Team 4 Dawg Flite

First AKC Jr. Hunt Test. The Tale of Two Misfits.

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 01:44:00 +0000

My mom has been saying for a year that she wants me to get an AKC Junior Hunt Title. That’s fine with me. It means I get to go run out in the fields retrieving ducks, and it just doesn’t get any better than that.

We’ve been working for a year on these special skills. As far as I’m concerned, you shoot a bird, and I retrieve the bird. Simple as that.

But for this Hunt Test thingy, you have to go through all this special protocol. You can’t talk to your dog here, but you can here. You can’t touch your dog. The old dead duck has to be delivered to the handler’s hand. You can’t say this or that. Pretty complicated if you ask me.

So, we’ve been practicing, and my mom felt like we were ready. She registered us to run today (Saturday) and tomorrow (Sunday) at the Atlanta Retriever Club test down below Newnan, Georgia.

Well, first off, it was raining. No, not raining. Thunderstorming, which meant everything was a muddy mess. And when you have a muddy mess in Georgia, you have a muddy mess to end all muddy messes. Red clay muddy mess!

You would have to understand my mom to see the irony in this. She can’t stand to have a spot on anything…not her clothes, her car, anything. She is a spot freak. So you can imagine how freaked out she was when her car looked like this:

And this:

But I didn’t mind. I just sat right down in it. Ahhhh…

Now, let me explain about hunt test people. They are very outdoorsey people. My mom is not. She likes the water and boats, but the fields and woods and mud are not her thing…at all!

So all these people were in their camo and rain gear and rain boots.

And my mom? Well, she was in blue jeans, a DockDogs t-shirt, her Nu Balance tennis shoes, and her North Oconee High School windbreaker. Oh yeah, and her UGA visor. She stood out like a soar thumb!

And me? Well, all of those dogs has bright orange collars or camo collars or something very “field doggish” looking. What did I have on? My collar with the pretty flowers on it.

I know all those dogs were talking about me behind my back.

What else did my mom do that was embarrassing? Well, all of the dogs were in special, really cool field dog kennels. Most looked like this:

Where was I kenneled? Luxuriously in the back of our Trail Blazer.

And see that multi-colored towel? Well, that was what my mom used to wipe all the mud off my feet every time I got in the car. Soooo embarrassing!

All the other dogs drank water out of their little metal pails. What did I drink out of? My blue plastic water bowl. I could hear those dogs laughing with each lap I took.

And then there were these little orange buildings. A couple of times my mom would drive up there, stop the car, and go inside for a few minutes.

Each time she came out, got in the car, and said, “Totally disgusting. I’d just as soon go out in the field and pee with you, Sally.” Well, Mom, what’s stopping you? Works for me.

The embarrassment only got worse as the day progressed. Later in the afternoon, we were walking down to the pond with three other ladies and this was how the conversation went:

Lady #1: Wow, will this rain ever end!

Lady #2: Maybe tomorrow?

My mom: Yeah, it’s pretty uncomfortable. I’m not a very outdoorsey type person.

Lady #2: (sarcastically) You don’t say. I think that’s pretty obvious from the way you’re dressed.

Lady #3: Yeah, you’re the only person out her in Nu Balance tennis shoes.

(All four laugh. At what, I have no idea.)

If I hadn’t have been on a leash, I would have ducked my head, turned and slinked away in total embarrassment.

To make a long story short, I didn’t pass today. I passed the two land retrieves. I passed the first water retrieve. But on the second water retrieve, I swam over to where you duck fell, but for some reason, I lost the scent and couldn’t find it.

But my mom was very proud of me. A lot of people said I looked good and showed plenty of field dog talent. They were impressed.

So I guess my mom in her Nu Balance and me in my flowered collar did okay for ourselves. We’re happy.

See you on the dock,

Sally, the Captain of Team 4 Dawg Flite

Proud members of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: field dogs,dock dogs,retrievers,labrador retriever

Correcting Dock Diving Problems That Might Develop

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:16:00 +0000

Often, people ask me about certain problems their dogs have developed on the dock. There are a few simple strategies you can use to get your dog back to their usual jumping status. Some are general strategies, such as:

1. Just give them time. All athletes, in all sports, have their slumps. Dock diving is no exception. The 20 ft. jumpers might jump flat for a while, then go back to 20 ft jumps or better.

2. Give the dog a break from the dock. Hold off on practice for a while. I know, I know, the temptation is to work them and practice even harder. But often taking a break will renew their spirit and passion for the sport. When they return, you'll see a different dog. How long to hold off? That all depends on you and your dog. With Sally, I'd need to hold off for at at least a few weeks. With other dogs, it might be a month or two. Keep working out with them and training on land (to keep up their condition), but no dock diving.

The above are general suggestions, but say you want to work on just one certain problem. Here are some strategies that might help:

YOUR DOG BEGINS STOPPING AT THE END OF THE DOCK
Let's say your dog has always jumped just fine, but for some reason, he's beginning to seem uninterested and stops at the end of the dock. Try any of these strategies:

1. Change your throw toy

2. Has the water temperature changed? Did your dog have a bad experience such as slipping at the end of the dock?

3. Move him up to about the 20 ft. mark or even closer. This will help keep him focused and interested in you. If this works, keep jumping him from this spot until he's jumping well and then move him back little by little.

4. After you set your dog, walk backwards talking to your dog, keeping eye contact, shaking the toy. One word of caution: Be careful as you're getting near the end of the dock!

5. If you're doing the chase technique, switch to the place and send for a little while.

6. At practices, let him jump with some of his best buddies.
Most of all, keep it fun and playful. If you start stressing, your dog will sense this and it will only make his problem worse!!

YOUR DOG STARTS TO JUMP FLAT
If your dog has always had good pop to his jump and suddenly starts to jump flat, this can be very frustrating. It can take feet off of his jumps. Here are some suggestions to try:

1. Again, change throw toys or start him closer to help focus him on the toy.

2. Hold the toy at a different higher angle. Rather then holding it low and in front of him, hold it up higher and release it higher.

3. Throw the toy very short so he can catch it. This will make him jump shorter, but that's okay. Let him catch it several times. This gets him refocused on the toy and, hopefully, chasing it. Then start throwing it a little farther each time.

4. Use a hurdle for practice. Hold the toy up over and just behind the hurdle and have the dog run, jump up and over the hurdle and snag the toy from your hand.

Another reason some dogs begin to jump flat is that they have been introduced to Speed Retrieve. Some dogs cannot do both and distinguish between the two types of jumps required. This is not to say you should stop Speed Retrieve, but that you might need to work some with the Big Air jumps to get the pop back.

YOUR DOG LEAVES THE DOCK EARLY
This problem plagues many very good dock dogs. It is extremely frustrating to watch your dog give up 2-3 feet with each jump. To make matters worse, it is probably the most difficult to correct.

First, try finding his best starting spot. This might take quite a bit of practice, moving him up and back until you find the place where he will hit on or at least closer to the end of the dock.
Another technique is change your standing position at the end of the dock. Most handlers stand facing the opposite side of the dock with feet open. The photo below shows what I mean.

Another reason a dog might take off early is that he equates the “take-off line” with your back foot, or the foot he sees first. He will take off every time exactly where your back foot is planted.

The way to correct this requires some practice on your part. You need to change your stance so you are facing the pool, with both feet right on the edge and your back to the dog. That means you have to turn your head to look back and release your dog. That also means you might have to hold on to the pole on the side of the dock to steady yourself. Again, this will take a lot of practice on your part (to get used to throwing like that) and on your dog’s part (to get used to having your stand and throw from that position).

