are franchises. Sit Means Sit has been featured on several media outlets including Animal Planet, the Outdoor Channel and ESPN. For more information, call (702) 877-4581, toll free at (866) Sit-M-Sit (748-6748) or visit www.sitmeanssit.com. For more information about franchising, visit http://franchise.sitmeanssit.com.
-30-

Rex on the Morning Blend Las Vegas TV

2011-06-11T16:54:00.001-07:00

Click Here for the Morning Blend.

Dog Dock Diving: Making A Fun Splash In Las Vegas!

2011-06-11T16:44:00.000-07:00

Written by: Guest Blogger
by: Natasha Chornesky

Read the full article HERE!

When it’s 108 degrees and climbing in Vegas, dog walkers rise at 5:00 am in a zombie-like state to beat the heat on their morning walks. Dogs stay inside all day, snoozing on the couch, and then once the sun sets, it’s time for another walk. By then, your average dog walker is, after a day’s work, once again back in a zombie trance.

It doesn’t have to be that bad, though. There are options.

One of Vegas’ best kept secrets for dog owners provides an incredible opportunity for dogs stuck on the couch during the sweltering summer months. Las Vegas Dock Diving maintains a doggie-only pool just two shakes of a tail off the 215, near Warm Springs and Spencer.

Founded in 2008, by Lianne Hasen and Lisa Weber, in only two years, Las Vegas Dock Dogs (LVDD) has grown quickly and has almost 40 members.

In 2009, Las Vegas’ Sit Means Sit purchased a competition pool and dock for the club, so that members could practice on a regular basis, condition their dogs and gain some relief from the heat during the summer months.

Two local tournaments are held annually in Las Vegas, one sponsored by LVDD; the other, by Las Vegas’ Bass Pro Shops. Beyond that, members of LVDD pack up and hit the road heading to Arizona, California and Colorado, regularly. One team member, Bob Lockwood and his wife Laura, are preparing for a competition in Butte, Montana.

“We find ourselves traveling to Colorado a lot,” says Lianne, “If you want a great crowd and great scenery, the Teva Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado, is probably the most gorgeous spot to travel to.”

Most club members travel in their cars and take hotel rooms in tournament towns. La Quinta hotels are known on the dock diving circuit to be very dog friendly, so they are always a favorite.

“We have a few die-hard members who travel to many events,” shares Lianne, “And one couple that even purchased an RV just for this purpose!”

Bob is one of those members. He and his wife have traveled as far as 1800 miles for a single competition.

“We purchased a new van in June 2009 and it now has over 26,000 miles on it, all from dock diving trips,” says Bob’s wife Laura.

Bob, Laura and their dogs, Ryder and Harley, who are both titled, have a set travel routine. Bob is in charge of fixing the dogs’ two meals a day. Laura supervises the packing of their crates, shade covers and each dog’s duffle bag which contains blankets, cool coats, towels and assorted leashes, toys, bowls and shampoo.

Together, Bob and Laura pack the tent with the screens, floor, a large cooler for themselves, and another to keep the dogs’ water cool. If there is any room left, they pack a few sets of clean clothes.

“We love meeting people from different clubs all over,” says Laura, “Two months after my hip replacement surgery, we were in College Station, TX., and their club came over to help set up our equipment.

“It touched our hearts that these strangers would do this for us.”

Lianne says that any dog who likes water and likes to play with a toy is perfect for Dock Dogs. There are even divisions for lap dogs and veterans.

“Dogs with outstanding athletic ability and drive usually make it right to the top,” says Lianne, “Those are the dogs that drive you crazy around the house and constantly want you to throw the toy!”

Lianne encourages Las Vegas locals to book their first visit to the Dock Dogs club pool for free by logging onto www.lasvegasdockdogs.com. If you’re from out of town, you can log onto the national Dock Dogs’ site to find a club near you. http://www.dockdogs.com/

The club is staffed by volunteers and there are always plenty of dock doggers available to help you out, both, at practice and competitions.

Lianne says, when you pack for your first dock diving competition, be sure to bring . . .

A crate

food/water bowl

throw toy

water

food

sunscreen

a camping chair

ez-up canopy

a towel.

Las Vegas Dock Dogs Club Website

Sit Mean Sit, Las Vegas Website

Strut Your Mutt Event Website

Bass Pro Shops

Dock Diving Video Link (Lianne in Hawaii)

Dock Dogs

About the author: Natasha and her dog Seven recently joined the Las Vegas Dock Dog Club. When she’s not tossing toys in the pool for Seven, Natasha and her partner, Chris, document the lives of dogs and humans through photography and writing. All photos courtesy of Write Shot

Read more FIDO Friendly destination and health/wellness articles and get the latest and greatest in where to go with your pooch at: FIDO Friendly magazine

Dog Day in the Park - Needles California Event featuring Las Vegas DockDogs

2011-04-17T10:29:00.000-07:00

We wrapped up the Dog Day in the Park yesterday in Needles California. It was only a 2 hour drive from Vegas. The proceeds from this event benefited the Needles Animal Shelter. I made a video of the dock and water where we were jumping. Next year, everyone should plan on coming out, this was a super event for the dogs and we got some wonderful photos and video!!

This was their first annual event and we'll keep you updated on next years!

Dog Day in the Park - Needles California Event featuring Las Vegas DockDogs

2011-04-17T10:12:00.000-07:00

Fox 5 News - Pet-a-palooza and DockDogs!

2011-04-14T15:10:00.000-07:00

Fox 5 News - Pet-a-palooza and DockDogs!

2011-04-14T00:07:00.000-07:00

Extreme Vertical at Pet-a-palooza

2011-04-12T22:46:00.000-07:00

Extreme Vertical at Pet-a-palooza

2011-04-12T15:09:00.000-07:00

Try DockDogs with YOUR dog! Pet-a-palooza Las Vegas DockDogs!

2011-04-11T21:04:00.000-07:00

Pet-a-palooza Las Vegas DockDogs Competition! Rescue Dogs Can Jump Too!!

2011-04-11T20:24:00.000-07:00

Try DockDogs with YOUR dog! Pet-a-palooza Las Vegas DockDogs!

2011-04-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

Pet-a-palooza Las Vegas DockDogs Competition! Rescue Dogs Can Jump Too!!

2011-04-11T15:06:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS DOCKDOGS COMPETITION AT 'PET-A-PALOOZA'

2011-04-04T14:39:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas, Nev. – Sit Means Sit, the largest U.S.-based dog training company, is proudly sponsoring a Las Vegas DockDogs competition April 8-9, 2011 at the famous Pet-a-palooza event in Las Vegas, hosted by Mix 94.1, featuring live performances by ‘Train’. The event is located at Star Nursery Fields at Sam Boyd Stadium (at Russell & Boulder Hwy). The public is invited to bring their favorite four-legged friends out to see if their dogs will catch some big air, take the plunge and partake in some dock jumping fun or to just come out and enjoy the exciting entertainment.
DockDogs is one of the highest-ranked spectator dog sports in the nation and will be a great addition to Pet-a-palooza’s event. Check out the video promoting the DockDogs sport, new this year at Pet-a-palooza: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWd1sL5QGJg

Las Vegas DockDogs has been featured on the Outdoor Channel, Animal Planet and ESPN, it is a fun performance sport for canine competitors which includes four contests: Big Air, Extreme Vertical (EV), Speed Retrieve and Iron Dog, which is a combination of all three. Judging for distance, the Big Air competition judges how far your dog can jump from the edge of the dock across the pool. The Extreme Vertical (EV) is the "high jump" for dogs where dogs jump upwards from the dock in order to retrieve the official DockDogs bumper, landing in the water. DockDogs Speed Retrieve involves a run...jump...swim environment. The clock starts when the dog leaves the starting line on the dock and stops when the dog swims to the end of the pool and retrieves the official DockDogs bumper.

"DockDogs is a blast for the dogs and is very entertaining for the crowds," said Lianne Hassen, president of Las Vegas DockDogs and co-owner of Sit Means Sit. "I challenge all local dog owners to bring their dogs out to see if they'll try it. We will also have three Sit Means Sit world-class dog athletes - Puma, Rex and Tractor, who will be jumping and showing off their amazing gifts of timing and athletic prowess. Puma is the reigning DockDogs 2009 Iron Dog National Champion and Rex is the reigning DockDogs 2010 Extreme Vertical World Champion"

DockDogs events are held regionally, nationally and internationally. It is open to any breed and size of dog from the smallest Chihuahua to the largest Great Dane. The only requirement is that dogs must be at least six months of age.
Dock diving participants can register onsite the day of the event. A sneak peak competition will be held Friday, April 8 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. and we invite the media to join us for this high flying kick off to the competition. Saturday, April 9, the dogs will be jumping and competing from 10 a.m. through 6 p.m at the famous Pet-a-palooza event with Extreme Vertical at 1 p.m. and the Finals at 5 p.m. For a detailed show schedule, visit www.LasVegasDockDogs.com.
All proceeds from this event go towards supporting local Las Vegas Rescues!

* * *
Established in 2006, Sit Means Sit is the largest U.S.-based dog training company. With its first location and corporate headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada, Sit Means Sit has truly revolutionized dog training. The company started franchising about a couple of years ago, and there are now 70 locations throughout the U.S., Canada and Australia. Sit Means Sit has been featured on several media outlets including Animal Planet, the Outdoor Channel and ESPN. For more information, call (702) 877-4581, toll free at (866) Sit-M-Sit (748-6748) or visit www.sitmeanssit.com.

Fun in the Sun in San Diego

2011-03-31T17:34:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Medina, OH - March 31, 2011 - The Fred Hall Fishing, Tackle, Boat & Travel Show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in San Diego, CA. continues to reign supreme as the oldest and largest consumer show in California's second largest city for the last 36 years. The Royal Canin sponsored National DockDogs Series was happy to be invited back for the fifth year in a row as the feature entertainment of the long standing event.
Thursday was day one of Big Air qualifying of the four day event. Two teams set the bar high in the 1st wave of the day. Current 2010 World Champions, Melissa Ness and her amazing rescued Chesapeake Bay Retriever Smoke, threw down a 24'2". But the team to watch for the weekend was Lisa Strum from San Diego and her 3 year old Belgian Malinois Vhoebe (VB) jumping to a Super Elite distance of 26'5". Honorable mentions of the day were, Jack Voss and Jillie with an 18'6" to make the Semi Pro Finals later in the weekend and Lisa Linden and her Standard Poodle with a 9'4".

Day two of qualifying saw Chris Kakuuchi from Brea, CA make it to the Pro Big Air Finals with a 22'. Austin, with handler Jack Barry, jumped into the Semi Pro class with a 19'1". Nancy Bouman and her long legged Black Lab and Brian Jorgensen and Elly from Anaheim, CA both made it in to the Semi Pro class with a jump of 18'10". One team that didn't quite make the Finals cut, but worked hard was Jessie Broadway and Shimmer, who won the Novice division on Friday.

Saturday started with the 1st qualifier of Speed Retrieve. Of the 14 teams trying to qualify for the 8 spots in the Final, there were seven teams that streaked down the 58' distance under 7 seconds. Sit Means Sit teammate Lianne Hassen and her Belgian Malinois, Rex, had a blistering pass of 5.244 seconds to make the Finals as the top seed. Craig Haverstick and his former champ and 9 year old rescued Chessie named Henry also came speeding down the dock with a 5.876.

