Team 4 Dawg Flite

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

2010-04-24T21:44:00.002-04:00

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

2010-02-09T15:16:00.002-05:00

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….

2009-10-20T15:27:00.003-04:00

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

2009-10-14T08:41:00.002-04:00

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!!!

2009-09-20T13:04:00.001-04:00

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.

2009-09-16T07:59:00.005-04:00

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?

2009-09-12T14:08:00.002-04:00

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!

2009-09-09T17:22:00.002-04:00

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!

2009-09-05T10:44:00.003-04:00

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

2009-08-25T20:06:00.003-04:00

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

2009-08-06T19:25:00.003-04:00

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

2009-08-02T07:39:00.004-04:00

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!

2009-07-20T21:31:00.002-04:00

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!

2009-07-15T06:59:00.003-04:00

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!!

2009-07-07T20:23:00.003-04:00

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!

2009-07-04T06:55:00.004-04:00

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.

2009-06-19T21:32:00.004-04:00

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

2009-06-03T09:02:00.002-04:00

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

2009-06-01T02:40:00.003-04:00

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!

2009-05-19T17:39:00.004-04:00

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?

2009-05-14T10:45:00.002-04:00

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.

2009-05-03T09:10:00.006-04:00

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

2009-04-29T15:10:00.003-04:00

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!

2009-04-22T17:04:00.003-04:00

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!

2009-04-21T16:39:00.003-04:00

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

Hoppy is the Biggest LOSER!

2009-04-15T08:56:00.004-04:00

Well, I know I’ve made some posts complaining about Hoppy and ragging on him because he’s not a retriever…nor a dock diver. But now it’s time for a little brag about that little brother of mine.

If you remember, when we got Hoppy, he was HUGE! He weighed 86 pounds. EEK! That’s more than 25 pounds heavier than me (or I? Don’t tell my mom. She’s an ex-English teacher). Here’s what he looked like when we first brought him home.

Now, if you know my mom, then you know absolutely she would not stand to have a fat dog. And if you think back, when we got him, she was planning on him being a dock diver, (yeah, right!) and fat dogs aren’t good dock divers.

So she put him on a diet which she called the “Green Bean Diet.” Every morning, she would give him a little dog food…even less then I got….and mix in some green beans with the food.

Then there was the exercise part. Every day either my mom or my dad take Spud and I out for our “romp” as they call it. It’s a 30-minute exercise session of hard retrieving with the chuck-it. And, of course, Hoppy would go with us.

At first, he wouldn’t run at all. He was too fat! But as the weight started dropping off, he began running more and more. And now, he sprints along with us most of the time. He still won’t retrieve the ball…totally clueless, but he sure enjoys trying to keep up with us as we retrieve.

Okay, enough of all that. Here’s what you’re waiting for…the final results.

Hoppy’s start weight: 86 pounds (12/29)

Hoppy final weight: 74.5 pounds (4/14)

That’s a total weight loss of 11.5 pounds!!!

Way to go, Hoppy!

And here are some before/after photos of Hoppy now. See how sleek and sexy he looks. :)

As much as that boy aggravates me to death….and as much as he embarrasses me at dock diving events, I must admit I’m very proud of him. He not only looks better, but he’s so much more active and playful and definitely has a better quality of life.

But the best part of all, for Hoppy, is no more green beans!

I hope someone reads this post to Hoppy soon. I guarantee you, I will not be posting another bragging post about that royal pain anytime soon!

See you on the dock,

Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: dogs,labrador retriever,retrievers,dock diving,dock jumping,dock dogs,diet,weight loss,dog food

Oh Martha? Where are you? (for everyone, but especially Bassets)

2009-04-10T17:21:00.007-04:00

I might have mentioned before how we used to have Basset Hounds when I was younger. We had two of them. Lucy and Buster. They mostly stayed on the back porch. Lucy was older and didn't like me very much because I was an active, playful puppy and she was an old dog who didn't appreciate my puppy antics. Here's Lucy in her younger days...long before my mom and dad got me.

Buster liked me, but couldn't keep up with me. He had a crippled leg and just couldn't maneuver very well. Here's Buster in his younger days.

Well, the other day when my mom was taking a break from her video editing, I grabbed the computer and started looking around. And look what I found! A really cool video of me when I was a puppy....and it's got Lucy and Buster in it.

Click To Play

We don't have Lucy or Buster any longer. One day about a year ago, I heard my mom and dad talking about Lucy, and they kept mentioning the words "bone cancer" a lot. That evening, my mom spent a lot of time with Lucy...giving her all kinds of treats and food that she never got before. I wondered what was going on.

Then the next day, my dad took Lucy for a ride in his truck, but when he came home, Lucy wasn't with him. And I never saw her again. I know she didn't like me, but I still miss her.

