'Tank' wins National Championships!

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Renowned dog trainer and Co Owner of Sit Means Sit™ Dog Training, Lianne Hassen and her Labrador retriever, Tank, have achieved another competitive milestone. With a winning jump of 22 ' 10", Hassen and Tank became the Senior Division Big Air National Champions of DockDogs at the 2008 Championships held October 10th through the 12th, 2008. They also won the Cabela's Contingency Challenge from the sponsor of the event, Cabela's - The World's Foremost Outfitter for outdoor gear.
"We competed against 90 other dogs in the Big Air senior division -- it was definitely the most competitive division in the competition -- and Tank was amazing. He gave the best jump to qualify for the final eight competitive spots, then he completed the best jump to get into the final four and then he jumped the furthest right into the championship position! Not only is he a great competitor -- we had so much fun participating in the competition!" said Hassen.
DockDogs is an international performance sport for dogs comprised of three competitions; Big Air, Extreme Vertical and Speed Retrieve. In Big Air competitions, the length a dog can jump from the 40 foot dock into a pool is measured. Extreme vertical is essentially a high jump for dogs and Speed Retrieve was introduced as a run, jump and swim competition.
All of the competing dogs are classified for event. The classes in which the dogs compete include Novice, Junior, Senior, Master, Elite and Super Elite. The levels at which a Big Air team is classified is based on the length of their jumping ability. In order to qualify to compete in the DockDogs Nationals, Tank and Hassen needed to be titled in Senior Division, which meant that Tank needed 5 qualifying legs from other DockDogs Competitions jumping between 15' 0" and 19' 11."
"We're so proud of Tank, not only for achieving milestones like the DockDogs National Championship and the perfect score at the AKC Excellent B Rally competition this past spring, but also for his continued progress and enthusiasm for learning and competition. Tank was a rescued dog - he had already gone from home to home because he was labeled as "incorrigible" and "impossible to control" and by using the Sit Means Sit™ training methods, he is now not only beautifully behaved but also winning dog event competitions nationwide!" continued Hassen.
Sit Means Sit™ Dog Training which is owned and operated by Lianne and Fred Hassen, is an incredibly effective dog obedience system that is sweeping the United States and has recently expanded internationally. The system used by professional dog trainers and regular people alike enabled people to communicate with their dogs and achieve training milestones quickly and easily. The Sit Means Sit™ Dog Training system has been used successfully on every type of dog -- large or small -- young or old -- new to training or hard to control.
"I've been able to use the Sit Means Sit™ Dog Training system to hone and improve Tank's jumping skills, timing and results. He loves to swim and jump anyway, but getting maximum length on a jump requires work on the speed of approach and the angle of take off among other things," continued Hassen. "These Big Air dogs are going in excess of 20 mph off a 40 foot dock to chase their favorite toy - but to really compete we practice a ton and Tank has to be well trained to make that work. He is a fabulous example of the success we see every day with trainees using the Sit Means Sit™ system."
Lianne Hassen and her husband, Fred, both participate in numerous competitions nationwide promoting the Sit Means Sit™ dog training system. Lianne Hassen, in particular, has become extremely active with the DockDogs organization, founding the Las Vegas DockDogs club and recently launching LasVegasDockDogs.com to promote the sport.
"DockDogs is a terrific sport for dogs. Swimming is something that we have always encouraged with our dog trainees as it is low impact and excellent for cardio vascular health in dogs of all ages and physical conditions. When Tank and I became involved with this organization we knew it was a perfect fit and I've been thrilled to work as President of Las Vegas DockDogs in spreading the word on this fun and exciting sport for dog and trainer teams!" continued Hassen.
Sit Means Sit™ Dog Training can be found on the web at http://www.sitmeanssit.com/ and you can see video of Lianne and Tank's DockDogs win among their series of dog training videos.
About Sit Means Sit™:
Founded and Created by Fred Hassen in 2006, Sit Means Sit™ is a dog training system that has evolved into the largest U.S. based dog training company. The gentle training methods offer a high level of obedience to the pet owner and create a happier dog. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, this innovative obedience training company has over 99 locations throughout North America and Australia. You can find Sit Means Sit™ on the web at http://www.sitmeanssit.com/.