Saturdays first of three Big Air qualifiers saw eight teams jump over the 20' mark. Current 2011 World Big Air Champion Melissa Ness and Smoke were on fire with a 27'2", qualifying as the top seed in the Pro division. Lisa Strum and Vhoebe (VB) hung with the champ at 26'1", getting the second top spot going into the Finals on Sunday. Ashley Rietfors and her high flying Dutch Shepherd, Pyro jumped out to 24'8" to make the Pro Finals not to mention taking home their first Iron Dog win! Also making the Finals the next day were Shari Robinson and her lightning fast Border Collie, Nevada, getting in the Semi Pro Finals with a 20'4". Perry Collier and his 11 year old Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Sydney went to the Amateur Finals with a 15'7".

After a long day of Big Air and Speed Retrieve qualifying, there was one event left - the crowd favorite, Extreme Vertical, which is probably the hardest of all competitions. With a total of 10 teams set to compete, only 2 ended in the Cadet division (meaning they were coming in under the 6' mark) at the end of the competition. They were Lianne Hassen with her two dogs, Dooley, a Yellow Lab, leaving the competition at 5'6" and her Black Lab, Tank, taking second with a 5'4".

It was the Top Gun class that needed an air traffic controller to keep the planes out of the aerial dog fight above the dock. The story of the day was first time EV competitor Lisa Strum from San Diego and her 2 year old Belgian Malinois, Gabriel. This beautiful first timer came in to the competition at 5'4" and came back round after round by grabbing the hanging bumper 11 times before getting to 7'2". In the end the team missed twice at their final height putting them out of the competition and tying for 4 place with former EV Champ Melissa Ness and Stryker at 7'. Third place went to the team of Pyro and handler Ashley Rietfors. In the end it was two teams from the Las Vegas DockDogs club and Sit Means Sit dog training organization who fought it out up to 7'6" where Lianne Hassen and Rex went out for a second place finish as well as taking second in Iron Dog. Puma, also a Belgian Malinois, and handler Alfredo Rivera went on to grab the winning height at 7'8".

After not experiencing any major upsets in the last remaining Big Air and Speed Retrieve qualifiers, it was onto the Finals! Speed Retrieve kicked things off with teams coming in with the fastest times of the event in the Final. The teams were pretty well matched up with three teams finishing in the low seven second range and three teams finishing in the six second area. It all came down the last two dogs in the final round of the Finals. Craig Haverstick and his nine year old dog, Henry, came to the dock with confidence as this former champ is used to pressure. When the green light lit up at the end of the pool, Henry ran and jumped almost half the pool and swam the rest blistering there first round time by 300th of a second with a time of 5.487, giving the SoCal DockDogs club President the lead. Representing the Las Vegas DockDogs club, Lianne Hassen and her Belgian Malinois, Rex, threw down a first round pass of 5.677, which means they needed to step up a couple hundreds of a second to take the win. The team staged up on the starting line (20' mark on the dock) and gave the nod they were ready. The yellow light came on and 3 seconds later went to green. Rex not only got a better reaction time on the starting lights then Henry but had a much smoother pass and a slightly faster swim. The crowd fell silent as the DockDogs announcer screamed 5.224 seconds and your winner is Rex and Lianne Hassen! With little time to celebrate, the teams went to dry the dogs off and get ready for the Pro Big Air Finals.

The great people from Royal Canin, the leader in pet nutrition, conducted a contest for spectators to pick there favorite dog of the event. The winner was Linda Hettich from Arcadia, CA and her cancer surviving Black Lab, Tessa. The seven year old Lab also finished sixth with a 22' in the Pro Big Air Finals.

The Pro Finals saw two teams shoot it out at the end. Lisa Strum and VB jumped to a crowd applause first round of 26' and a final jump of 26'4"for the lead. Pressure was on Ashley Rietfors and her fired up Belgian Malinois, Pyro, who had a first round jump of 26', but came back for there final jump and launched like the space shuttle in the second round to 26'5', taking home the win by 1".

The Semi Pro Big Air Final saw two long time members of the DockDogs family fight it out. It was Shari Robibson and her cape wearing Border Collie, Nevada, getting it done with a second place finish of 20'2". Lianna Hassen was busy all week long competiting her many dogs, but it was her Belgian Malinois, Rex, again getting the top podium spot with a 20'11".

Marilyn Barrett and her Black Lab, Phoebe, took home the gold with a 19'11" in the Amateur Big Air Finals. Holly Wagoner and her beautiful mixed breed named Sox finished with a 18'6", good enough for second. Sammi- Jane and her handler Megan Kelly-LaRue from San Clements, CA popped a17'6" for a third place finish to finish out the event.

It is always exciting to come back to one of our favorite long-standing events - The Fred Hall Fishing, Tackle, Boat & Travel Show series. DockDogs wants to thank everyone who came out to enjoy the nice weather with us and our sponsor, Royal Canin for joining us as well. We hope to see everyone next year for more fun in the sun!

THE BALL vs REXY

2011-03-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

Rex's DockDogs Speed Retrieve Personal Best

2011-03-28T15:04:00.000-07:00

This is how I encourage my dog during Extreme Vertical ; )

2011-03-28T15:03:00.000-07:00

My Brilliant Little Labrador!

2011-03-28T15:01:00.000-07:00

'Tank' competes in DockDogs Extreme Vertical

2011-03-28T14:59:00.000-07:00

Ryder Personal Best DockDogs Big Air

2011-03-28T14:58:00.000-07:00

Alfredo Rivera and 'Power Puma' compete at the Fred Hall DockDogs Show

2011-03-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

My Brilliant Little Labrador!

2011-03-28T00:44:00.000-07:00

'Tank' competes in DockDogs Extreme Vertical

2011-03-28T00:32:00.000-07:00

Ryder Personal Best DockDogs Big Air

2011-03-28T00:19:00.000-07:00

Alfredo Rivera and 'Power Puma' compete at the Fred Hall DockDogs Show

2011-03-28T00:07:00.000-07:00

Fred Hassen & 'Nash' DockDogs

2011-03-27T23:19:00.000-07:00

Fred Hassen & 'Nash' DockDogs

2011-03-27T14:56:00.000-07:00

DockDogs Speed Retrieve Finals Del Mar, California

2011-03-27T14:55:00.000-07:00

DockDogs Speed Retrieve Finals Del Mar, California

2011-03-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

Rex's DockDogs Speed Retrieve Personal Best

2011-03-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

This is how I encourage my dog during Extreme Vertical ; )

2011-03-27T00:58:00.000-07:00

White Guys CAN Jump!!

2011-03-24T21:32:00.000-07:00

DockDogs Extreme Vertical with Nash from Las Vegas DockDogs

2011-03-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

I Adore My Labrador!

2011-03-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

White Guys CAN Jump!!

2011-03-24T14:54:00.000-07:00

DockDogs Extreme Vertical with Nash from Las Vegas DockDogs

2011-03-24T14:53:00.000-07:00

I Adore My Labrador!

2011-03-24T14:52:00.000-07:00

Rah! RAW! Rah! Pet Foods 'Tractor' the DockDog

2011-03-21T20:45:00.000-07:00

Rah! RAW! Rah! Pet Foods 'Tractor' the DockDog!

2011-03-21T14:47:00.000-07:00

DockDogs Surfs into Long Beach!

2011-03-16T17:33:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Medina, OH - March 16, 2011 - DockDogs was once again hosted by the 2011 Fred Hall Fishing, Tackle and Boat Show in beautiful Long Beach, CA this past weekend. For the sixth year in a row our SoCal DockDogs came out in full force, ready to officially start their season of competition.
Starting things off slowly on Wednesday and Thursday, but we were treated with plenty of solid jumping pups. Chris Kakucchi and her Yellow Lab named Dusty took home first place in Wave #1 with a jump that would guarantee them the first seed in the Semi-Pro Finals of 21'11". Wednesday night saw SoCal DockDoggers Linda Hettich and her cancer surviving pup Tessa take home the big win with a jump of 20'8". Big Air Wave #3 on Thursday also provided some great moments as Jan Jorgensen and her Black Lab Moki made it into the water for the first time ever taking home a First Place Novice Ribbon.

Friday's competition gave us some clear signs of things to come over the weekend as vanloads of teams made their way to the DockDogs area to strut their stuff. Big Air Wave #5 saw the arrival of a team that's new to DockDogs this year, but tearing up the astroturf nonetheless. Lisa Strum and her Belgian Malinois named Vhoebe threw down a jump of 25'9" on their first time up to show everyone they were a force to be reckoned with. Coming in 2nd was Brittany Moss and her Belgian Malinois named Joker with a jump of 20'9". The California Malinois' continued their dominance into the evening with Vhoebe extending her best to 26'8" and Joker making it out to 20'8".

Saturday's Speed Retrieve competition was as exciting as ever, as we saw the famous Henry, an 9 year old rescued Chessie dominate the wave, with a great time of 6.039 seconds. Lisa and Vhoebe took another step towards showing everyone why they'll be an Iron Dog contender for a long time to come with a time of 6.272.

The Big Air waves of Saturday left nothing to be desired as the reigning 2010 World Champion team of Melissa Ness and her Chessie named Smoke as well as the 2009 Big Air World Champions Craig Haverstick and his Chessie named Henry entered into the mix. Lisa and Vhoebe would not be intimidated though, beating out both of those teams by over half a foot with another jump of 26'8" in wave #7. The next Big Air Wave saw Melissa and Smoke back in familiar territory atop the awards stand after jumping 26'4" for the win. 2009 Iron Dog World Champions Alfredo Rivera and his Belgian Malinois named Power Puma came in 2nd with a jump of 23'6". Jumping big enough to qualify for their first Pro Final, Kate Bernstein and her Yellow Lab Oliver took third with a jump of 22'3".

After moving Saturday's Extreme Vertical Final to mid-afternoon on Saturday, we saw a battle of Top Gun Veterans taking it to the wire. Alfredo and Power Puma out-jumped Melissa Ness and her mixed breed named Stryker for the win with a final height of 7'5". Stryker made it up to 7'0", followed by Vhoebe who exited the competition at 6'8". In a great turn of events, the most excited team award has to go to DockDogs veterans Nancy Bouman and her Black Lab named River found their way back into EV groove jumping up to 4'10" to take 3rd in the Cadet Division.

Sunday's bright, sunny skies brought out the crowds and our teams did everything they could to deliver the excitement always seen when DockDogs heads to Southern California. Newcomers and Veterans battled it out right from the start, as Melissa and Smoke showed everyone why they are the World Champions jumping out to our first 27 footer of the weekend. Lisa and Vhoebe followed a half foot behind with a jump of 26'6". In the final Big Air Qualifying wave, Craig and Henry proved they've still got it by throwing down a first place tying 24'3" jump to tie Melissa and Smoke.

Our Finals started off with Speed Retrieve, where we watched our top 8 teams of the weekend battle it out for the best score on that 58' retrieve. It was our hard to beat team of Craig Haverstick and Henry, who swam away with first, with a score of 5.878 seconds. Coming in second was Lisa and Vhoebe, with another competitive score of 6.369. Rounding out the top three was Alfredo and Power Puma, with a time of 6.600.

The bleachers filled as our Pro dogs lined up at the back of the dock. We knew we were in to see some huge jumps, as we had 5 dogs jump out past that 22' mark to make it to these Finals. We were definitely not disappointed as these teams came out and gave it their all! Taking first and also extending their all-time personal best jump was Lisa Strum and Vhoebe, with a leap of 27'2"! Coming in second was Smoke, with a more than respectable score of 26'7". Coming in 3rd was the veteran team of Craig and Henry with a jump of 24'9".