My mom and dad (especially my mom) were very sad for a long time. I even saw her crying sometimes. But it was poor Buster that was upset the most. For days and days, he kept howling out on the back deck. He would go lie down under the deck where Lucy liked to sleep and just stay there.

They even started taking him over to our day care. And soon, Buster started being happy again. He was his usual playful, happy self. I even started playing outside with him more.

But misfortune was about to come to us again. One morning, my dad went out to feed Buster, but couldn't find him. He called and called for Buster to come to the back deck to eat. When he found poor Buster, he (Buster) couldn't walk. Something had happened to his back.

My mom rushed him over to the vet, but there wasn't anything they could do. He was paralyzed from the waist down and was also very sick. I don't remember what my mom said was actually wrong.

Buster never came home again either.

I think about Buster and Lucy every time I go out on the back deck. I can even still smell their scents occasionally. I wish I could run around with Buster and jump all over him again. I even wish I could hear Lucy snap at me again!

But now you know why my mom and dad love Basset Hounds so much. I love Basset Hounds, too.

See you on the dock,
Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite
Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Nothing like a day at the lake!

2009-04-08T08:39:00.003-04:00

Before I write even a word of this post, let me make the obligatory excuses as to why I haven’t posted in so long. It’s my mom! This is her busy wedding season (she’s a wedding and event videographer) and she has been at that computer non-stop. I keep asking her, “Mom, please…puleeze…let me use the computer for just a little while.”

The answer is always something like, “Just a minute, Sally. Go play with your brothers.”

Yeah, right!

Well, this morning I’ve found a few minutes to make another post. I really want to let y’all know how much fun we had this past weekend when we went out on the boat down at Lake Oconee.

The day didn’t exactly start off like such a winner. When we got to the marina, we found the reverse gear on our boat didn’t work. We couldn’t event back out of the boat slip!

So while we waited for the mechanic to come fix it, my mom had a great idea. You know what is all around a marina? That’s right. DOCKS!

So we practiced our dock diving for about 30 minutes while waiting. We actually got a small crowd there watching us. It was pretty cool.

But then the mechanic came, fixed our boat, and we were off for a day on the lake. Here are some photos from all the fun we had when we stopped back in this little cove.

Then there was poor Hoppy. My mom tried and tried to get him out in the water swimming with Spud and me, but he would have none of that. He did, however, have fun watching us.

And for a little while, he actually got in the water….at least a little way.

But then he was right back over to the boat trying to climb in. Poor Hoppy. My mom is determined to get him out into that water one day.

We had a great time. I keep saying this, and I’ll say it forever:

There’s nothing as great as retrieving in the water!

YEE-HAW!!

I like this photo. Hoppy and Spud crashed in the boat on the way back to the marina. They were worn out!

Gotta run. Here comes my mom, and I know she’s going to make me…….. <Uh oh. I can hear her already, “Sally, are you on that computer? You better be off of it by the time I get in there.” Oops, bye.>

See you on the dock,

Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: dogs,Labrador retrievers,dock diving,dock jumping,lake,boats,water retrieving,retrievers

The "Sit" Command.....how I learned it

2009-03-31T07:57:00.005-04:00

So many of y'all seemed to enjoy my video of how I retrieved as a little puppy. Well, here's another one for you. (And as you know, when my mom makes a video, she has to make an entire production, but it's very entertaining!)

As you all know, a good solid "sit" is important to be an accomplished dock diver. You need to sit and stay back there on the dock in order to get the benefit of a full dock run when you are released.

Although my mom didn't know when I was a little puppy that I was going to be a dock diver, she did her best to teach me all the standard commands. One of those commands, of course, was "sit."

I swear, I don't know why we dogs don't all think our names are "sit." It's always "sit, stay," and "sit, settle," "sit, wait." The "sit" commands never stop.

Well, this video shows how it all got started with us. I was 8-9 weeks old and about as interested in learning how to sit as Hoppy is in learning how to dock dive. But my mom thought it absolutely necessary that I know how to sit when told.

Enjoy!

Click To Play

There ya go, Ceasar Milan and Victoria Stillwell.....take that!

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

How did Spud get on TV?????? (and not me!)

2009-03-27T18:54:00.004-04:00

I know my mom and dad have been hiding this from me. But it didn't work. I saw the video clip over my mom's shoulder today.

Obviously, when we were over in Charleston, SC, at the DockDogs event, the television news people interviewed my mom and dad. That's fine.

But who did they have with them for the interview? SPUD!!! I'm still in shock.

Now, Spud looked great for the interview. Spud looks great for everything. And I love my brother and like it when he does well.

