Sunday, September 25, 2011
Have Fun with Your Dog while supporting the Lili Claire Foundations
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!!
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!!!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Membership Drive - Join Now and Save!
Just in time for the summer heat, Las Vegas DockDogs is offering a discount on membership!
Animal Blood Drive
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
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-
Dog Dock Diving: Making A Fun Splash In Las Vegas!
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
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
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Dog Day in the Park - Needles California Event featuring Las Vegas DockDogs
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!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
LAS VEGAS DOCKDOGS COMPETITION AT 'PET-A-PALOOZA'
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.
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.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Fun in the Sun in San Diego
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!
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!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
DockDogs Surfs into Long Beach!
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!
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!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
The Best from the West Throw Down in Phoenix!
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.
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.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
2011 World's Location & Qualifying Criteria Announcement
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!
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!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
First World Qualifier of 2011 Announcement!
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!
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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)