Next up was our Semi-Pro dogs, and this was going to be a tough competition as the bubble to get in was definitely set high. After we watched these 6 dogs battle it out, we saw SoCal DockDoggers, Linda Hettich and Tessa, jump 21'6'' and take first place. Chris and Dusty hadn't jumped since the first day of competition, but still jumped big enough to take 2nd with a jump of 21'5". Rounding out the top 3 was Pam Sheets and her Chocolate Lab Brooklyn with a jump of 21'1".

Rounding out our Finals competition for this event were our Amateur dogs. Showing they were ready to play with the big dogs, they held their own. The top 8 Amateur dogs lined up and gave it their all. Taking out the competition with a great jump of 17'8'', was Marc Marsceill and his Black Lab Diesel. Taking 2nd was Jack Voss and his Black Lab Jillie with a jump of 17'4". Rounding out the top 3 was Don Gregory and his Wirehaired Griffon with a jump of 16'10".

Our Iron Dog Competition saw 2009 World Champions Alfredo and Power Puma going down to the wire with Lisa and Vhoebe. In the end, it was Puma that would take home the win with 3040.74. Just about half a point behind, Lisa and Vhoebe showed they belong with the big boys scoring 3040.18. Craig and Henry finished right on their heels though with a score of 3032.79.

DockDogs would like to thank Royal Canin for helping make it possible for us to be here this year. We would also like to thank the staff at the Fred Hall Fishing, Tackle and Boat Show for having us and we look forward to returning to the show in a few weeks down in Del Mar, CA. The crowds were great, and we look forward to seeing all of our SoCal DockDoggers in Del Mar in a couple weeks!

Rexy The Mighty Malinois

2011-03-12T14:46:00.000-08:00

What's New At PET-A-PALOOZA This Year?

2011-03-11T19:40:00.000-08:00

What's New At PET-A-PALOOZA This Year

2011-03-11T14:44:00.000-08:00

Pet-a-palooza Las Vegas April 9th 2011 - Featuring DockDogs & 'Train'

2011-03-07T19:56:00.000-08:00

Pet-a-palooza Las Vegas April 9th 2011 - Featuring DockDogs & 'Train'

2011-03-07T14:41:00.000-08:00

The Best from the West Throw Down in Phoenix!

2011-03-01T17:32:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Medina, OH - March 1, 2011 - For the 3rd stop in the International Sportsman's Expo Best of the West Series, DockDogs trucked on into the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The state of the art dome and home to the NFL's Arizona Cardinals has seen it's fair share of thrills since opening in 2006, but our high-flying dogs certainly held their own with the jam-packed crowds. With teams showing up from all over the west, we knew that the competition would be stiff from the start, but it was anyone's guess which of these stellar competitors would come away with the wins.
Starting things off on Thursday afternoon with Big Air Wave #1, we saw the local dogs strut their stuff. Traci Johnson and her Chocolate Lab named Jill from Peoria, AZ came away with the longest jump making it out to 21'1". Following just behind in 2nd was Glendale, AZ natives Whitney Lightner and her Border Collie named Saber with a 20'6". Rounding out the top 3 was Elsa Brett and her Golden Retriever Leo from Scottsdale, AZ with a 18'5". Big Air Wave #2 saw more locals strutting their stuff. Marcia Walton and her Australian Shepherd named Roo from Chino Valley, AZ took home the win with a jump of 18'8". Following close behind was Whitney with her other pup named Aero with a jump of 17'3." Coming in 3rd was Kathleen Schaffer and her Golden Retriever named Ernie from Frankfort, IL with a jump of 15'11". Finishing out the day with Big Air Wave #3, Traci and Jill were back to their winning ways with a jump of 21'3". Marcia and Roo came in 2nd with a 17'3" jump followed by Tempe native Becky Brooks and Yellow Lab, Zeus, with a jump of 15'1".

With 3 more Big Air waves on the schedule for Friday, we saw the arrival of many more teams from all over the West. Big Air Wave #4 saw the arrival of the massive jumping Belgian Malinois, Vhoebe, from San Diego, CA. Handled by Lisa Strum, Vhoebe jumped huge right away throwing down 26'4" for the win. Coming in 2nd was Boulder Creek, CA natives Ashley Rietfors and her Dutch Shepard named Pyro with a jump of 21'10". Rounding out the top 3 was Elsa and Leo with a jump of 18'5". Lisa and Vhoebe were back at it in Big Air Wave #5, jumping 25'6" for the win. Coming in 2nd was Ashley and Pyro with a jump of 22'8". Coming in 3rd was junior handler Holli Johnson and her Chocolate Lab, Jill, with a jump of 20'9". Big Air Wave #6 saw the arrival of even more dogs, but Lisa and Vhoebe still outjumped the competition by almost 3 feet with a winning jump of 25'8". Flying in from Spokane, WA and jumping big right off the bat, Britten Jay and his Chessie named Caddis took 2nd with 22'9". Vegas natives Lisa Weber and her Yellow Lab named Tractor rounded out the top 3 with a jump of 22'.

Switching gears Saturday morning, we changed over to Speed Retrieve. The 2010 World Championship Bronze Medalists Henry the Chessie and his handler Craig Haverstick from San Diego, CA turned in the fastest time of 6.218 seconds. Coming in 2nd was Vegas natives, and the 2010 World Championship runners' up, Lianne Hassen and her Belgian Malinois named Rex with a time of 6.286 seconds. Rounding out the top 3 was Caddis, this time handled by Julie Jay with a time of 6.356 seconds. Getting back to Big Air, Wave #7 saw Craig and Henry take home their 2nd win of the day with a jump of 24'6". Coming in 2nd was Britten and Caddis with a jump of 23'6". Rounding out the top 3 was Tractor, this time being jumped by AJ Leasure with a jump of 21'11". Big Air Wave #8 saw Caddis and Julie pick up the win with a 22'9" jump. Vegas natives Fred Hassen and his Belgian Malinois named Nash took 2nd with a jump of 21'6". Coming in 3rd was AJ and Tractor with a jump of 20'11".

Saturday evening found 17 teams battling it out to see who could go the highest in our Extreme Vertical Finals. With several big jumping new teams and the 2010 Extreme Vertical World Champions Lianne and Rex in the mix, it was anyone's guess who would come away with the title. The following 2 hours provided plenty of excitement, but at the end, Ashley and Pyro were crowned the champions with a winning score of 7'6". Lianne and Rex pushed them to the limit, coming in 2nd with a score of 7'4". Britten and Caddis were the only other team to break the 7 foot mark, finishing in 3rd with a 7' score.

Sunday morning saw the Final qualifying wave of Big Air for the weekend. Taking home the win was Craig and Henry with a score of 24'1". Finishing in 2nd was Britten and Caddis with a score of 22'1". In 3rd, Lisa and Tractor threw down a score of 22'1" to lead us into the finals. Following up was the final Speed Retrieve qualifying wave of the event. Lisa and Vhoebe showed everyone they were also a force to be reckoned with, blazing down the dock and retrieving the bumper with the sub-6 second time of the weekend turning in a score of 5.998 seconds. Coming in 2nd was Craig and Henry with a score of 6.180 seconds. In 3rd was Lianne and Rex with a score of 6.319 seconds.

With all the qualifying scores in the books, it was time to crown an Iron Dog Champion for the weekend. With massive Big Air scores, the fastest Speed Retrieve score and a 4th place finish in Extreme Vertical there was little question as to which team would be the winner. Lisa and Vhoebe turned in a stellar score of 3057.01. Coming in 2nd was Ashley and Pyro with a score of 3040.86. Finishing in 3rd was Lianne and Rex.

Every qualifying wave had been jumped, and every score had been tabulated, it was time for the Finals! Starting things off with the Speed Retrieve Finals, we had the top 8 teams of the weekend battling it out. Lianne and Rex showed everyone how they finished 2nd at the World's last year, blazing down the dock with a winning time of 6.147 seconds. Coming in 2nd was Craig and Henry with a time of 6.185 seconds. In 3rd was Julie and Caddis with a score of 6.606 seconds.

Moving into the Big Air Finals, we started things off with the Pro Division. Lisa and Vhoebe saved their best for last while narrowly missing the Indoor World Record. They jumped out to 27'2" for the win. Also saving their best for the Finals was Ashley and Pyro with a 2nd place jump of 25'11". Coming in 3rd was Craig and Henry with a jump of 24'8". The Semi-Pro Finals saw Fred and Nash jumping out to 22'6" for the win. Whitney and Saber came in 2nd with a jump of 21'6". Rounding out the top 3 was Lianne and Rex with a jump of 20'5". The Amateur Finals saw the treat of having a lap dog jump out for the win. Cynthia Hamilton and her mixed breed Wrigley from Scottsdale, AZ managed the win with a jump of 18'3". Coming in 2nd was Vegas natives Bob Lockwood and his Chocolate Lab, Ryder, with a jump of 18'1". Rounding out the top 3 was Lianne Hassen, this time with her Yellow Lab, Dooley, with a jump of 16'3".

DockDogs would like to thank everyone with the International Sportsman's Expo, the gracious staff of the University of Phoenix Stadium, the Arizona DockDogs club and all the teams that came out to compete with us and of course the great crowds that came out to support us over the weekend.

Tractor of Las Vegas DockDogs

2011-02-21T14:50:00.000-08:00

2011 World's Location & Qualifying Criteria Announcement

2011-02-09T17:30:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Medina, OH - February 9, 2011 - The highly anticipated announcement of the 2011 DockDogs® World Championships location and qualifying criteria is finally here.
After taking our live event to the West Coast last year, DockDogs® has decided to select a more central location for the 2011 World Championships. After much consideration and discussion it has been decided that the 2011 DockDogs® World Championships will be held at the Silverdome in Pontiac, MI.

"The Great Lakes Agricultural Fair has graciously decided to extend an invitation to DockDogs® to participate in their inaugural event" stated Brian Sharenow, DockDogs® Vice President. "We look forward to returning to the Great Lake state after a year long hiatus and bringing with us our World famous event to the state of Michigan" Sharenow went on to add.

The DockDogs® World Championships will again be held over Labor Day weekend, September 2-5. As the sport of DockDogs® is ever changing and evolving as we have decided to expand the Youth Handler aspect of the program this year. This season not only will there be an invitation extended to the winners of the Pro division in Big Air, Speed Retrieve, the Top Gun division of Extreme Vertical and Iron Dog; but the top ranked Youth Handler at each Zone Qualifier will also be offered an invitation to the World Championships.

While there are a few Zone Qualifiers left to be decided, the qualifying criteria can be found on our website under the "Events" tab. The remaining locations will be chosen in the next few weeks and announcements will be made as more information becomes available.

As is with DockDogs® qualifying tradition each team must be a 2011 Worldwide member and have attended a minimum of 3 National events on or before August 1st. For the full list of qualifying criteria for the 2011 DockDogs® World Championships click here!

Fun Dog Training Tricks

2011-02-06T12:03:00.000-08:00

ISE Sacramento DockDogs Event

2011-02-04T23:18:00.000-08:00

ISE DockDogs Competition

2011-02-04T22:58:00.000-08:00

Teach YOUR Dog to Swim | Get Ready for DockDogs at Petapalooza 2011

2011-01-23T10:54:00.000-08:00

AMAZING Underwater Dog !!

2011-01-22T20:52:00.000-08:00

How to start Extreme Vertical with YOUR dog!

2011-01-19T21:30:00.000-08:00

DockDogs Hawaii Official Coconut Throw Toy

2011-01-18T23:28:00.000-08:00

First World Qualifier of 2011 Announcement!

2011-01-13T17:29:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Medina, OH - January 13, 2011
With the 2011 DockDogs season under way it is already time to turn our attention to the Super Bowl event of DockDogs - the 2011 DockDogs World Championships!