But let's take a look at the facts....just the facts, m'am. Just who is the CAPTAIN of Team 3 Dawg Flite? Who is the founding member of Dixie Dock Dogs? Who is the boss of this outfit? Ya darn tootin'! ME!

Okay, here's the clip of the interview.

Click To Play

Now, I ask you. Wouldn't it have been better with me there...maybe with Spud....or even instead of Spud?

Sheesh! Today a local TV interview...tomorrow Letterman.

See you on the dock,
Sally, the Captain (forever!) of Team 3 Dawg Flite
Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

How I Learned to Retrieve….well, kinda

2009-03-24T20:16:00.003-04:00

I added the “well, kinda” to the title because I never technically learned to retrieve. I was born knowing how to retrieve. I bet that when I came out of the womb, I was retrieving bits of paper or cloth or some of my 12 siblings’ tails or something.

When my mom and dad got home with me, their little chocolate puppy, the first thing they did (after they pulled me out from behind the house plants) was throw a tennis ball for me to retrieve. And retrieve I did.

I remember that day. It was the first time I had ever seen a tennis ball, and to a little 7-week-old puppy it looked H-U-G-E! But I didn’t care. They threw it out across the kitchen floor, and I took off after it. It took me a little while to wrangle it so I could pick it up in my little 7-week-old mouth, but I brought it back to them!

Fee, I’f gah ih in mah mouf!

My mom and dad were really impressed with me. They just ooed and aahed and laughed and acted like I had just retrieved the Crown Jewels.

That was fine with me, because they kept throwing stuff for me to retrieve, just so they could keep saying things to me like, “Good girl, Sally,” “Way to go, Sally,” and “What a dog!”

They are so low maintenance.

Then they would say things to each other like, “Isn’t she cute,” and “Boy, she sure loves retrieving.” Well….yeah. That’s a no-brainer.

Anyway, my point is that it wasn’t long before my mom had her video camera out shooting footage of me retrieving.

This particular video even has my granddaddy in it. He loved to play with me, but he passed away last year. I was very sad.

But on with the show! Little Sally retrieving.

Feel free to ooh and aah like my mom and dad did. I’m used to it now!

Click To Play

See you on the dock,

Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: labrador retrievers,retrieving,dogs

Teaching your dog to dock dive: Part 2 (Form and Distance)

2009-03-20T13:56:00.003-04:00

Once again, I’m turning my blog post over to my mom to finish her series on How to Teach Your Dog to Dock Dive. Take it away once more, Mom.

Thanks once again, Sally.

Before giving any exercises or steps, let me emphasize the goal of all dock diving: Having FUN with your dog! You can have fun whether your dog jumps 3 feet or 25 feet…whether your throw is right on target or 6 feet off. So while these steps should help you and your dog improve on the dock, they are not necessary to have a great time enjoying being with your dog!

So now, if you’ve gone through the steps in Part 1, your dog should be comfortable going off the dock. He’s jumping a short distance, probably right around 10 feet. But, of course, you would like to see improvement.

First, you need to understand the two different type throws. One is called “Place and Send.” This is usually for the dogs who do not have a good sit/stay. Some dogs, however, jump better for this type throw even though they sit/stay quite well.

For the Place and Send method, the handler throws the toy out into the pool. They then take the dog to the back of the dock and release him to jump for the toy.

Pros of the Place and Send method:

--Dog does not need a good sit/stay

--Handler does not need a good throw

Cons of the Place and Send method:

--Dog does not get much height to his jump.

--Often jumps are shorter because there is no height (called a flat jump). There are, however, many dogs who jump awesomely using this method.

Here’s a photo of one of Spud’s very first jumps. It is a typical flat jump. (This was when he was just beginning to dock dive.)

The other method of throwing is what most handlers use. It’s called the “Chase.” In doing the Chase, the handler puts the dog in a sit/stay at the back of the dock. He then walks up to the edge of the dock, releases the dog to run down for the toy. When the dog is about 4-5 feet from the toy, the handler throws the toy out over the water, and the dog jumps out for the toy. In other words, the dog literally “chases” the toy.

Pros of the Chase method:

--Dog gets more height to the jump. (Height adds distance.) Therefore, jumps are often bigger.

Cons of the Chase method:

--Handler must have a good throw. A bad throw can cause a bad jump.

--Sometimes it’s difficult to get the dog to sit/stay.

Here is a series of photos from one of Sally’s jumps in Easton, Maryland. It shows the Chase method done properly.

Notice that during the entire jump, Sally is totally focused on that object and stretching for it the whole time. When she leaves the dock, she is jumping up and out, not just out over the water. That’s because I threw the object up and out. Sally getting that height (also called pop) gave her extra distance.