Please remember, no matter what the problem or what strategy you use for correct it, you must keep it fun for the dog. Dogs can easily read our affect and dispositions. If you’re having fun, he’ll have fun. Six foot jump or 26 foot jump…good pop or flat jump…let the dog have fun while you are working on the problem.

Technorati Tags: dock diving,dock dogs,dock jumping

3 years ago yesterday….

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:27:00 +0000

As you know, I like to listen to my mom and dad talk. Boy, can you ever learn some cool stuff doing that!

Well, they occasionally mention a dog named Annie. My mom especially talks to me about Annie and says things like, “Sally, you and Annie would have been best friends,” or “Sally, I want you to jump at this event for Annie. She would have loved dock diving.”

As it turns out, Annie was the lab they had before me. Here is a picture of her. She was a big lab and very light yellow, almost white.

According to my mom, Annie was a super swimmer, even better than me or Spud. We like to retrieve in the water, but we don’t always like to swim just to swim. Annie, on the other hand, could have lived in the water. My mom says that when they took her out on the boat, they couldn’t keep her out of the water. She would swim and swim…all around the boat…all around my mom out in the water.

But poor Annie had a problem. My mom and dad bought her from a breeder who was not a very good man. But they didn’t know that at the time. They didn’t know there was such a thing as a bad breeder or a good breeder. So they bought this cute little lab puppy and named her Annie.

But as she developed, my mom said she would never really retrieve much. Even though she always acted interested and like she wanted to, she would only do maybe one little retrieve and then lie down. She wouldn’t climb stairs or jump up into their truck. And after an active day at the doggie daycare, she would lie on her bed all evening and whine, like she was in pain.

I’ve seen video of her running, and she ran funny, especially her back legs. They looked more like a bunny hopping along. And my mom said that when she would get up from her bed, she really struggled at times to stand up.

So, when she was 10 months old, they talked to the vet, and he x-rayed Annie. She had something called hip dysplasia…very severe hip dysplasia. And to compound the problem, she had immunity problems.

To make a long story short, when Annie was only 11 months old, they had the orthopedic surgeon do major reconstructive surgery on both hips. While the surgery went okay, her recovery didn’t. Because of her immunity problems, infections and complications set in.

After 3 weeks of Annie struggling, they finally let her go on October 19, 2006. RIP Annie, my big sister.

If you would like to read a more detailed account of Annie and her illness, here is the link: Annie’s Story.

And here is Annie’s Tribute Video:

Click To Play

You know, it would have been nice to have an older sister. Sometimes it gets a little frustrating living with all these boys! I agree with my mom. Annie and I would have been best friends.

The next time I go dock diving, I’m going to think of Annie when I jump.

Annie, this next one’s for you, sister!

See you on the dock,

Sally, the Captain of Team 4 Dawg Flite

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: labrador retriever,dogs,dock diving,dock jumping,dock dogs,puppies,hip dysplasia

T minus 5 hours and counting

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:41:00 +0000

Well, this weekend is the DockDogs National Championships in Cincinnati, Ohio. Team 4 Dawg Flite is almost ready to go. Our dad will be home around 2:00, and we leave then!

I am so excited. Spud is excited. My mom and dad are excited. Even Hoppy is excited. He has no idea why, but he’s still excited.

Badger, on the other hand, has no idea what’s going on. He really doesn’t get excited about anything very much anyway, but I can’t wait to see his face when he sees a dock diving event for the first time.

And speaking of Badger, my poor mom and dad have had their hands full. You see, Badger was a kennel dog, so they had to train him to be an indoor dog. WOW! I had no idea that would be so tough.

I kept telling him, “Daddy B (that’s that I call him), you don’t poop in the house. You poop outside! You are going to make Mom M-A-D if you keep pooping in the house.” But he didn’t listen to me.

He is getting better with the potty stuff.

Then there was the chewing and pacing and panting. My mom finally realized Daddy B was an OCD dog, especially with the chewing. They got him some medicine, and now he takes this big pill every morning. He is a lot better.

Now, back to our trip to the National Championships. We have something new…something really, really cool. You see, after we got Daddy B, I told my dad, “ We just aren’t going to have room back there in the truck for everybody and everything now. Believe me, I am the one in charge of the back, and I know there just won’t be room.”

So my dad went out and bought an equipment trailer. I thought, “Cool, now we dogs will have the entire back to ourselves. No crates to get in our way. No equipment cases. No ice chests. No tents. No chairs.”

But it was even better. My mom and dad had it wrapped with pictures of us. It looks AWESOME!

There is one side with photos of me:

There is one side with photos of Spud:

And then all four of us, plus our logo, are on the back:

Don’t you just love it!!

Now, it’s all packed with our equipment and stuff, and we are ready to roll. Keep your fingers crossed for Spud and me to jump BIG!

My mom wanted to let y’all know that she will update our results on Facebook, and if you would like to keep up with us in Cincinnati, you can “friend” her: Nancy Tillis Akin.

See you on the dock…or all FOUR DOCKS!

Sally, the Captain of Team 4 Dawg Flites

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: dock diving,dock jumping,dock dogs,travel,labrador retrievers,dogs,OCD dogs

Can you say Team F-O-U-R Dawg Flite!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:04:00 +0000

Yep. You’re reading it correctly. I would have posted earlier, but it’s been raining night and day here (My dad said to call him Noah, ‘cause he’s going to build an ark…whatever that means.), and my mom couldn’t get any good photos outside.

Now, this addition isn’t just any dog. You’ll never believe in a million years who has joined our pack and our Team. I’m still in shock.

It’s Badger. My dad!! And Hoppy’s dad!

There he is…dear old dad. And when I say old, I mean old. He’s nine years old. Do you have any idea how old that is in dog years. Something like 70 or 80.

I thought I heard my mom talking on the phone to our breeder the other day. Of course, I only heard my mom’s side of the conversation.

“Patty (that’s our breeder), are you sure?” <pause>

“Well, of course we would. We would love to.” <pause>

“No, of course it would be better for him to come live here rather than make that big move with you to Colorado.”

Now, I’m thinking, what in the world are they talking about. I’ve heard my mom and dad say absolutely no more dogs. We don’t have the room!

So I knew they couldn’t be talking about us getting another dog. My little chocolate mind was whirring. Then I heard…

“Sure Badger would fit in here. After all, this is where his son and daughter live.”

BADGER!! My dad! And Hoppy’s dad! BADGER IS COMING TO LIVE HERE WITH US!!

I didn’t know what to think. On one hand, I was glad. After all, he’s my father. But on the other hand, that would mean one more dog for me to whip into shape around here.

And now, Badger is here with us. He’s okay. It was tough those first couple of days. He was really nervous and stressed…panting constantly and pacing continually, like a caged tiger. Spud and Hoppy and I tried to talk to him and calm him down. “Settle down, old man,” we told him.

But finally, after a couple of days, he’s calming down. After all, he’s nine years old and moving into a new home is a big adjustment. And what’s really good is that he and Hoppy are getting to be pals.

Here is the family photo. Dad, Son, Daughter.

And, of course, here’s is the new Team 4 Dawg Flite.

We’re going to try and get him to jump, but he probably will only be a little jumper. He’s old and FAT! My mom said he needs to lose about 15 lbs. So it might be a while. He also might have a little arthritis in his front legs.

Now, for the question of the day. What do I call him? I can’t call him Dad. I already have a dad. I’m sure it would hurt my dad’s feelings if I all of a sudden started calling someone else Dad.

Should I call him Badger? I’m going to talk this over with Hoppy and see what he thinks. (Personally, I like “Old Man.”)

See you on the dock,

Sally, the Captain of Team 4 Dawg Flite

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: dogs,labrador retriever,dock diving,dock jumping,dock dogs

Never in a million years will you guess what's happened.