DockDogs Management is happy to announce the first Zone Qualifier of 2011! The venue is brand new to DockDogs, but we thought it was the perfect setting to bring teams from all over to share in such a worthy cause. The Pet Fun Fest & Adopt a Pet-a-Thon in Toronto will be our gracious host of the first Zone Qualifier of the 2011 season happening February 11-13th.

As is DockDogs tradition the winner in the Pro division of Big Air, TopGun division of Extreme Vertical, winner of the Speed Retrieve Finals and Iron Dog Champion will each receive an invitation to participate at the 2011 World Championships.

Pre-registration for this event has already started, so to get in on all the exciting action before it is too late simply click here to visit the event information/ registration page!

This year's World Championships will again be held on Labor Day weekend (Friday, September 2nd - Sunday, September 4th) with a brand new element being added for the actual Labor Day celebrations. In an effort to open the sport to new competitors and allow them the opportunity to work with the World's elite teams we will open the dock for practice to anyone on Monday, September 5th.

While DockDogs Management is still keeping the new site and venue under wraps for the big event, you can expect an announcement in early February and it will include the remaining qualifying criteria.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Video of 'Juice' - Las Vegas Sun

2010-12-16T21:59:00.000-08:00

CHECK OUT WHAT LOCAL CELEBRITY DOG 'JUICE' IS UP TO TODAY!

CLICK HERE to see the video of him performing for the Las Vegas Sun.

'JUICE' ON THE MORNING BLEND

2010-12-16T21:54:00.000-08:00

Our boy 'Juice' is quickly becoming a local celebrity and the city is really getting behind him on his blog!

Check Stephanie Malone and 'Juice' out on THE MORNING BLEND.

Las Vegas DockDogs 'Juice' on Fox 5 with Extreme Amy

2010-12-16T21:50:00.001-08:00

Share the excitement as 'Juice' performs in the Fox 5 studio with Extreme Amy! He will be riding on the Rose Parade Float very soon!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

Also, check out his blog at ATHLETIC DOGS

National Championships - Las Vegas DockDogs 2010

2010-11-23T14:38:00.000-08:00

Stephanie Malone & 'Juice' on the Rose Bowl Float January 1st

2010-11-21T11:52:00.000-08:00

Wonderful news! LVDD's very own Stephanie Malone and her amazing and adorable border collie 'Juice' have earned a spot on the Natural Balance Rose Bowl Float.

Natural Balance is a leader in pet nutrition. Please CLICK HERE to visit their website to learn more about Natural Balance!

Please watch the video below from the Natural Balance casting call which includes an interview with Stephanie:

Here is another great video about the Float:

A BUNCH OF MALINOIS AND "DOOLEY" !!!

2010-11-04T22:22:00.000-07:00

Is Your Company Interested In Being A Part of the LVDD 2011 Calendar?

2010-11-02T22:04:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas DockDogs Banquet & Calendar Launch

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
It is with great enthusiasm that Las Vegas DockDogs invites you to become a sponsor of our Annual Banquet & Bowling Night as well as our 2011 Calendar Launch at Sunset Station Casino & Resort on Friday January and 21st, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. This fun filled evening will feature dinner, awards ceremony and a bowling tournament for the Las Vegas DockDogs Members, Sponsors, fans and friends.

‘Las Vegas DockDogs’ is offering unique sponsorship opportunities including a huge raffle where we are giving out free tickets to attendees and your company is welcome to donate a items or a gift basket which can help get you very positive positioning among numerous DockDogs competitors and fans.

WHAT IS DOCKDOGS?
DockDogs is a high flying sport that incorporates dogs jumping off a 40 foot dock into a 40 foot pool. The sport can be seen on Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel and ESPN. Check out some of our amazing videos to get a visual picture of the sport.

SPONSORSHIP OPTIONS

RAFFLE PRIZE DONATIONS
‘Las Vegas DockDogs’ is seeking raffle prizes including: Dog Toys, Gift Baskets, Show Tickets, Gift Cards etc. for our Annual Banquet & Bowling Night “Let The Good Times Bowl”. This is a great way to feature your products before a diverse group of dog enthusiasts from around the valley.

2011 PRINTED CALENDAR
Las Vegas DockDogs has a photo contest running Facebook and winners will be included in our 12 month calendar for 2011. Calendars will be sold to club members and DockDogs fans. We will also be putting a calendar in every Veterinary clinic, Pet Store and Grooming Facility throughout the valley. There are two different options for sponsors available:
Top Dog - $75
Right to be one of the Major and “Official” sponsors for the 2011 Calendar
Logo inclusion on each of the 12 months
Company Name, Address, Website, Phone Number and 20 word promotion on 1 dedicated month
Company promotions throughout the Facebook Photo Contest
Logo inclusion on ‘Las Vegas DockDogs’ website http://www.LasVegasDockDogs.com

Under Dog- $40
Logo inclusion on each of the 12 months
Company promotions throughout the Facebook photo contest
Logo inclusion on ‘Las Vegas DockDogs’ website http://www.LasVegasDockDogs.com

Visit our Website for the Sponsorship Form.

Don’t delay as we are busy promoting our sponsors on our
Facebook Calendar Voting Page!

Extra Extra Read All About It | DockDogs National Championships

2010-10-29T21:05:00.000-07:00

Bringing together an entire country is cause for some much needed catch-up between new and old friends. However, there was no time for that now with competition starting off bright and early Friday morning with the first round of competition for all competitors. With close to 1000 entries this year, we had a full schedule to get through before the sun started to set.

With three pools running simultaneously this year teams really needed to be on their "A" game to keep up with the fast-paced excitement happening all around. Kicking off the day of competition was the Novice and Senior divisions along with Iron Dog Extreme Vertical.

Steve Bower and Chester, making the trip all the way from Washington, took a commanding lead in the Novice division with their first round jump of 17'8". The next closest team was 4' behind with a score of 13'5" completed by Wilbur handled by Melanie Lehmann, who by the way is only a Lap dog (meaning he is 17" or shorter).

After having a rough start to the competition weekend on Friday Sue Sentowski and Bobber managed to put things together and make it into the Finals on Sunday with a 8'4" jump during Saturday's Novice competition.

Wilbur continued his winning streak he began on Friday by taking the competition by storm and winning the Novice division with a huge jump of 15'10". There were a few inches in distance between first and second place with Pat Ramunno and Buster coming in at 12' for the 2nd place win.

Giving the adults a run for their money in the Senior division was Ashley Hebel handling Shiloh who finished in 2nd with a score of 21'10". Alfredo Rivera with Leapin' Lobo barley squeezed into 1st with a first round jump of 22'5". Ashley and Alfredo should consider themselves lucky as they competed against 89 other teams for the top two spots. This was the largest group of competitors for a single division all weekend!

Surprising everyone during the second day of competition was the young handler Sydney Demeo with her Lab, Echo. The dynamic duo managed to get all the way out to 22' tying for the best score during this round of competition with Stephanie Prock and Zoey. Because Sydney had the better second jump her and Echo took home the first place position on Saturday for the Senior division.

Taking the early lead in the Senior Finals on Sunday were Sarah Clarke and Tweed with a score of 22'10". However, not being able to improve on the first score ended up leaving them in 2nd place overall in the Finals. Andrea Whiting and Caly capitalized on the shortcoming and busted out a big second jump of 23'3" to take the win in the Senior division.

Taking an early lead in the Iron Dog event this year was none other than the current reigning World Iron Dog team of Tony Lampert and Baxter after reaching a height of 7'2" in the Extreme Vertical portion. Coming in a close second were fellow World Champion contenders Lianne Hassen with Rex and Alfredo Rivera with Power Puma. Rounding out the 2nd place tie were Karin Apfel and Storm, our wonderful friends from the North.

Holding onto their lead Tony and Baxter had a monstrous jump of 27'7" in the Big Air portion of Iron Dog on Saturday. I'm sure that made them feel very secure in their hold of the Iron Dog Championship title. Coming in with the second best jump was none other than the current Speed Retrieve World Record holders, Sean McCarthy and Jordan with a score of 25'3".

With 40 teams and one final discipline to finish no one was safe from being bumped from a top spot in the race to be crowned Iron Dog Champion this year. Sean McCarthy and Jordan showed why they are the World Record holders, as they laid down a fast time of 5.264 seconds in the final component - Speed Retrieve. Coming in a very close second was the 2010 World Championship Extreme Vertical team of Lianne Hassen and Rex with a time of 5.489 seconds.

After tallying all of the points it was obvious who the dominant breed was in this battle of the bests - the Belgian Malinois'. We had a close race between 2nd and 3rd place in the Iron Dog standings, coming in 16 points short was Lianne Hassen and Rex in 3rd place while 2nd place was snatched by fellow Nevada natives Alfredo Rivera and Power Puma. Winning the 2010 National Championships and now holding two crowns were Tony Lampert and Baxter.

Leading off the Elite division with the biggest first round jump was Scott Christopherson and Jasper Jax. The duo held onto the lead, improving on their first round score, with a 26'7" jump. Coming in exactly one foot shorter was fellow Wisconsin natives Jessica Johannes and Phoenix in Friday's competition.

In a surprising set of events all 8 teams that qualified for the Elite Finals on Sunday did so on Friday. It seems that was the day everyone was at peak performance. Setting the bar high in this round of Finals on Sunday was Scott Vicary and Ricochet with the first 25'+ jump of the Final at 25'6" on their first attempt. Jessica Johannes with Phoenix also answered the 25'+ on their first attempt. Being an overachiever Jasper Jax decided to up the game by sailing out to 26'4", giving them the overall win in the Elite division.

Going into the Cadet round of Extreme Vertical were 19 teams, by the time we hit the 5' mark 8 teams had already left the competition. Battling it out for the top position were three teams and the 5'10 mark seemed to be the do or die height. First up on the dock were Todd Whitney and Dublin; they actually had the advantage going into the round with no misses. However, the 5'10 mark proved to be a little more than they could handle as they missed both attempts. Next out were Damian Kolbet and Cadbury who had one previous miss. That left only Stephanie Prock and Zoey, from Canal Fulton, OH, making the 5'10 grab and moving them onto the Finals on Sunday!

Saturday saw a four-way tie for 1st place in the Cadet division as teams battled it out for the 4 remaining spots in the Finals on Sunday. The four teams represented all areas of the US as Linda Torson and Bosco, Dawn Meline and Grace, Robert Lockwood and Ryder and Sally Peyton with Echo all made it to 5'4".

Todd Whitney and Dublin, a Flat Coated Retriever, were the lonely team standing entering the Cadet Finals on Sunday as they faced off against 7 Labs. The intimidation factor didn't seem to bother them though as they managed to pull off a win. They even did so by being the only Cadet team to hit a Top Gun division height of 6'. Coming in a very close 2nd was Stephanie Prock and Zoey at 5'10".

Bella, the young Golden Retriever, handled by Sue Barnes took the lead in the first round of jumps in the Big Air Junior division with a score of 17'8". However, the team could not improve on the score and would hold onto that best leaving them in 2nd place during this first round of competition. The team making the best improvement from their first round score, and launching them into first place, was Laura Lockwood with her Lab Ryder with a jump of 19'.

A lot of the Junior teams improved during the second day of competition, securing themselves a spot in the Finals on Sunday. One such team was Dylan Shafer with Chessie, who joined his sister as a Finalist contestant on Sunday.

Surprising everyone in the Finals with an 18'8" jump Maddie, handled by Dan Mussell, pulled off the upset win over the favored team of Laura Lockwood and Ryder in the Junior Finals on Sunday. Coming in a very close second was fellow Iowa native Sue Barnes and Bella, just four inches shorter.

Unlike the Elite Finals earlier in the day the Super Elite finalists found themselves all improving on their scores from Friday. And this was no small improvement either they all gained about 3', on average. Making the biggest in position change was Tiffany Ballow and Marcie. They went from a 19'11" jump on Friday to 26'1" on Saturday!

It was a nail biter on Sunday as Tiffany and Marcie were out to show why they earned their spot in the Finals as they took on Iron Dog Champions Tony Lampert and Baxter. Tiffany and Marcie had a very impressive first round jump, but they knew they could do better. After a few good words from mom and some cheering from the crowd Marcie launched out to 26'8" tying Tony and Baxter for 1st place. Baxter knew he had to step up his game to hold onto his win, as he was the last dog to jump. As Baxter soared through the air landing perfectly into the pool the crowd braced for the score - did he win? Barely squeezing past Marcie by 2 inches Baxter had the better second score at 24'8" - taking home the win in the Super Elite division!

Dawn Meline and Grace took the Speed Retrieve Express division by force on Friday as they secured the fastest qualifying time with a run of 7.385 seconds - very impressive. Piper, handled by Jill Stalter, came barreling out of nowhere to knock 4 teams out of the Finals running by improving by over 2 seconds from their run on Friday, securing themselves a spot in our Finals on Sunday.

Coming right out of the gate in the Express Finals and securing the fastest round one time was Stephanie Malone with Juice at a time of 7.500 seconds. However they were unable to improve on that score and were quickly passed up by Mary Schuenemann and Nike with a time of 7.045 seconds, taking the win in the Express division.

Friday also showcased our Youth Handlers in a Big Air competition specifically designed for our younger participants. Everyone enjoyed watching our 22 youths, ranging in age from 7-15, show some of the older handlers just how it's done. Having the longest jump of the first round of competition was Kristina Schaffhausen and Zeke with a 19'11" jump. However, that was not good enough to secure them first place as Ashley Hebel with Shiloh jumped just a little further on their second attempt making it out to 20'1", securing the win in the qualifying round of competition.

In the Youth Finals Dylan Shafer and Yampa quickly took the lead with a jump of 19'3", but he didn't hold onto that for long as Kristina Schaffhausen and Zeke and Ashley Hebel and Shiloh tied at 19'6". It seemed as the Finals round drew to an end no one could surpass the jumps done by Zeke and Shiloh so it was down to the two Yellow Labs. Zeke seized the opportunity and came back with an improvement of 19'9" Shiloh could not do the same and thus gave up the win to Zeke with Kristina Schaffhausen.

The Turbo division of Speed Retrieve saw a familiar team taking the top spot as they had already earned themselves a spot in the Elite Finals on Sunday. Jessica Johannes and Phoenix snagged the only Sonic time in the Turbo division coming in at 5.971 seconds on Friday! "It had to be the quick reaction time", stated Brandon Long, DockDogs® Announcer. He went on to add that this weekend he saw some of the fastest reaction times in his three year career with DockDogs®!

Continuing her Sonic fast runs into the Finals Phoenix scored a second Sonic time of 5.753 seconds - still the only Turbo titled team to score a Sonic run at the 2010 National Championships. Coming in less than a second behind was David Smith with Rocket with a time of 6.297 seconds.

The Big Air Master division was our second largest group of competitors of the weekend's event. Every jump counted as 80 teams vied for only 8 spots in the Finals on Sunday. Quickly making their presence known on their first jump, with the longest jump of qualifying competition, was Bob Evans with Buckeye hailing from Elkhart, IN.

The dynamic duo seemed to lose a little of their "mojo" as they entered the Master Finals on Sunday only going out to 16'7" on their first jump. After the first round of competition it looked as though Kelsey Wehr and Indy were in the clear for the win being the only team to hit above 22'. After watching everyone pass them by and having the lowest score after the first round Buckeye knew he needed to step up his game; after a pep talk from Bob, Buckeye soared to 23'1" for the win. Sarah Clarke and Tweed just barely made it into 2nd with a score of 22'3" as Nai'a was one inch behind her with handler Abby Kidd.

The Speed Retrieve Sonic division may have been a small group, but they were powerful and committed. The difference between the top eight teams to make it into the Finals was less than 1 second! As we got down to the final two teams in Friday's first round of competition it was clear that the race was between Scott Vicary with Ricochet and the World Record holders Sean McCarthy with Jordan. Scott & Ricochet improved on their first time coming in with a 5.524 second run. Sean & Jordan knew they had to be quick to beat the time and regain their first place status. However, they were too quick and ended up false starting, leaving Scott and Ricochet with the fastest time of the Sonic qualifying rounds.

The fight to the top continued right into the Finals on Sunday in the Sonic division. While only 7 teams joined us they were all out to win. Unfortunately one team said goodbye early, Joey Spurlock and Brock, false starting on both their attempts. Sean and Jordan held onto the early lead they established for the win with a time of 5.392 seconds, being crowned the Sonic division Champions for the second year in a row.

The "Maligators" were out in full force in the Top Gun division of Extreme Vertical on Friday taking over all four top spots available for the Finals on Sunday. Saturday saw a few new breeds rounding out the list of finalists adding in two labs and a mixed breed from California.

As we got down to the top dogs in the Top Gun Finals on Sunday we had four teams join the 7'+ club vying for the win with three of the four teams having no misses under their collars. After hitting 7' Lianne Hassen and Rex left the game at 7'2". 7'4" seemed to be the height to beat as teams started dropping out. The only team to hit the mark, and take the win, were 2010 National AND World Iron Dog Champions, Tony Lampert & Baxter.

Our 8 dog Lap Dog division Wave was host to some of the cutest little competitors we saw all weekend. "These little guys (and gals) showed that they might be small, but that doesn't mean they can't jump!" stated Max DeWire, DockDogs® Announcer. One of the teams up on the dock, Jennifer Gensler with her Jack Russell Miss Molly, were awarded as the DockDogs® Lottery Winners for the 2011 season. This is a very exciting honor for any competitor as they are granted free Big Air Waves for the 2011 season! Taking top honors in the qualifying round was Pippin, who is not only a Lap Dog but also a Veteran Dog (meaning he is at least 8 years of age) with a jump of 13'2".

It became clear as the Lap Dog Finals progressed on Sunday that the competition would be between hometown neighbors Melanie Lehmann with Wilbur and Jennifer Gensler with Lottery winner Miss Molly. Out jumping Miss Molly by about 2' Wilbur kicked it into high gear for his second jump making it out to 14'6".

Kicking off our day of Finals on Sunday were the last qualifying rounds of competition; the Veteran Dogs which are dogs that are 8 years or older, were given their time to shine. Going into the second jump in the Veteran Dog Wave there was a tie for first place between Rich Schafer & Jasper and Todd Dalle Ave & Snickers. Rich & Jasper were first up on the dock sailing all the way out to 21'3" on their second attempt. Now it was all up to Todd & Snickers, they put forth a very good effort, but came up slightly short at 20'4", giving Rich and Jasper the win.

"Giving us quite a scare prior to the Veteran Dog Finals on Sunday was long time competitor and DockDogs® family member Dean Skillman", stated Tyler Nicholson, DockDogs® Administrator. After falling victim to an unfortunate accident Dean was taken to the hospital leaving us all to wonder if he would be able to return, Nicholson went on to say. This moment of potential tragedy was turned into joy as we saw Dean return to the competition site and back on the dock just in time for the Veteran Dog Finals.

While Dean and Wylie did not go on to win the Veteran Dog class (they did manage to take 3rd place) they were "an example of what a true competitor's spirit and love for the sport can do." Nicholson commented. Coming in first over Wylie by only 5" was Rich Schafer and Jasper with a score of 21'6". Tying for the best jump of the Finals was Todd Dalle Ave and Snickers, however since Jasper had the better second jump Snickers was awarded 2nd place.

The latest addition to the DockDogs® line-up this year was the Legend Dog class - dogs 10+ years. It was designed to honor dogs that laid the foundation for the sport and still love it to this day. "It was great seeing faces who haven't been on the dock in a while", stated Max DeWire. "It was especially heartwarming to see Country, the reigning Big Air World Record holder, up on the dock for the first time in a couple of years" he added.

Taking the competition by storm on their first jump Sue Barnes and her German Shorthaired Pointer Tanner made a huge splash with their 18'1" jump in the Legend Dog Finals later in the day on Sunday. The closest that anyone could come to catching them was Dave Breen and Black Jack with their 15'6" jump.

For those of you who did not get to the National Championships this year, or who opted out of some of the "Special Events" that took place over the weekend, let me give you some insight on what you missed out on. Friday's Social Night aka "League Night" was fantastic, it was so much fun to get out and Bowl. The common thread for most attendees was that they hadn't been bowling in years (decades for some of us - and our scores were reflective of this). With that said, there were some shining stars amongst us; there were 2 individuals that bowled a perfect game - 300 (how did they find the time to practice between DockDogs® events?) All kidding aside, congratulations to Dawn Miller & Jeff Salisbury, that is quite an accomplishment.

A quick summary outlining the League Night Champions - in 1st place with a score of 1,016 the Rocky Mountain DockDogs® Bowling Team consisting of Ken, Van, Jon, Clark & David; followed closely by the 2nd place team of Dawn, Nina, Bill, Kevin & Chet with a score of 1,010; and rounding out the top 3 - in 3rd Place with a score of 1,006 the team of Jeff, Liz, Ernie, Scott & Bernie. Also, congratulations to the following Youth Handlers that participated in the Youth Bowling Finals: Katy, Lauren, Nikki, Tricia & Zach. I hope everyone had as much fun as they appeared to be having.

The other component of League Night included the Overall Regional Awards and the National Zone Awards. Because of the phenomenal turn out we had to split our guests into 2 very large groups in order to accommodate everyone with bowling and eating. Upon arrival, guests were directed to either bowl first or to grab a plate of BBQ and sit down and eat while being entertained by some 2010 event footage, club commercials and a brief awards presentation. Congratulations to all 2010 Regional Award recipients & Top National Zone Ranked Teams!

"The highlight of the weekend & the Season for that matter (in my opinion), was the Formal Banquet & Year End Awards Ceremony", stated Teresa Reeves, DockDogs® Admininstrator. This gala event took place on Saturday night at the Grand River Center at the Port of Dubuque, the venue was perfect for this hard to top annual event. Reeves went on to state, "It is always exciting to see the DockDogs® community all dressed up and ready to socialize with and recognize fellow competitors for their achievements over the course of the season." There were many familiar faces that have managed to maintain their rankings over the years, and lots of new teams that have joined the ranks of Top Competitors for 2010. Sean McCarthy & Jordan along with Lianne Hassen & Rex and Craig Haverstick & Henry were among several teams that received multiple awards for their efforts this past season. Congratulations to Tony Lampert & Baxter for being recognized as the Rookie Team of the Year for 2010 along with Damian Kolbet & Cadbury for being chosen as the Most Exciting Team and Julie Jay who was voted Favorite Cheerleader, your enthusiasm is contagious!

Although 2010 brought with it the loss of several dogs along with a few friends including Mark Ruiz and Tim Kline - all were there with us in spirit and were thought of by many at the Sunday morning memorial service & Balloon launch that was held at the competition site prior to the start of Sunday's Finals. Started last year with the Balloon launch in memory of Chase, this has become an annual event that gives us all the opportunity to come together to remember and honor our DockDogs® friends both human & canine alike.