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:59:00 +0000

I'm in such shock, I can't even write about it. All I can say right now is....remember my blog post a while back about my bio dad. The title was "Pedigrees and parents. My emotional trauma."

For those of you who missed it, you need to read it to understand what has just happened in the home of Team 3 Dawg Flite. Here is the link to that post. I'll put up another post and tell y'all what happened as soon as I recover.

Pedigrees and parents. My emotional trauma.

Now, where are those nerve pills!

See you on the dock,

Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite
Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Do you think this dock makes my face look funny?

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 18:08:00 +0000

I can’t remember if I’ve posted these photos before or not. I was looking back through some old practice photos and came across this sequence from a practice back in January.

I remember after this particular practice my mom and dad were looking at these photos on my dad’s computer. Man, were they ever laughing!

“Look at her face,” my mom laughed. “Oh my god, that’s hilarious.”

“Look at that Stinky,” my dad squeezed out between chuckles. (His pet name for me is Stinky. Why? I have no idea. I do NOT stink!)

After maneuvering through their legs and the chairs, I managed to peer up onto the monitor to see what was so all-fired funny. And this was the sequence they were having so much fun with.

Okay. You can call it funny looking. I call it intense. I call it a game face. I call it Iron Dog!

And Dad, as far as calling me Stinky…maybe you should order me one of these:

I wear a medium.

See you on the dock,

Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: dogs,labrador retrieve,dock diving,stinky dogs,dock dogs,dock jumping

Iron Dog. That’s ME!

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:22:00 +0000

I’m going to be an Iron Dog! I’m going to be an Iron Dog!

No, not this kind of iron dog.

Nor this kind of iron dog.

And I certainly don’t mean this kind of iron dog!

I have qualified myself to enter the Iron Dog competition at our DockDogs Nationals in October. What does that mean? Good question.

In order to qualify to even compete at the Nationals, you must be titled. Well, Spud and I are both titled, so we are going. (We were going last year, but my granddaddy got very, very sick, and we had to stay home.)

Spud has his Master Title in Big Air.

I have my Senior Title in Big Air.(And 3 out of 5 legs for a Master.)

Well, I also have my Turbo Title in Speed Retrieve.

And just this summer I got my Cadet Title in Extreme Vertical.

Soooooo…I am now both titled and ranked in all three DockDogs disciplines.

And *that* qualifies me to enter the Iron Dog competition at the Nationals. It’s a real honor, but it is also going to be very, very strenuous.

My mom talked with me. “Sally,” she said, “did you know you are qualified to enter the Iron Dog competition at the Nationals.”

“Yes, Mom, I know,” I politely replied.

“Well, do you think you can handle it, Chocolate Dawg? “

“Handle it? You want to know if I can handle it? Mom, I can’t believe you asked me that.”

“Now, Sally, calm down. You’re starting to stress pant.”

“Stress pant, my little chocolate patootie!”

“Sally, do you know what all is involved with entering Iron Dog at the Nationals?”

“Well, not exactly, but whatever it is, I can definitely handle it!”

“You have to do the regular three disciplines. Then, on top of all that, you have to do the disciplines all over again in the Iron Dog category. Sally, hon, you’re going to be jumping continually the entire weekend.”

“And your point is…………”

“Okay, Sally, you’re in Iron Dog. I just completed the registration. You better start consuming your vitamins and Power Bones right now!”

<Gulp. BIG Gulp.> “Okay, mom. Thanks.”

Would someone please check my pulse. I feel a little faint.

See you on the dock,

Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: dogs,labrador retriever,dock dogs,dock diving,dock jumping,iron dog,big air,extreme vertical,speed retrieve

The Throwdown is over. Photos included!

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 14:44:00 +0000

Our dock diving club’s first event is over. Dixie Dock Dogs did a great job presenting The Fishing Creek Outfitters Throwdown. I was very proud of all the dogs…well, and humans too…who work so hard to make it so successful.

We had 186 registrations and probably over 200 people who attended to watch. But you want to know the very, very best part of the weekend?

We raised over $1400.00 for our charity,

Chase Away Canine Cancer!!

It was awesome!!

The first day, Friday, it rained. Okay, let’s not call it rain. Let’s call it a little hurricane! My mom had our crates set up in the admin tent because that’s where she spent most of her time. (You know, bossing people around and answering all kinds of questions.) That’s where they had all kinds of cool stuff like the computer, printer, stacks of papers, and best of all…the boxes of RIBBONS!

Well, it started to rain a little, so everyone put a couple of sides up on the admin tent to keep everything dry. Good idea, wouldn’t you think. Not exactly.

All of a sudden, it came up a big gusty wind. I yelled and barked, “Spud reach your big long leg out there and hold down our stuff.” He tried, but those tent sides just acted like sails. I barked and barked for everyone to grab something. GRAB ME and my crate!! Don’t let me blow away!

The rain was blowing right in through the sides, but the humans couldn’t cover up our stuff. They were all wrapped around the tent poles holding down the tent.

OUR RIBBONS AND STUFF WERE GETTING SOAKED!

“Let me out,” I barked. “I’ll cover the stuff while you hold down the tent. Let me out.” But they never heard me. By the time it was over, everything was drenched…the computer, printer, ribbons, papers. It was a mess.

Everyone pulled together, however, and dried everything out and, well…on with the show!

See what big crowds we had. (Well, big crowds on Saturday and Sunday. The rain on Friday hurt the crowd that day.)

Doesn’t it look like FUN!!

Here are some photos of me and Spud. I’ll have more when we get the photo CD from the photographer. (My dad didn’t take pictures because he was so busy working at the event.) I’ll also have a video soon.

But here’s the best picture of all. Our ribbons! Spud took 1st place in the Finals for his division. Believe it or not, that is the very first 1st place either of has ever gotten in the Finals.

I got 2nd place in my division. And see Hoppy’s ribbon? That’s his “Good Sport” ribbon because, once again, he didn’t jump. But he got a ribbon anyway.

We really had a blast, both participating in the Throwdown and also being the host for it. I loved seeing all the new dogs come out and participate. I’ve got a lot of competition down in Middle Georgia!

I heard my mom and dad talking last night and guess what! They are already planning the next event. YEE-HAW!!!!

See you on the dock,

Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: dog,labrador retriever,dock dogs. dock diving,dock jumping

Dock Diving and Knives…not a good mix

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:06:00 +0000

After thinking long and hard what I should make this post about, I came to a decision to tell you about dock diving practice this past weekend.

Oh, I know. I could be telling you all about our club’s big event coming up this weekend. Or about Spud’s bout with a near heat stroke. Or about the way Hoppy has started waking us all up at 3:00 every single morning.

But when you hear about our last practice, you’ll understand why I chose this topic. There are no photos, just a good story. So sit back, grab a cup of coffee or some kibble to munch, relax, and read.

Our Sunday afternoon practice was in a very nice subdivision with a big lake. One of our members is a resident there and has the dock reserved for us one Sunday each month. That resident is always there to help with practice. (We call that wrangling.)

This particular afternoon, he had to leave early for a family function, so my mom drove over there (about 90 miles) to finish wrangling the practice. Of course, she took Spud and me with her. Hoppy stayed home with our dad.

Our practice is divided into two groups, and the first group left around 2:30, with the second group not schedule to be there until around 3:00. So that gave my mom some time to play with Spud and me.

We were having a great time. She took us both out on the dock and just let us jump and swim for fun. Then she put me in my crate and did some dock diving with Spud.

Just before 3:00, I saw a big white van come driving into the lake area. I wondered, “Who is that? Is that the second group of jumpers? Do they have a good looking hot guy lab?”

Well, the van pulled over very near the dock and a little old lady got out. And I mean old. Now, my mom is old (in my opinion), but this lady could have been her mother almost!!! She didn’t say anything to my mom at first.

Spud had just done another jump and had swum back to the shore and was walking around to get back on the dock.

All of a sudden, that lady starts yelling at my mom, “I didn’t think dogs were allowed off-leash in this subdivision.”

How dare her yell at my mom!!!! I started barking and barking, “Hey, old lady, leave my mom alone. She’s not hurting anyone.” But no one paid any attention to me.

My mom, ever the diplomat, talked very nicely to the old lady and explained that we had the dock reserved, and that the dogs do not run all over. The dogs just jump off the dock and run right back up on the dock.

But that lady fussed and fussed and fussed at my mom…talked really ugly to her. I barked, “Spud, bite her!” But Spud would never do that. He’s such a wimpy weenie. Doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. I tell you, if I had have been down there by that dock, I would have given that lady a piece of my little chocolate mind!

The lady finally took her fishing stuff and walked over around to the other bank and began fishing.

Now, while this scene was going on, the second group of jumpers came up. They didn’t know what was going on and just stood there watching. Everyone seemed happy that she was finally gone…or so we thought.

When my mom let me out for another jump, I wanted so badly to run over to her and bark and growl at her. I just stood there glaring at that little shriveled up old woman. But then I started jumping and forgot all about it.

My turn finished, and it was another dog’s turn. I was back in my crate again. So was Spud.

Then it happened. What did I see!!

That old lady walking back to her van and getting something out. What was it? I looked and looked real hard to see. Was it another fishing pole? Or bait bucket? Or tackle box?

No, it was a big butcher knife!!!!!

OH MY GOD!!! She had a big knife and she was waving it at my mom!

I started barking and barking and barking so loudly. My heart beat so wildly, and my paws began to sweat. I was literally a caged animal wanting out to protect my mom.

I barked, “NO, NO, not my mom! Not my mom!”

I scratched and scratched at the bottom of my crate trying my best to escape. I scratched so hard my paws ached. But I didn’t care. My mom needed me.

All I could think of was getting out of that crate and jumping on that lady and biting the heck out of her hand.

I heard the lady say to my mom, “See this? This is what’s going to happen to any dog who comes near me.” And she kept waving that knife at my mom while she was talking.

“Mom,” I barked wildly, “Mom, knock that knife out of her hand. Knock that old coot into the lake. Get her, Mom. You can take that old biddy.”

But my mom would never do anything violent. The old lady finally walked back over to her fishing stuff on other bank.

Whew! That was close. The new dogs continued to jump, and my mom worked with them helping them. This went on for about 30 more minutes.

I was beginning to settle down and think it was all over. But no. Not with that knife-wielding crazy old bat.

She picked up all her fishing stuff and moved right over beside the dock.

WHAT? WHAT’S UP WITH THAT!!! There’s no way the dogs could possibly walk back onto the dock without going right past her.

She was trying to get one of us dogs to come near her so she could stab us!!! Her goal was to kill a dog!! NO WAY, GRANNY!

My mom again, very nicely, asked her to please go fish back on the other bank so we could continue jumping. She told my mom, “You have the dock. Jump if you want to. I can fish anywhere on this lake and I want to fish right here.”

Then she pulled the knife out again and said, “And if any dog comes near me, this is what’s going to happen to them.”

I went crazy. “Mom,” I barked, “Get her, Mom, get her! Don’t take that crap. Knock her lights out, Mom. Or let me out so I can get her.”

Oh, I soooooo wanted at that old lady. If I could have gotten out of that crate, someone would have been fishing HER out of the lake!

But my mom just stopped the practice, and we all left. I gave that old bag a glare and a couple more barks as we pulled off.

Follow up to the story: My mom filed a report with the security people, and they were supposed to go get her or talk to her or whatever.

But let me tell you this one thing: that lady better stay over on her side of town. If I ever see her again, just call me CUJO!

See you on the dock,

Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: dock diving,dock jumping,dock dogs,dogs,labrador retriever

Meet my other brother and my sister

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:25:00 +0000

Y’all thought I just had two brothers, didn’t you. Spud and Hoppy. Well, I actually have three brothers. One of them is a human brother. His name is Brian. He and his wife, Kim, came to visit me the other day. I really, really, REALLY like Brian because he plays with me…throws balls for me and is cool. Here is Brian with our mom.

Don’t they look just alike! And not only that, but they act a lot alike. Kim is always saying how much alike they are. (Kim and Brian have been married for five years.) Brian and Kim live in a town called Suwanee. It’s about 40 miles from us.

Brian and Kim have a Boxer named Heidi. I really like Heidi also, but sometimes when we are together, I get a little rough for Heidi. We Labs like to run and retrieve and play rough. But Heidi likes to play nicely with her toys. I don’t care I still love Heidi.

This is Heidi, Spud, and me back on Easter of 2008. Brian was playing with us.

This is back when we all went to Bark in the Park at an Atlanta Braves game. Brian and Kim and Heidi went with us. Here are Brian and Kim with Heidi sitting on Brian’s lap.

When Brian and Kim left to go back home the other day, I overheard him talking to my mom and saying that they would be back soon and we would all go to the park to play. COOL! YIPPEE!

Now, I want you to meet my sister, Bonny. She lives in New York City, so I don’t get to see her very often. Neither does my mom, and that sometimes makes her sad. Bonny has lived up in NYC for nine years. My mom still hopes that one day she will move back down here, but I’m not sure when or if that will happen.

Last week, my mom went up to visit Bonny. It made her very happy to see Bonny again. It had been a year since they had seen each other. Here’s a photo that they took of themselves up on Bonny’s apartment building overlooking the river and the city. (Bonny lives in New Jersey right on the river.)

Bonny is really cool, too. She likes to play with me also, especially when I was a little puppy. I remember when my mom and dad brought me home, it was December. I was just a little 8-9 week old puppy. Bonny came home that year (2006) for Christmas, and she played and played and played with me. I loved her to death and didn’t like it when she went back to New York. This is Bonny with me that Christmas.

Maybe one day Bonny will move back down here closer to us. I hope so. So does my mom.

Well, that’s my human brother and sister. Now you know my whole pack!

See you on the dock,

Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: dog,new york city,boxer,labrador retriever,family

Summer stuff and more TV appearances

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 11:39:00 +0000

It’s been a busy summer. My mom and dad have been super busy getting ready for our club’s big dock diving event later this month. You wouldn’t believe how much work is involved with putting on a dock diving event: getting sponsors, putting out publicity, schedules, ordering supplies. They are either on the phone or emailing about the event all the time.

The event is called The Fishing Creek Outfitters Throwdown.

It’s going to be a lot of fun. People are coming from all over and bringing their dogs.

Spud and Hoppy and I have some cool stuff to show off at the Throwdown. We have new name plates for our travel crates. Hoppy and I used them at our last event, so I only have photos of those name plates, but Spud has one also.

I was so happy when they came in the mail. Kind of makes me feel like a celebrity with my name on my dressing room door.

And speaking of celebrities, Spud and I were on another TV news story. This one was with a TV station up in NE Georgia. My mom took us over to Lake Hartwell to meet with the reporter. It turned out pretty good. Being on the PR circuit for our event is cool!

Here’s the clip of this news story.

Click To Play

And…guess what! I heard my mom talking to my dad and she is going to be on something called a “Morning Show” at a television station. She’s going to talk all about Team 3 Dawg Flite and Dixie Dock Dogs and our event. Now, how cool is that!

The only problem is that I heard her talking about how she was going to take one of us with her…and guess who that is. Yep. Spud! He gets to go and be on that TV show. I think the Captain should go. But my mom said Spud would do better in the big TV studio, and I guess she’s right. Sometimes big noisy things inside a big room scare me, and nothing scares Spud.