According to Heather Zuhl, DockDogs® Administration "Based on the sales of dog training toys and various additional dog accessories at this event, the theme of the weekend seemed to be that everyone was excited to start practicing and training for next season". She went on to add that competition for the 2011 Season is looking to be fierce as teams battle for top honors and invitations to the 2011 World Championships!

Thank you to all teams that came out to participate or simply cheer on and support their fellow competitors & club members both at this year's National Championships as well as any and all of the 2010 Season's Events. This was once again a successful and momentous year for DockDogs®, we look forward to seeing all of you out on the dock in 2011.

Until we meet again, play and stay safe!

To see the original press release, please CLICK HERE!

Halloween Pet Safety Tips!

2010-10-29T15:23:00.000-07:00

Halloween is upon us and it's time to have some spooky fun! Dressing up for the holiday is always fun for children and adults, but also for our furry friends. While it's important to have fun, it's also important to be safe!

Here are some great safety tips for the Halloween weekend!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! HAVE A SPOOKTACULAR WEEKEND!

Maverick's Interview from Nationals

2010-10-26T20:39:00.000-07:00

1. How was the drive?

The drive was OK. Ray took the long way around but we still got there on Thursday.

2. How did you and your dog(s) do?

We did good. Maverick made the finals in Speed retrive with a time of 8.068 but got knocked out after the round on Sat. We will do better next year

3. What was your favorite thing about the National Championships?

It was fun seeing all those people and the dogs. So many!! The banquet was very nice.

5. Would you attend a National Championships Event again?

We do plan to go next year and will have both dogs competing so hopefully we will make the finals and stay there to get a ribbon.

Vicki, Pete, Mia and Belle are back from Nationals!

2010-10-26T20:27:00.000-07:00

1. How was the drive? NOT TOO BAD.......WE TOOK OUR TIME......4 DAYS (GOING/RETURNING)...WEATHER GOOD...JUST IN SOME SPOTS IT GOT A LITTLE COLD IN THE MORNINGS.

2. How did you and your dog(s) do? AS EXPECTED! BUT NOT DISAPPOINTED...HAD A GOOD TIME SEEING AND CHATTING WITH ALL THOSE WE'VE MET THROUGHTOUT THE YEAR.

3. What was your favorite thing about the National Championships? WATCHING LVDD MAKE THEIR MARK!!!

4. Did you enjoy the evening festivities? YES.......BOWLING WAS FUN.....LIKE THE NEW APPROACH AND TO PRESENTING AWARDS...AND, THE ATTEMPT TO SHORTEN THE EVENING FESTIVITIES........BANQUET WAS NICE....NOT TOO LONG......FOR AN EVENT THAT LARGE THE FOOD WAS GOOD.........NICE SELECTION OF ENTREES OFFERED AND WAS SERVED HOT!

5. Would you attend a National Championships Event again? DEPENDENT ON LOCATION.......WOULD PREFER A WARMER CLIMATE....JUST A LITTLE TO CHILLY FOR US!

Ryder does Dubuque!

2010-10-26T20:20:00.001-07:00

1. How was the drive? Too damn long

2. How did you and your dog(s) do? We had a great time at Nationals. The comradery of the competitors cannot be surpassed. Ryder took 3rd with Laura in Junior Big Air and 3rd with Bob in Cadet Extreme Vertical. Harley took 1st in the costume contest, he was a Doctor ; )

3. What was your favorite thing about the National Championships? Watching the competitors reactions to what their dogs do on the dock.

4. Did you enjoy the evening festivities? Yes. I really like the chicken, but where's the dessert (not that I need it)?

5. Would you attend a National Championships Event again? Yes.

Sit Means Sit at Stihl DockDogs World Championships 2010

2010-10-22T13:21:00.000-07:00

Alfredo Rivera of Las Vegas DockDogs Wins at National Championships!!!

2010-10-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

1. How was the drive?

It was a beautiful drive out. We left a day earlier just in case of any vehicle issues that may arise. We had no issues so were able to enjoy the scenery. I drive a 24 foot RV so it was very comfortable for us. On the way back home - 60 miles from Denver, we hit a deer. Funny, I have noticed the deer signs on the side of the road warning motorists of deers stepping into the highway for many years but never ever seen one. When I did see one it was dead center in my lane broadside staring at me just like in the movies. Wooooaaah, we nearly rolled the RV. I swerved so as not to hit it head on and hit its hind quarters moving at 75 miles per hour (actual speed limit). It sounded like I hit a car. We swayed dangerously for some time and I accelerated pulling it out straight. Man that was close. It was really dark out there - poor deer. :(

2. How did you and your dog(s) do?

Saber - 1st Veteran Division - 2010 DockDogs Big Air National Champion Veteran Division

Puma - 2nd Iron Dog and 2nd Extreme Vertical

Lobo - Made finals out of 90 dogs - 8th place in Seniors Division

3. What was your favorite thing about the National Championships?

My little girl Saber winning a national championship!

4. Did you enjoy the evening festivities?

The evening festivities were great. The bowling competition was awesome! DockDogs always puts on a great show of past and present competitors. DockDogs rock!!!

5. Would you attend a National Championships Event again?

Absolutely! The DockDogs community is made up of a wonderful group of people, you really get to see it at Nationals where you have three pools running at the same time - although our Las Vegas DockDogs club is the greatest club of them all. We absolutely have the most giving, generous and supportive members out there. Go Las Vegas DockDogs!!!!

LVDD's 'Saber' wins the National Championships Veteran Division 2010

2010-10-20T22:46:00.000-07:00

Alfredo Rivera & 'Saber' win the DockDogs National Championships Veteran Division 2010

2010-10-20T22:29:00.000-07:00

One of the LVDD Members is a Celebrity!!!

2010-10-20T18:01:00.000-07:00

One of our LVDD Members is a Celebrity!!! Vincent, one of our long time members has been used in the logo for the Big Paw Cab Company!!!! We are so proud of our boy! He likes to play on the ramp at the dock and cheer on his brother Julius, look for him cruising around town on the Big Paw Cabs!!!

Does this sound like YOUR house?

Fido wants a FUN day at doggie daycare!
Frieda feels FEVERISH and a vet visit is required!
Fifi needs a FURTASTIC bath and brush at the groomer!
Freeway must FIND a ride to the doggie hotel!

Do you WISH you had more time to get your furry family to the places THEY want to go? There just aren't enough hours in your busy day!

Big Paw Cab Company is here to help!!!!!

Big Paw Cab Company is proud to announce the launch of reliable pet transpawtation in Southern Nevada!

Big Paw Cab Company provides reliable transpawtation for your furry friend! We will pick up your friend and bring them to any locale in comfort and style, and make sure they get home as well. If they need to go to the vet, we’ll even wait with them! All pets travel safely & securely in appropriately sized carriers. We also set the ambiance by playing classical music known to relax certain animals while they are traveling in a vehicle.

As an added measure, our drivers have been trained in Pet First Aid & CPR, and carry a pet specific first aid kit.

Big Paw Cab Company – Our Mission

Big Paw Cab Company supports animal rescue. A portion of our profits is dedicated to helping us provide transport for animal rescue organizations in Southern Nevada. Big Paw Cab Company is an active volunteer in the continuing mission to find every homeless pet a fur-ever family.

For more information about Big Paw Cab Company, please check out our website,

www.BigPawCabCompany.com.

Lianne Hassen...back from Nationals!

2010-10-20T17:44:00.000-07:00

1. How was the drive?

Long, but that was no problem. Stephanie and I rented a big van that had all of the bells and whistles. With the addition of some car paint on the windows we were cruising in style! On our way there we kept checking the temperature and put on the layers to stay warm, but we were pleasantly surprised at the decent weather we had in Dubuque over the 3 day event. We couldn't have gotten luckier : )

2. How did you and your dog(s) do?

I think Rex prefers an event with more crowds, because he didn't seem as hard to control as usual. He came 2nd in Speed Retrieve Sonic, 3rd in Extreme Vertical Top Gun and 3rd in Iron Dog. Very proud of my boy.

Dooley had a new personal best in Speed Retrieve, breaking into the 7's seconds. I told everyone I would do cart wheels all the way across the parking lot if he made finals, but alas he didn't....he didn't want mommy to embarrass him ; )

During the Saturday night dinner we were honored to receive:

The 2010 DockDogs Contributor Award
'Rex' 2010 Top Ranked Regional Overall Speed Retrieve Team
'Rex' 2010 Top Ranked National Overall Extreme Vertical Top Gun Team
'Rex' 2010 Top Ranked National Extreme Vertical Zone 2 Team

3. What was your favorite thing about the National Championships?

There were so many great things. The memorial balloon launch, how smoothly things ran, the evening festivities and seeing everyone together having fun : )

4. Did you enjoy the evening festivities?

Yes, it was really well done!! Christen did a fantastic job. The bowling was a blast and the Saturday night awards banquet was outstanding. Can't wait until next year.

5. Would you attend a National Championships Event again?

Yes, yes and yes!!!!! I'll always make the trip!!!!

Extreme Vertical 'Dooley' the Yellow Labrador at Teva Mountain Games 2010

2010-10-08T11:24:00.000-07:00

Dooley the 1 Year Old Labrador Retriever at Bass Pro Las Vegas DockDogs

2010-10-05T22:34:00.000-07:00

Mia's Going to Nationals...

2010-10-02T22:10:00.000-07:00

Mia – Black Labrador Retriever

Birthday – December 27, 2005

Team Mate: Pete Keller

Titles Earned: Senior Big Air

Divisions/Disciplines Competing in at Nationals: Senior Big Air

Will you be competing in Bonus Rounds? Will compete in initial round

Team Nickname, Dogs Nickname: Team Pete & Mia

Team Mate: Vicki Keller

Titles Earned: Senior Big Air

Divisions/Disciplines Competing in at Nationals:Senior Big Air

Will you be competing in Bonus Rounds? Yes

Team Nickname, Dogs Nickname: MamaMia

Duff's Going to Nationals...

2010-10-02T22:06:00.001-07:00

Duff – Yellow Labrador Retriever

Team Mate: Joe Tabor

Titles Earned:Cadet EV, Turbo Speed Retrieve, Master Big Air, Iron Dog

Divisions/Disciplines Competing in at Nationals:Cadet EV, Turbo Speed Retrieve, Master Big Air

Will you be competing in Bonus Rounds? Yes

Team Nickname, Dogs Nickname: Duff-ster

Ryder's Going to Nationals...

2010-10-02T22:03:00.000-07:00

Ryder – Chocolate Labrador Retriever

Birthday – November 27, 2007

Team Mate: Bob Lockwood

Titles Earned: Cadet EV, Turbo Speed Retrieve, Senior Big Air

Divisions/Disciplines Competing in at Nationals: Cadet EV

Will you be competing in Bonus Rounds? Yes

Team Nickname, Dogs Nickname: Ryder’s High

Team Mate: Laura Lockwood

Titles Earned: Turbo Speed Retrieve, Junior Big Air

Divisions/Disciplines Competing in at Nationals:Turbo Speed Retrieve, Junior Big Air

Will you be competing in Bonus Rounds? Yes

Team Nickname, Dogs Nickname: Ryder’s High

Leaping Lobo is Going to Nationals...

2010-10-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

Leaping Lobo – Belgian Malinois

Birthday – October 15, 2006

Team Mate: Alfredo Rivera

Titles Earned: Senior Big Air

Divisions/Disciplines Competing in at Nationals: Senior Big Air

Will you be competing in Bonus Rounds? Yes

Team Nickname, Dogs Nickname: Loco Lobo

Power Puma is Going to Nationals...