So, he’ll get to be the star that time. I guess it will be another day at daycare with Hoppy.

See you on the dock,

Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: dogs,labrador retriever,dock diving,dock dogs,dock jumping,television news

Home from Missouri and loaded with loot!

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 01:31:00 +0000

Well, not exactly loot, but I did get several ribbons. Here’s how I did:

Big Air: 2nd in Senior Division

Extreme Vertical: Just a participant ribbon. I suck at EV.

Speed Retrieve: 6th place

Iron Dog: 4th place. This is something I’ve never entered before. It’s only for dogs who do all three disciplines (Big Air, EV, Speed Retrieve). There’s a formula for how many points you get for your place in each event. Then they add everything all up, and that’s your Iron Dog score. I think I’d kind of cool!

But guess who else got a ribbon. HOPPY!!

No, he didn’t jump. He was his usual dock-sniffing, mama-kissing, crowd-pleasing self. He had everyone totally entertained. Even the announcer was laughing at him, and the judges were complete cracked up.

So, what did he get his ribbon for? The host club for this event (Gateway DockDogs) gave participation ribbons to the dogs who never went off the dock.

Here’s a photo of us up on the dock…me with my three ribbons, and Hoppy with his one little ribbon. We were so proud of him!

I do think, however, that he was a little jealous of me and my ribbons. Look at him giving my ribbons the once over. I’m sure he was thinking, “How does she do that!”

Well, brother, first you have to start jumping!

As it turned out, he was such a hit with the crowd, this kid came over to our tent and wanted to play with him. So my mom let the kid take Hoppy out and they played for a while.

Then, the kid brought over the Chase vest and asked if he could take Hoppy through the crowd collecting for the charity “Chase Away Canine Cancer.”

Look at the great Chase dog!

That’s Hoppy with the kid who adopted him for the day.

The good news is that he had been such a hit up on the dock, everyone willingly donated to the cause and put money in the vest pockets. The kid said that everyone who donated received a kiss from Hoppy!

What a HAM!

But he did collect quite a bit of money, which is a good thing. Chase Away Canine Cancer is such a worthy cause.

We don’t have any photos of me dock diving. My dad, the photographer, didn’t go with us this time. I will get some from other people in a while. If they are any good, I’ll post them later.

But for now, I’ve got to get to bed and get my rest. Guess what Spud and I are doing tomorrow. Going for another dock diving TV news story!!

Can’t wait. I’m beginning to like this celebrity thing.

See you on the dock,

Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: dogs,dock diving,dock jumping,dock dogs,dog cancer,cancer,speed retrieve,extreme vertical,iron dog

Happy Trails to You…Missouri, here we come!

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:59:00 +0000

I knew it. I knew it! When I saw the equipment case come out, I knew it was pack-up-to-go-to another-event time!

And this time, we are going to the Lincoln County Fair in Troy, Missouri. My mom said that this is an event hosted by the Gateway DockDog Club. What’s so cool about this club is that we’ve only been to events in the Southeast. But this time, we are venturing out west…crossing the Mighty Mississippi River!

Maybe she’ll stop and let me jump in the Mississippi River. Ya think so?

My dad and Spud are staying here. My dad has to save his days at work for our event next month in Milledgeville. And he doesn’t want to stay home alone, so he’s keeping Spud with him.

It didn’t take long yesterday evening for my mom to pack the car.

There’s our stuff. From L-R: rolly cart, gray travel box (and carton of water), equipment case top, equipment case bottom, EZ Up tent with chair, banners, and water sitting on top of it. Everything is sitting on our two crates.

Oops, she hasn’t packed her own bag yet. There’s no room for my mom’s clothes. That’s okay. We don’t have any clothes so why should she!

Usually, we take my dad’s truck. But since this time it’s just my mom and Hoppy and me, we are taking her SUV.

Okay. My mom said, “Come on Sally and Hoppy, Time to go.”

Of course, being the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite, I jumped up in the driver’s seat. Ready for take-off!

Then I had to check everything out. Make sure we were all cleared for take-off.

I told Hoppy to get in. He jumped up into his place back there by the equipment.

Then I noticed something.

Poor Spud. There he was sitting waiting for me to tell him to get in the car.

I said to him, “Spud, you went on the last dock diving trip with Dad up to Ohio. It’s our turn now. You stay here.”

But it didn’t help. He kept saying, “Hey, what about me?”

Then my mom came out and saw me in the driver’s seat!

“Sally!” “Get your little chocolate #^*% our of my seat and back there where you belong!”

You know, it’s funny. When she’s happy with me and talking all nice and sweet, I’m her “little chocolate dawg,” or I’ve got those “little chocolate paws,” or it’s “move your little chocolate bootie,” or it’s my “little chocolate nose.”

But when I’ve done something wrong…when I’m into something I shouldn’t be into…it’s always my “chocolate #^*%.” Go figure.

So it was back there with Hoppy where I am supposed to ride. Dang!

At least I can still be the navigator and supervise her as she drives.

Keep your fingers and paws crossed for me in Missouri that I jump big. I only need two more Master jumps to get my Master Title, so I could get it this weekend.

Well, we’re off. Can’t wait to see the Mississippi River. I am ready to JUMP!

See you on the dock,

Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: dogs,labrador retriever,dock diving,dock jumping,dock dogs. mississippi river,travel

Here it is!!

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:23:00 +0000

Remember in my last post how I told you about my mom and Spud and I going down to a marina and meeting with a television reporter?

Well, the story was on the 6:00 news tonight. I thought it was really, REALLY cool! She got lots of good shots of me. Me with my bumper, me jumping, me swimming.

She got some good shots of Spud, too. I especially like the close-up shot of him wagging his tail.

Here’s the link the the video clip of the news story. Hope you enjoy it.

Local Dogs Dive Into New Sport

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And now, a personal note to my friend, Mason. Team 3 Dawg Flite is so proud of you taking to dock diving and going to your first event.

Don’t worry about not running down the dock right now. Just concentrate on jumping off the dock and getting comfortable with that.

Once you’re comfortable with just jumping off the dock, your mom can start you back a little bit…maybe 3 or 4 feet. Then a little farther and a little farther. Soon, you will be starting from the back of the dock.

Buckeye DockDogs has a lot of people who will help you and give you lots of good advice.

Jump big, Mason!!

See you on the dock,

Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: dogs,labrador retriever,dock diving,dock dogs,dock jumping,tv news

Missouri, here we come!

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 10:55:00 +0000

Happy 4th of July, fans!

Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy!

We’re going to another dock diving event. Well, at least some of us are. My mom is taking me and Hoppy to Troy, Missouri for the Lincoln County Fair. It’s an event hosted by the Gateway DockDogs club.

Why just Hoppy and me? Why not Spud? Unfortunately, her SUV, when loaded down and packed with all our dock diving and travel gear, can only hold two dogs. So the decision came down to which two dogs.

Of course, one of the dogs was an automatic choice: me! But should the second dog be Hoppy or Spud? My mom wanted to take Spud, especially since he’s been jumping so good lately. But my dad didn’t want her taking Spud away from him. (Personally, I think he’s a little too attached to Spud!)

See how good Spud’s been jumping. That boy is on fire!

But, back to Hoppy……he’s such a big baby and so dependent on his pack. Being here for five days without either Spud or me…….well, let’s just say by the time we got back, he would be weaving baskets in the doggie sanitarium.

Y’all want to see something cool? Here is the logo for our big dock diving event we are having down in Milledgeville.

We are soooooooo excited about this event. Registration is going very well so far. My mom has been doing all the publicity for this event. Boy, has she been busy sending out press releases, contacting magazines and radio stations and emails.