2010-10-02T21:58:00.000-07:00

Power Puma – Belgian Malinois

Birthday – May 12, 2006

Team Mate: Alfredo Rivera

Titles Earned: Super Elite Big Air, Top Gun EV, Turbo Speed Retrieve, Iron Dog National Champion

Divisions/Disciplines Competing in at Nationals: Iron Dog, Super Elite Big Air, EV, Turbo Speed Retrieve

Will you be competing in Bonus Rounds? Yes

Team Nickname, Dogs Nickname: Puma!!!

Maverick's Going to Nationals...

2010-10-02T21:52:00.000-07:00

Maverick – Chocolate Labrador Retriever

Birthday – November 13, 2007

Team Mate: Ray Crump

Titles Earned: Senior Big Air

Divisions/Disciplines Competing in at Nationals: Senior Big Air

Will you be competing in Bonus Rounds? Yes

Team Nickname, Dogs Nickname: Skippy

Team Mate: Randie Crump

Titles Earned: Express Speed Retrieve, Senior Big Air

Divisions/Disciplines Competing in at Nationals:Express Speed Retrieve, Senior Big Air

Will you be competing in Bonus Rounds? Yes

Team Nickname, Dogs Nickname: Sweet Boy

Petey's Going to Nationals...

2010-10-02T21:50:00.000-07:00

Petey – Border Collie

Birthday – January 17, 2001

Team Mate: Stephanie Malone

Titles Earned: Master Big Air

Divisions/Disciplines Competing in at Nationals: Master Big Air and Veteran Big Air

Will you be competing in Bonus Rounds? Yes

Team Nickname, Dogs Nickname: Petey Monster

Juice is Going to Nationals...

2010-10-02T21:48:00.000-07:00

Juice – Border Collie

Birthday – September 10, 2008

Team Mate: Stephanie Malone

Titles Earned: Senior Big Air, Express Speed Retrieve, Cadet EV

Divisions/Disciplines Competing in at Nationals: Senior Big Air, Express Speed Retrieve, Cadet EV

Will you be competing in Bonus Rounds? Yes

Team Nickname, Dogs Nickname: The Juice is Loose, Juice Box

Justin's Going to Nationals...

2010-10-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

Justin – Border Collie

Birthday – February 26, 2004

Team Mate: Stephanie Malone

Titles Earned: Senior Big Air, Turbo Speed Retrieve

Divisions/Disciplines Competing in at Nationals:Senior Big Air, Turbo Speed Retrieve

Will you be competing in Bonus Rounds? Yes

Team Nickname, Dogs Nickname: Justina

Rexy's Going to Nationals...

2010-10-02T21:33:00.000-07:00

Rex – Belgian Malinois

Birthday – June 5, 2007

Team Mate: Lianne Hassen

Titles Earned: Top Gun EV, Sonic Speed Retrieve, Master Big Air, Iron Dog

Divisions/Disciplines Competing in at Nationals: Top Gun EV, Sonic Speed Retrieve, Iron Dog

Will you be competing in Bonus Rounds? Yes

Team Nickname, Dogs Nickname: T-Rex, Sexy Rexy

Dooley's Going to Nationals...

2010-10-02T21:24:00.000-07:00

Dooley – Yellow Labrador Retriever

Birthday – December 1, 2008

Team Mate: Lianne Hassen

Titles Earned: Cadet EV, Express Speed Retrieve, Senior Big Air, Iron Dog

Divisions/Disciplines Competing in at Nationals: Cadet EV, Express Speed Retrieve

Will you be competing in Bonus Rounds? Yes

Team Nickname, Dogs Nickname: Mama’s Favorite!

October Team of the Month - TEAM MIA

2010-10-02T21:12:00.000-07:00

Dogs Name:

Mia

Owner/Handlers Name:

Pete & Vicki Keller

Dogs Date of Birth or Gotcha Date:

Birth: 12/27/05 - Gotcha: 10/01/07

City:

Boulder City

Breed:

Black Labrador Retriever

Nickname:

Lil Mia

Accomplishments:

Handler: Pete

Big Air PB: 16'8"

Title: SENIOR

Handler: Vicki

Big Air PB: 16'9"

Title: None Yet

Quick Bio:

Purebred from Labrador Retriever Rescue in Las Vegas

Likes:

Tennis balls and anything her sister Belle has!

Pet Peeves:

Little dogs in her face; other dogs sniffing her hiney

Favorite Throw Toy:

Tennis ball and dead foul trainer

Favorite Food:

LIKES EVERYTHING - NOT PICKY WHATSOEVER

Favorite Walk:

Morning walks - 5 miles through Boulder City

Favorite Song on the Dock:

No preference

Best Tricks:

Will jump off pool deck into air to catch tennis ball; jumping off boat to get the tennis ball

Arrival Story:

Was surrendered with her sister, Belle, to Las Vegas Lab Rescue; moved into our hearts immediately!

Motto:

"Maybe I will; May be I won't"

SATURDAY OCTOBER 9TH - LVDD FUN JUMP

2010-09-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE for all of the details about the FUN JUMP

Fun Jump

Date: Saturday, October 9, 2010

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE 5 MINUTE BARKING RULE WILL BE IN EFFECT. IF YOUR DOG BARKS FOR MORE THAN 5 MINUTES, PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!

Fees

$15.00 for your first Wave, $10.00 for each additional Wave

Finals are Free!

(we will collect payment on the day of the event)

Wave Times

9:00am Check In

9:00am Open Dock (Practice)

10:00am BA Wave # 1 - Register

11:00am BA Wave # 2 - Register

12:00pm BA Wave # 3 - Register

1:00pm BA Wave #4 - Register

2:30pm BA Finals

We designed the Fun Jump to give dogs and handlers a chance to see what a real competition is like. We even have the top 12 finals for those of you serious competitors! DockDogs Rules & Policies will be in effect!

Fun Jump Address

‘Sit Means Sit’ our main sponsor, allows us to use their competition pool & dock!

1235 E. Eldorado Lane,

(Warm Springs/Eastern)

Las Vegas, NV. 89123

PAYMENT WILL BE REQUIRED AT CHECK IN ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT.

This is a closed event for those that are pre-registered, parking is limited.

ASPCA Pet Tips

2010-09-19T20:21:00.001-07:00

Here is a pet tip from the ASPCA. It is important to keep our sport competing dogs in tip top shape, no matter the season.

Fall is upon us, but it doesn't mean we or our dogs need to slow down!

So, get out there and safely enjoy your dog(s)!!

Fall Pet Tip

September Team of the Month - TEAM TANK

2010-09-16T22:14:00.000-07:00

Dogs Name:
Tank

Owner/Handlers Name:
Lianne Hassen

Dogs Date of Birth or Gotcha Date:
02/09/2005

City:
Las Vegas

Breed:
Black Labrador Retriever

Nickname:
Big Tank, Big Time, Tanker The Banker

Accomplishments:
- 2008 National Senior Champion
- Big Air Master Title
- Big Air Personal Best: 22' 11"
-Top Gun Extreme Vertical Title
-EV Personal Best: 6’ 2”
-Turbo Speed Retrieve Title
-Speed Retrieve Personal Best: 6.5 seconds

Other Dog Sport Titles:
-Junior Hunter
-Flyball U-FLI Top Flight 3
-Novice Obedience
-Rally Excellent

Quick Bio:
Tank was bred by Skywater Labrador Retrievers in Las Vegas!

Likes:
His Mom & Dad, swimming and playing tennis ball.

Pet Peeves:
Dogs that get in his face!

Favorite Throw Toy:
Dokken Dead Fowl Trainer Duck

Favorite Food:
ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING!!

Favorite Walk:
Swimming in the pool or any park and playing tennis ball and chuck it.

Favorite Song on the Dock:
“Lets Get It Started”

Best Tricks:
He has a great flip into a heel, bow, lots of retrieve tricks and his whistle sits are pretty cool.

Arrival Story:
Tank was a rescue and he was a hyper, crazy boy who was humping and peeing everywhere! Sit Means Sit training got him cleaned up and he turned into an awesome dog. He is very versatile and when I tracked down his breeder we started hunt tests with them, which is Tank’s favorite thing, he loves the birds!

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE: New World Record Set at the 2010 World Championships

2010-09-13T23:44:00.000-07:00

Medina, OH - September 7, 2010 - For the third year in a row DockDogs® partnered with the STIHL Lumberjacks for the STIHL Dogs and Logs World Championships. 38 of the best DockDogs® teams in the World and 8 of the best Lumberjacks put their heart and soul into competing at this year's event.
Teams from all over the United States and Canada made the trip in Thursday for check-in and practice. It was exciting finally having everyone together and getting to put faces to names as the East and West coasts finally met for this 3 day competition.

Friday was the first full day of qualifying for all teams. Leading off the event was the first round of Speed Retrieve qualifying competition. Two of the three teams taking the first set of spots in the Speed Retrieve Quarter Finals false started on their first attempt. The pressure was on for Lianne Hassen and Rex and Craig Haverstick and Henry who handled it well pulling out times of 5.674 and 5.759 seconds (respectively) - good enough for 2nd and 3rd place. The team that took first in the competition was none other than the current Speed Retrieve World record holders - Sean McCarthy and Jordan with a quick time of 5.279 seconds.

The first round of Big Air qualifying is a great DockDogs® example of the "under dog team" rising to the occasion. Meghan Williams and Wrigley, who just started competing with us a little over a year ago, came out big during this initial round and earned themselves a spot in the Big Air Quarter Finals being held on Saturday. Taking the other two spots in the Quarter Finals were Jon Langdon with Remy and Sit Means Sit owner - Fred Hassen with his young pup Nash.

Extreme Vertical was the next discipline and started off with 13 of the World's best EV dogs. Unfortunately the line-up just did to seem complete as last year's World Champions Andy Mace and Brox were unable to make the trip out to Oregon to defend their title. Out of those who could attend most teams made it all the way through 7', but by the time we were at 7'2" we were left with four. Melissa Ness with Stryker, Alfredo Rivera and Power Puma and Lianne Hassen with Rex all hit this mark with ease on their first attempt - moving right along to 7'4". Joe Druck with Jager had a bit more trouble on their first attempt, but managed to make it on their second. However, the next height proved to be a bit more difficult as Stryker, Rex and Jager all missed at 7'4" leaving Alfredo Rivera and Power Puma to snatch up the first spot in the Extreme Vertical Finals on Sunday.

The second qualifying round of Speed Retrieve on Friday was a true test of the teams ability to work together. In this round it was all about getting their timing down. Unfortunately, for Lee Hall and Monty they were a little too quick and ended up false starting on both of their attempts. Joe Druck and Jager came out with the fastest time in the first round with a quick score of 5.845 seconds. On the second go around they improved with a time of 5.790 - earning them the next spot in the Speed Retrieve Quarter Finals on Saturday. Scooping up the next fastest time in this round was Julie Jay and Tractor improving significantly from their first round score with a 5.976 run. Taking the last Speed Retrieve spot of the day were Joey Spurlock and Brock just barely making it in with a time of 6.049 seconds.

Everyone was looking for redemption in this next round of Big Air qualifying on Friday as all of the top three teams in this round improved from their previous scores. Julie Jay was pulling double duty this weekend as she not only qualified with Tractor in the Speed Retrieve division, but also earned a spot in the Big Air Quarter Finals with Caddis and a score of 25'2". Making a surprise come back and improving on their previous score by almost 7 inches was Melissa Ness and Smoke with an amazing jump of 25'4". Rounding out the top three to advance was Craig Haverstick and Henry who clearly gave it all they had and came out with the best Big Air jump of the weekend with a 27'10" jump!