And guess what we did a couple of days ago. My mom and Spud and I went down to a marina in Milledgeville (on Lake Sinclair) where there are plenty of docks. And, of course, we got to dock dive. But there was something very different about it this time.

There was a lady with a video camera (a professional one like my mom uses), and she was shooting footage of Spud and me. She shot all of our jumps. Plus, she got some real close-up shots of us….right in our faces and close-ups of our paws and tails wagging.

I was thinking, “Who IS this person?” Then, after Spud and I did several jumps with this Steven Spielberg wannabe filming our every move, she took my mom over on another dock and started talking to her and filming her talking.

What in the world is so film-worthy about my mom talking? She does it ALL THE TIME. Trust me, it’s no big thing.

When we got home, I heard my mom talking to my dad about a TV news story. Then, it all made sense. That lady was a TV news reporter.

We are going to be on the news! I’m sure it was part of the publicity work my mom has been doing for our event.

Here is the link to our official information page about our event:

The Fishing Creek Outfitters Throwdown

And here’s the link to register if you want to come jump with us. It would be so cool if some of y’all could come down to our event!

Throwdown registration

Oh yeah, one more thing. Remember in my last post, I said we were going to our Fun Jump? And they were going to crown a Mr. and Ms. Dixie Dock Dog and I hoped I would get Ms. Dixie Dock Dog. Well, I didn’t win. I think I came in second. (Personally, I think someone stuffed the ballot box!)

Here are the winners. Congratulations to Ruby and Wedge!

Well, I’ve got to run now. We are going out on our boat today. That’s always fun….lots of swimming and water retrieving. And I love riding on the boat. I’ll try to get my mom or dad to take some photos.

See you on the dock,

Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: dogs,labrador retriever,dock diving,dock jumping,dock dogs,news,news story,tv reporter

Oh my! So much has happened.

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 01:32:00 +0000

Where do I begin? I feel like I’ve lost touch with all my fans and let y’all down. I haven’t made a blog post in so long. Spud made one for me. (Wasn’t that post cute!)

My mom has really been busy. Busy with her job which has had her monopolizing the computer. I asked my dad if I could use his computer. But nooooooo. I couldn’t use his.

Well, as luck would have it (bad luck for my mom), the computer has become available due to my mom’s accident.

Don’t worry. She’s okay. We were at the marina, and she tripped over….guess who! Yep, Hoppy! She tumbled down on the asphalt drive and skidded down the hill.

OUCH!!

She’s pretty skinned up and bruised. And Hoppy? He never knew anything happened.

Anyway, her injury has given me time to crank out another post to catch y’all up.

Hmmmm…..let’s see. The biggest news:

Our dock diving club has signed a contract to host a dock diving event here in Georgia! The humans in the club have been working on this for so long. Finally, I get to invite all my dog friends from all over to come down here to Georgia for an event.

Details? Glad you asked.

Name of Event: The Fishing Creek Outfitters Throwdown

Place: Milledgeville, Georgia

Dates: August 28-30, 2009

I want to say right now…..all of my dog friends, all of my fans, anyone reading this….you are all invited to The Fishing Creek Outfitters Throwdown.

“Catch up” item #2: We got an award….a Gold Hydrant Award….from our blog friends at “Life with Dogs.”

I’m trying to get Sola, one of those dogs, to do some dock diving. She would be really good at it. You fans who read their blog, help me encourage Sola to try dock diving.

And THANK YOU to all the dogs over at Life with Dogs for the award. We are honored!!

“Catch up item #3”: We have a new club website. Okay, this is not so exciting to y’all, but it really means a lot to us Dixie Dock Doggers. My mom did the website. She loves that kind of stuff. (Personally, I think jumping off a dock is a lot more fun than computer stuff.)

“Catch up” item #4: We have two new practice docks and have had a practice at each of them. Wanna see some pics?

Me trying out our new portableExtreme Vertical rig. Cool! I love it!

Spud wanted to try the EV rig. He didn’t quite get it. But he tried!

But again, it was Hoppy who took the prize for the goofiest. Look at this goober. Since it’s warm weather now, my mom got into the water thinking he would jump to her.

Nope.

She got his favorite toy and shook it in front of his face, honestly believing he would jump to her.

Nope.

It was just tooooooooo far down there for Hoppy.

So my mom brought out her big gun: PEANUT BUTTER!

Peanut butter is Hoppy’s most absolutelyest favorite thing in the entire world. He’s obsessed with peanut butter.

Yep, my mom’s no dummy. She knew what would get that boy off the dock.

He looked at it. He sniffed it.

Did he jump for it?

Heck no!

But I can honestly say I’ve never seen him stick his tongue out so far. He must have pulled out the reserve tongue trying to reach that peanut butter.

Ya know….he’s just too cute not to love. What a goofball.

My mom says she’s going to keep trying. He honestly acts like he wants to jump like Spud and me. One day he will, but until that day, we’re just going to keep laughing at him and his craziness.

That’s all I’ll catch you up on today. Our club is having a Fun Jump this Sunday. They have games and competitions and all kinds of fun things planned.

And guess what? They are going to vote on a Mr. and Ms. Dixie Dock Dog. Keep you fingers crossed that I win the Ms. Dixie Dock Dog. Now, how cool would that be!

Thanks again to all the dogs at Life with Dogs for the award. Y’all are the best. And, Sola, get up there on that dock at the New Hampshire event. Give it a shot. Pretty soon, you’ll be dragging your humans all over the country like we do.

See you on the dock,

Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: dogs,labrador retriever,dock diving,dock dogs,dock jumping,awards

hey it’s me, Spud

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:02:00 +0000

My sister Sally let me writ this intry in her blog. She loves her litl bruther.

Last weekend my dad took me, just me, to a dok diving place up in sumwere he called ohio. We did a lot of dok diving. I got reel tired but I had very much fun.

it seemed strage to not have sally and hoppy there but speshally sally. i missed her becaus she is our pack leeder. Evry time we got back to our tent, it kep looking for her crate but there wuz no sally anywhur.

but i still had a very good time with my dad. And I jumped real good. I even urned my “National Master Title.” Now I am a big jumper!

Here are sum pichurs of me jumping.

See how gud i did. I love dok diving very much!

Thank you sally for letting me rite in your blog. and i’m sorry you did not git to go up to ohio with me and dad. i missed you sally.

Spud, the Co-Pilot of Team 3 Dawg Flite

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: dogs,labrador retriever,dock diving,dock jumping,dock dogs

I’m on strike

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 06:40:00 +0000

You will never….in a million years….believe what my dad has done to me. No, really. Try and guess.

Let Hoppy eat out of my bowl? Nope.

Bring a cat home? Nope.

Give treats to Spud and Hoppy, but not me? Nope.

Forget my birthday? Nope.

Give up?

He went on a trip to a dock diving event up in Ohio this weekend and took only Spud. Not me. Not my mom. Not Hoppy. Not ME. But just Spud. I heard them talking about this earlier, but I never figured he go and do something like this.

I can hear all you 3 Dawg Flite fans out there asking, “WHY?”

Well, as you know, my mom is a wedding and event videographer, and she had two weddings this weekend. So she couldn’t go. As a matter of fact, that’s why I haven’t posted very much this past week. My mom has been busy, busy, busy which means she hogs the computer.

And I’m…well, how shall I put this? Let’s just say that I’m “spirited” and my dad sometimes has a hard time handling me. He does okay with one dog, but trying to handle more than one…especially if one is me…is a little tough for him.

So, what did we do? Well, this was my mom’s schedule this weekend:

Friday: Leave for wedding at 11:00. Get back home at midnight.

Saturday: Leave for wedding at 1:00. Get back home at 1:30 a.m.

As you can see, there was just no time for Hoppy and me. So we went to Pawtropolis, our doggie daycare, all weekend. Yep, we had one big spend-the-night party over there.