For the second year in a row the World Championships featured DockDogs® latest addition - Iron Dog. In this competition 15 of the World's best teams competed back to back in Speed Retrieve, Big Air and then finally Extreme Vertical. After the first two events of Speed Retrieve and Big Air were complete Craig Haverstick and Henry had a clear lead with an overall score of 2,071.74 points followed by Sean McCarthy and Jordan with an overall score of 2,060.37. However, Extreme Vertical proved to be the deal breaker for many teams. Last year's Champions, Andrew Fink and Wilson, did not make their starting height of 6'4" putting them out of the running to defend their title in this first round of competition. It was a true test of endurance once we hit the 7'6" mark as only two teams were left in the game - Lianne Hassen and Rex and Joe Druck with Jager. Both teams passed 7'6" with ease, but had a little trouble at 7'8" where they both missed. This triggered the tie breaker rules where each team had a second attempt at 7'8". Jager was up first and unfortunately missed, this left all the pressure on Rex, who also missed his attempt. The bar was then lowered one inch to 7'7". As a hush fell over the crowd Jager gave this next height his best attempt - unfortunately it was not good enough as he missed. Used to being in pressure situations Lianne and Rex prepared for what could be their final jump of the event - could they make this and end the competition, or would they miss too and cause the bar to be lowered another inch back to 7'6"? Thankfully for Lianne whatever she said to Rex in those few moments on the dock worked as he cleared 7'7" for the win!

After this last discipline Craig and Henry found themselves still holding their solid lead in Iron Dog with an overall point total of 3,071.75. Moving up into second place was Tony Lampert and Baxter with an overall score of 3.063.88.

Friday evening ended with the traditional competitor VIP party. It was a relaxing time where everyone turned off their competition mode and just let loose for a little while. It was an enjoyable and friendly way to end the first day of competition.

But there is no rest for the weary, as Saturday morning started off bright and early with a handlers meeting at 7:30am! Wasting no time and getting right into the competition we started off the last chance qualifier in Speed Retrieve. Lee Hall and his lab Monty, who had false started on both attempts in the last round of competition came back prepared. Having the fastest time in this round, with a time of 5.940 seconds, they earned themselves a spot in the Quarter Finals later that day. Taking the final spot in the Quarter Finals were the hometown underdogs, John Haas and Riley. Riley just started in the sport of DockDogs® a little over a year ago and in a short time has become quite a contender in the sport of dock diving.

Big Air was the next last chance qualifier on the line up. Earning themselves a spot in another discipline was the versatile team of Alfredo Rivera and Power Puma. Ben Propson and Callie, making the trip from Wisconsin, again found themselves in the Big Air Quarter Finals. Last year this team was the runner up in the Big Air division.

Saturday was the day for the "maligators" to come out in full force as Rex scooped up the win in the last qualifier for Extreme Vertical - winning at 7'4", he also took one of the two remaining spots in the Iron Dog discipline later that day. The winning team in Iron Dog discipline on Saturday with overall points of 3,062.23 was Sit Means Sit trainer, Jon Langdon with Remy. Last year's Championship team of Andrew Fink and Wilson were in the running for taking back their title until Andy made a tragic mistake. He had Wilson all set up for a great second run in Big Air and as Wilson made his way down the dock Andy took one step too many and landed right in the water. Fortunately for Andy he knew the jump was about Wilson, and not him, so as he entered the water he threw Wilson's toy - earning Wilson a jump score of 15'4".

As we moved onto the Quarter Finals in both Speed Retrieve and Big Air the sun was starting to set, making it a little difficult for teams to see. Big Air was up first and after the first round of jumps Jon Langdon with Remy appeared to have the commanding lead, being the only team to hit the 26' mark. That was until Craig Haverstick with Henry took the dock. Being the last team to go in this Quarter Final they had an advantage - and took full use of it jumping, yet again, into the 27' range - hitting 27'1". Being that they were already qualified for the Semi Finals, Craig and Henry decided to pass on their second jump of the competition, wanting to save their energy for Iron Dog later that day. Also, advancing was the team no one expected to see in the Semi-Finals, Meghan Williams and Wrigley, making the trip all the way from the Midwest. Rounding out the four spots in the Semi-Finals were Jon Langdon and Remy and Melissa Ness with Smoke with a jump of 25'1".

In the first round of the Speed Retrieve Quarter-Finals there was quite an upset as Lianne Hassen with Rex had the best time of 5.617 seconds, beating out the World Record holders - Sean McCarthy and Jordan. In the second round of retrieves Sean and Jordan must have been feeling the pressure as they increased their time and earned themselves a spot in the Semi-Finals. Rounding out the remaining two spots in the Semi-Finals were Craig Haverstick and Veteran dog Henry along with Joe Druck and the Dutch Shepherd, Jager.

As the sun was getting too low to hold anymore competitions the Speed Retrieve and Big Air Semi-Finals were moved to first thing Sunday morning. It was obvious the competitors weren't too disappointed as they took the opportunity to start a new tradition and go out to dinner at a local hot spot after a long day of competition.

As everyone arrived early Sunday morning, we were greeted by a deceiving sun and chilly autumn weather. The weather didn't seem to affect the dogs though as they had their game faces on... literally. To get the dogs fully prepared for "battle" handlers used war paint as a colorful addition to their dog. Leading off the last day of competition was Melissa Ness and Smoke in the Big Air Semi-Finals. Melissa and Smoke jump started the day with a huge first jump of 27'4" and never looked back. The jump was good enough to earn them a place in the Finals later that day. Up next was Meghan Williams with her Weimaraner, Wrigley, who took the second spot in the Finals on their first jump as well. We bid adieu to Jon and Remy and Craig and Henry, but not for long as they would be coming back in the Iron Dog discipline later in the day.

The Speed Retrieve Quarter Finals were intense as four distinct breeds of dogs all battled it out within the 5 second range for only two spots in the Semi-Finals. Taking the initial lead was Sean McCarthy and Jordan after the first round of retrieves. Following closely was Craig Haverstick and Henry. On their second attempt Joe and Jager, who had a chance of making it into the Finals immediately following false started - putting them out of the running. With Craig and Henry not improving on their second attempt it was up to Lianne Hassen and Rex to give it all they had to make it into the Finals since Sean and Jordan had already qualified. Rex must have sensed the pressure as he stepped up his game and broke out a quick time of 5.683 seconds - earning them the second spot in the Finals.

Immediately following the Speed Retrieve Semi-Finals were the Finals - testing the dogs stamina. Lianne and Rex must have been a little tired after their previous win as Rex only came in with a time of 6.068 seconds. However, on their second attempt they improved with a time of 5.802. Unfortunately, Jordan was looking to out beat his previous World Record and put it into over drive for the Finals busting out a huge time of 4.850 seconds - good enough for the win and to set a new WORLD RECORD in Speed Retrieve!

In the Big Air face off Meghan Williams sent Wrigley out to 24'1" on their first attempt and had the makings to take the win from Melissa and Smoke. Unfortunately, Wrigley slipped on his second attempt giving him a disappointing score of 14'4". Smoke took full advantage of the mis-step and jumped all the way out to 27'1" - taking home the title of Big Air World Champion for the event.

The Extreme Vertical Finals was host to a battle between three Sit Means Sit Belgian Malinois' and the lonely mix - Stryker. After qualifying in the final Extreme Vertical competition earlier in the day Melissa with Stryker took to the dock first. That team along with Power Puma, handled by Alfredo Rivera, held on all the way until 7'6" - where they exited the competition leaving Lianne Hassen with Rex and Tony Lampert with Baxter to duke it out. After both teams cleared 7'6", with ease, they each had a little more trouble with the 7'8" mark. Having flash backs from her previous jump off on Friday Lianne and Rex knew they needed to go big or they were going home [without a win]. Rex was up first on the dock for his next attempt at 7'8". The crowd waited patiently as Rex slowly leaned back, signaling to Lianne he was ready to go. As Rex took off, he ripped the bumper off, and the crowd went crazy! Now, the pressure was on Tony and Baxter - could they take down their fellow Sit Means Sit posy? Unfortunately, Baxter must have been tired from competing earlier as he did not make his final attempt at 7'8" - making Lianne and Rex the 2010 Extreme Vertical World Champions!

For this year's World Championships DockDogs® Worldwide decided to add an brand new element to the excitement - the introduction of Youth Handlers. Four of the World's best Youth Handlers earned invitations through their overall Rankings throughout the 2010 season. Making the trip out West were Quinn Hettich and Bubbles, Dylan Shafer and Chessie, Lizzy Felton and Ralphie and James Sozio with Twister.

Quinn and Bubbles lead off the competition with a jump of 13'4" - a huge jump for this little lap dog. Quinn was the model of consistency as he sent Bubbles right back out to the 13'4" mark on their second attempt. Up next was Dylan Shafer with Chessie who had a first round jump of 14'4", good enough for third place overall. On Ralphie's first attempt he made it out to 16'8", taking second place as James sent Twister out to 18'6" on their first attempt. Ralphie knew it was do or die time as he stepped it up and busted out a big jump of 18'9" taking the win in the first ever Youth Handler division at the 2010 World Championships!

Rounding out an incredible day of competition was the crowd favorite - Iron Dog competition. With the top 4 best dogs in the World going head to head everyone was bracing themselves for a competition of epic proportions. After two intense disciplines (Big Air and Speed Retrieve) Jon Langdon with Remy had a clear lead with an overall score of 2,054.13 points. Trailing them were Tony Lampert and Baxter and Craig Haverstick with Henry, who were only separated by .33 points!

Extreme Vertical was the "make it or break it" discipline for all four of our Iron Dog teams. Jon with Remy left the dock early only making it out 6'10", which brought down their final overall points to 3,063.26 - good enough for 3rd place overall. Henry, handled by Craig Haverstick and Baxter, handled by Tony Lampert were the next to leave the competition, missing both of their attempts at 7'4". Hanging in till the very end was Rex handled by Lianne Hassen. Unfortunately Rex's personal best grab of 7'6" was not good enough to earn him the overall win in the Iron Dog competition; they went home with a respectable 4th place finish. Just barely coming in second with an overall point total of 3,074.68 was the Veteran dog team of Henry handled by Craig Haverstick. This year's 2010 STIHL Dogs and Logs World Championship Iron Dog team was the underdog duo of Baxter handled by Sit Means Sit trainer Tony Lampert.

Closing out the event was the crowd favorite - Relay competition. This is where two lumberjacks are paired with two of the fastest Speed Retrieve teams of the event. The essence of the game is to have a dog do one Speed Retrieve pass, return, a lumberjack does a standing chop, then another dog does a Speed Retrieve pass and you end with a different lumberjack doing the Speed Climb. The team beating out all others with a super fast time of 1 minute 11 seconds was Team 2 of Lianne Hassen with Rex, Joey Spurlock and Brock paired with World Champions Wade Stewart and Jeff Skirvin. It was great seeing our old friends the Lumberjacks and bringing the Dogs and Logs family back together again for another memorable competition.

As the sun started to set Sunday evening and teams packed up to head home all everyone could talk about was the brand new World Record and surprising upsets. DockDogs® Worldwide would like to thank everyone who made the trip out to this year's 2010 STIHL Dogs and Logs World Championships. We could not have had asked for more a more beautiful location or better friends to join us this year. We would also like to congratulate all four of our brand new World Championship teams.

With so much buzz and excitement surrounding this year's World Championships how could we possibly follow that up?... with the 2010 Nationals! Details have already started to be released, so check out the Events portion of the DockDogs website for the most up to date information.

See you all next year!