It was a blast!!! We went rollerblading. Okay, we didn’t actually rollerblade ourselves. The staff member rollerbladed, and we ran along with them.

Hoppy went for a hike. I retrieved outside in their dog park.

We got Frosty Paws for a bedtime snack.

But the best part? They had the pool open all weekend. I stayed in that water until they thought I was going to shrivel up. It’s not a big adult-size pool, but a small in-ground doggie-size pool. Here are some pics of me and my friends having fun in the Pawtropolis pool.

So, all is well. I had a blast, and so did Hoppy. Okay, okay…not as much fun as dock diving, but darn close.

I am, however, still really, really, REALLY mad because my dad went off without me. So I am definitely going on strike. Just exactly what I’m striking, I have no idea. But I’ll think of something.

And my dad and Spud? They should be home tomorrow, and I’ll post about how Spud did. (If I can get my mom off the computer long enough!)

See you on the dock,

Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: dogs,labrador retriever,dock diving,dock jumping,dock dogs,doggy day care,pools,swimming

B-I-G weekend dock diving. Lookie here!

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Tue, 19 May 2009 21:39:00 +0000

Where do I start? We went to Sanford, N.C., for a dock diving event with Carolina DockDogs. It was a fantastic weekend for Team 3 Dawg Flite!

Here’s the run down of what all we accomplished:

Sally (Captain goes first)

2nd place in Extreme Vertical Cadet Division
2nd place in Speed Retrieve
4th place in Big Air Masters Finals
2 2nd places in Big Air Waves
Set a new Personal Best jump of 21 feet

Spud

2 2nd places and 1 3rd place in Big Air Waves
2nd place in Masters Big Air Finals
Earned Regional Masters Title

Hoppy

Well, let’s just say…he was Hoppy.

Whew! We are still recuperating from all that dock diving. But what fun we all had…both Spud and me and my mom and dad.

And my dad got a ton of great photos. So get ready to see some awesome dock diving pics.

First, here’s a series of one of my Extreme Vertical runs. Notice the last one how my mom celebrates the fact that I snagged the bumper.

Now, let’s see. How about a Speed Retrieve run. I love Speed Retrieve. It’s my favorite!

I like that last one showing my tail swirling the water. Cool, huh?

Who do you want to see next? How about Spud. He really did a terrific job.

Okay, time for some more pics of me. (Do y’all think I’m a little ego-centric?)

Here is the Big Air jump where I set my new personal best of 21 feet.

And then, of course, here’s my mom. Instead of just celebrating, she actually did some funky kind of celebration dance up there on the dock. Sometimes she sooooooo embarrasses me!

Here’s another one of my Big Air jumps. I like it when I catch the throw object.

And then, fans, here’s what you’ve been waiting for…Hoppy! He still didn’t jump, but my mom took him around to the other side of the pond and he did retrieve from the shore. And he honestly looked like he was a little interested in the wubba down there in the water. But still no jump. Just a lot of kisses and goofiness.

Well, that about closes out the report of our most recent event. It was really fun. When I finally recover, I’ll find something else to post about.

I hope I haven’t posted too many photos and bored you. Here are a couple of extra pics you might enjoy.

Good shot of Spud. He’s such a good boy!

And here I am telling my dad what I think of him sticking that camera up in my face!

See you on the dock,

Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: dogs,labrador retriever,dock diving,dock jumping,dock dogs,speed retrieve,extreme vertical,big air

Am I Actually Bragging on My Little Brother?

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:45:00 +0000

I know it’s been a long time since I’ve posted, but my mom and I wanted to keep my post about our Jump-a-Thon up there as long as possible.

And while I’m on that topic, thanks to everyone who pledged. Thank you from both my mom and me for helping us Chase Away Canine Cancer.

Now, on to Hoppy. I know, I know….most of my posts about Hoppy have been borderline Hoppy bashing. I’ve told y’all, and showed with photos, about what a goofball he is and how he embarrasses me.

Well, this time, I am proud to say….are you ready? Sound the trumpets and drum roll, please!

I am proud of Hoppy’s performance at our last event in Virginia Beach!

There…I said it. Now, he didn’t go off the dock, but he did really pretty well for Hoppy. Let’s see, what all did he do?

First, since Spud wasn’t jumping (cold tail), he go to wear Spud competition vest. And that vest, along with his recent weight loss, made him look like a real Dock Dog!

Next, he began to actually retrieve while at the event. Right behind our crating area, there was a little fenced in place where we could go exercise and play. Several times, my mom took Hoppy out there and threw the wubba for him, and he actually ran and retrieved it! That is the very first time he’s really retrieved with any enthusiasm at all.

Oh, he’s trotted over to pick up the wubba a couple of times, very wimpy and sissy-like. But this was real retrieving…like a real Labrador Retriever!

My mom and I were both very proud and happy that he is finally “getting it.”

Now, for his performance on the dock. Okay, let’s be honest. Other than looking good in Spud’s vest, he didn’t do any better. And here are the pics to prove it.

This is about my most favorite photo of him up on the dock. Can we say “clueless?” But he is cute, isnt’ he!

And, of course, there was the obligatory kissing Mom on the dock.

My mom honestly did everything she could. You know, they have 90 seconds to execute the jump. Bless her heart, she used the entire 90 seconds trying to get that boy to go get his wubba from the water.

She played with him with the wubba up on the dock before throwing it in the water.

She even threw it on the dock to let him retrieve it, hoping that would “get him in the mood.”

She tried getting him excited about the wubba in the water.

She even got the crowd involved. She got them cheering and changing “Hop-py, Hop-py, Hop-py.”

But it was to no avail. In the full 90 seconds, he never did jump.

BUT…..he did show one glimmer of promise….one act that was a little dockdoggish. Unfortunately, we have no pics of this, because my dad stopped taking photos when they left the dock. Who would have thought Hoppy would do something spectacular? Well, spectacular for Hoppy.

Remember, when the 90 seconds were up, the wubba was still floating in the water. As my mom opened the gate and took Hoppy off the dock, instead of turning to go down the steps and leave the dock, he actually….are you ready? Are you sitting down?

Hoppy actually turned and tried to go in the pool from the exit ramp to get the wubba! Now, how cool is that!!!!!

He didn’t exactly go into the water, but he walked down the ramp about halfway and tried to get his wubba. I think he’s beginning to get with the program:

Mom throws toy. Dog retrieves toy from water.

A friend got some video footage of Hoppy up on the dock. When my mom gets some free time, I’ll get her to upload it to the web so I can show you exactly what he looks like up there.

All in all…..Hoppy had a good event in Virginia Beach. Maybe there’s hope for that boy after all.

Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: dock dogs,dock diving,labrador retriever,dock jumping,dogs

Calling all Team 3 Dawg Flite fans....please come in.

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Sun, 03 May 2009 13:10:00 +0000

Do I ever have news for you! Well, it's exciting to my mom and me anyway, and I just know you will be excited as well. It's actually two announcements. (Please read through this post. It's IMPORTANT!)

1) We are going to the Nationals this year! Yipppeeee! The Nationals are in October in Ohio.

and....here's the really good one....

2) My mom and I are participating in the DOCKDOGS JUMP-A-THON at the Nationals! Now, how cool is that. What is a jump-a-thon you ask? It's a way we are going to raise money to fight canine cancer. We are asking for pledges for so much per inch of my longest jump at the Nationals.

For example, if I jump 15 feet, that would equal 180 inches. And if you pledge $.10 per inch, then your donation would be $18.00. Get it?

Now, here's the really, really good part. ALL of the donations go to the charity "Chase Away Canine Cancer." I'm sure all of you Team 3 Dawg Flite fans have either lost a dog to cancer or know someone who has. Our family tragically lost our Basset Hound, Lucy, to bone cancer last year. I know cancer is high on the list of the cause of deaths of Labrador Retrievers, and I want to beat this terrible disease. Please help me do this!

How can you help? I'm glad you asked. Go to this link to make yo ur pledge. To help you decide how much to pledge, let me tell you that my current average jump is 18'8" which is 224 inches. So, I should jump somewhere around that...hopefully longer!

Fans, I'm really, really, REALLY wanting to raise a lot of money for this cause. This is extremely important to both my mom and me. So, consider it carefully, and if you can pledge any amount....anything at all, no matter how small (or large!), please help us.

Thanks on behalf of all the dogs out there who have...or have had...or will have cancer.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Please let me thank you in advance for any pledge you might make. When my mom looks at the list of "pledgers," most of the time she doesn't recognize the names, so she can't personally thank them. So, if she doesn't recognize your name, please consider this our offer of gratitude for helping us out with this cause.

Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite
Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs
Help me fight canine cancer!

Virginia Beach Heat and Cold Tail

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:10:00 +0000

Team 3 Dawg Flite got back home from our dock diving event in Virginia Beach very tired, but happy and loaded down with bling and ribbons! See….here’s all the cool stuff I won.

It was pretty hot up there, but not as hot as it gets down here in Georgia. We arrived Friday morning, and Spud and I had our first jump Friday afternoon.

Then something bad happened. The next morning, when we went out for our walk, Spud looked funny. His tail wasn’t wagging or even moving. It was just hanging straight down.

My dad asked my mom if she thought he might have something called “cold tail.” My mom said maybe so.

Now, I don’t know what cold tail is, but after experiencing that heat the day before, I thought it sounded pretty good. I was about to ask if I could have some of that cold tail.

Then I realized that it was something bad. My mom took Spud by the tail and tried to move it, and he yelped. I don’t think I’ve ever heard Spud yelp before. I yelp all the time…but then I’m a drama queen. So I knew when I heard Spud yelp, something was wrong.

When we got to the dock that morning, I heard my mom tell the event secretary to scratch Spud from all of his jumps that day.

What!!!!! They expected him to sit there and watch all that dock diving and not participate! How cruel.

Back in our crates, I talked to Spud and told him that I was mad at them for pulling him out of competition like that. But Spud said he was glad they did…that he didn’t feel good at all and his tail hurt.

Poor Spud. So the only ribbon he ended up getting was the on from Friday afternoon. It was a first place Senior Division.

Poor Spud.

Well, I kept jumping. Here are some pics of one of my Big Air jumps.

Here’s the last photo from that jump. As you can see, the throw was a little behind me, so I had to put on the brakes, but I could only stop the top part of my body. The bottom half just kept on flying. I could feel myself coming in for a landing on my back, so I tucked my tail, clamped down on that duck (so I wouldn’t lose it), and prepared to make a landing flat on my back.

I actually managed to pull out of it just at the last minute. I landed more on my butt and not on my back, but the crowd loved it!

My best Big Air jump was only 19’ which is only average for me. I don’t know why I didn’t do any better, but it was still fun.

Here are some Speed Retrieve pics. Speed Retrieve is my favorite type jump!

I was really disappointed in my Speed Retrieve times. My best was only 7.63 seconds. I can do under 7 seconds. My mom and dad said that the heat got to me and I just gave out of gas. Now, I have no idea what they were talking about, but something sure made me not on my “A game.”

I also did Extreme Vertical, but we don’t have any photos of that. Besides, I didn’t do so well in EV anyway. But my mom talked to an EV expert while we were there and got some tips that might help next time.

The only other thing I need to tell you about it Hoppy. Oh geez! I’m going to make an entire separate post about that boy. What a goof ball!!!!!

All in all, it was an okay event. It would have been better if Spud hadn’t have gotten that cold tail. He only needs one more leg for his Master Title, and we were all expecting him to get it at this event.

Well, there’s always next time! Only two weeks and we’ll be at another event in North Carolina! And this time, Spud, keep that tail high and dry and warm!

Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: dogs,dock diving,dock jumping,dock dogs,cold tail,labrador retriever

Virginia Beach, here comes Team 3 Dawg Flite!

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:04:00 +0000

Oh boy! We’re going on another dock diving trip this weekend. There’s a big event up at Virginia Beach, and we’re leaving as soon as my dad gets home from work tomorrow. Yippee and Yee-Haw!!!!!

Today is packing day, or at least start packing day. And it’s my job to make sure my mom doesn’t forget everything. I know she has a packing list, but it’s the Captain’s responsibility to make sure the flight is smooth and problem-free. So today, I’ll be following my mom around making sure everything is ready and packed.

Let me add right here…for those of you thinking about taking your dog to a dock diving event, you do NOT need all of this stuff. All you actually need is a leash and a throw toy. But because we travel so much, we take all of these things to keep us…especially our mom and dad…more comfortable and make things easier.

Okay, let’s see, we need…

shamwows (to dry us off)

old sheets and blankets (to put over our crates if needed)

my Power Bones (energy bars)

our treats

box with any meds we might need

Oxyfresh (add to our water for Hoppy’s bad breath!)

our competition vests

water dishes for our crates and food bowls for our meals

various bandanas so we can be “cute”

poopy bags for….well, you know

leashes and extra collars

our crates

the E-Z Up tent (2 in this pic, but we only take 1)

chairs for our mom and dad (we, of course, have those comfortable crates!)

our throw objects: (L-R Flappie, DFT/duck, bumper, Wubba)

Spud’s tennis ball (our dad decided he wants to try throwing this for Spud)

travel water dish and jug of water for us

Dixie Dock Dogs and 3 Dawg Flite banners to hang on our tent

ice chest full of drinks and snacks (for our mom and dad)

equipment case to carry all our “stuff” from hotel to event

cart to carry our crates, chairs, etc. from our truck down to the crating area

cart unfolds to look like this. cool, huh?

enough food for all three dogs for all the days we will be gone

Nylabones to keep us calm in the hotel room (good luck!)

old towels and lots of plastic bags because everything gets wet at dock diving events

our e-collar chargers and power strip (also for their cell phones and computer)

We wear the e-collars while traveling since we are in unfamiliar territory and stop at so many roadside places.

Whew! That’s a lot of stuff. And that’s just the stuff for us. It doesn’t even include my mom and dad’s stuff.

But when they start getting all of this stuff out, it sure gets me all excited. And I’ve followed my mom around all day today making sure she didn’t miss a thing.

I’m happy to report…..we are ready to goooooo!

Virginia Beach…..here comes Team 3 Dawg Flite!

Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: dogs,labrador retriever,dock dogs,dock diving,dock jumping,travel

Sally's mom here. Ashamed to say, I need some help!

noreply@blogger.com (Team 4 Dawg Flite) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:39:00 +0000

I've got to hurry with this. Sally would kill me if she knew I was posting on her blog. So, here goes.

I make a living working on computers. I am very computer savvy. Not bragging, just stating a fact so you'll see how desperate I really am.

Now, here it is. I kept hearing all about Twittering. They Twitter on GMA, all the radio and TV personalities Twitter (or is it Tweet?), everyone in the world is communicating with Twitter.

Well, don't leave me out. I want to Twitter also. The problem is, I can't figure it out!!!!! It is sooooo aggravating. Over the past 14 years, I've figured out all kinds of computer programs without any instructions. But for the life of me, this Twitter has me stumped.

Posting comments is not the problem. The problem is how do you find people on Twitter? I want to Tweet with people....communicate back and forth with them. To put it bluntly, I feel like a LOSER!

Anyone out there in blog land that can help me? TIA!

Nancy