The key to the Chase method: the dog has to try and catch it. No need to actually catch it, but he has to think he’s going to catch that object. If the dog is just jumping for it, that won’t work. He has to literally chase it, trying to catch it.

Here are some exercises that I have done or now do with Sally to get the Chase method working for us. You’ll notice, ironically, most of these dock diving exercises are done on land, not on the dock!

Gaining Distance and Height: Land Training

1. Play with your dog by throwing object to him to catch. Do this all the time…around the house, during training sessions, while on a walk. Get your dog totally focused on what you are holding and ready to catch it.

2. Work on a good sit/stay. The length of a competition dock is 40 ft., so your goal should be the dog sitting/staying 40 ft. from you. You should be able to get all excited and shake the toy all around while the dog becomes excited, but remains in the sit/stay. Sometimes the excitement is so great the dog will cheat by inching his way up the dock before being released. If your dog does that, go back and reset him.

3. Once your dog sits and stays, start releasing him to run to you and grab the toy from your hand. You want your dog to be comfortable with sitting/staying, being released, and going straight for that toy.

4. Start gently tossing the toy up in the air as the dog approaches you. Don’t throw it way up in the air so the dog has to jump high to get it. You just want him to learn to grab it while 1) the toy is in the air, and 2) he’s moving towards it.

5. Get a hurdle (or make one) with an adjustable bar. Hold the object over and slightly behind the bar so the dog has to jump up and clear the bar to grab the object. Start low, maybe only a foot high and work up in increments. I wouldn’t take the bar any higher than 24 inches. This is a good exercise even after your dog is jumping well. I still do this with Sally occasionally.

6. Practice your throws. I can’t emphasize this enough. The better your throw…the better you can keep that object right in front of your dog’s nose while giving it the perfect trajectory, the better your dog’s jump.

Gaining Height and Distance: On the Dock

1. Up on the dock, when you release your dog, throw the object very short so the dog will catch it. You will be tempted to toss it way out there trying for a big jump. But at this point, you do not want a big jump; you want your dog catching the object. Keep his focus on the object. So as your dog jumps, toss the object very short so he will stay focused on it and actually catch it. Do this type throw many times until your dog equates jumping off the dock with catching (or trying to catch) that object.

2. Gradually, toss the object farther and father, along with a little higher, each time. Remember, you want your dog to stay focused on the object and trying to catch it.

3. If you have the means and ability, rig up something to hang the object out over the water. People have used broom sticks, hockey sticks, boat paddles, PVC pipes. Use your imagination. What you want is the object suspended about 10 feet out over the water and about 4-5 feet high. (You can always adjust it as you see necessary.) Either you hold it or have someone else hold it so the object is hanging out over the water. Make sure your dog sees the object (the first time this is really important), release him to jump up and out for the object.

Now, it’s all up to YOU to throw that object where you want your dog to jump. If you throw it low, the dog is going to jump low. If you throw it off to the side, the dog will jump off to the side. If you throw it short, your dog will jump short. If you throw it flat, your dog will jump flat.

Remember, once you’ve trained your dog to chase that bumper, that’s exactly what he will do…no matter where it is thrown!

So, if you throw it right out in front of his nose and at the perfect angle, your dog will have a great jump with a lot of pop!

Here are some photos of Sally’s and Spud’s jumps with bad throws. You can readily see how a bad throw negatively affects the jump.

Throw is short and behind her. Sally is putting on the brakes in mid-air.

Throw is short and too low. Sally is bending over in a ball to catch it.

Throw is low and flat, and Sally’s jump is low and flat.

Throw is off to the side. Sally is trying to stop and turning to the side.

Throw is good, but Spud is not focusing on it…not even looking at it. Jump is flat.

Throw is too far. Sally stops stretching for it and goes straight in the water, giving up about 8-10 inches.

Throw is off to the side. Sally stops stretching and turns to watch the object.

Now, here are some photos of good throws. Notice the difference in the jumps. Sally and Spud are reaching, stretching, and getting good height and distance. Notice the pop!

Again, let me emphasize that the main goal of dock diving is to have FUN with your dog. In order to have fun, you do not need a perfect throw nor does your dog need a perfect jump.

So get up there on the dock….start throwing…and start jumping. No matter how it turns out, you will be successful because you will have had a great time with your dog, and the bond between the two of you will be even stronger.

See you on the dock

Nancy (the Trainer of Team 3 Dawg Flite)

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: labrador retrievers,dogs,dock diving,dock jumping,training

Teaching your dog to dock dive (Part 1)

2009-03-19T08:31:00.005-04:00

So, you’ve decided you want to try dock diving. Now what do you do? Just how do you teach your dog to dock dive? Can your dog dock dive like Spud and me?

To answer these questions, I’m again turning this post over to my mom. She did pretty good with that post last week. Take it away, again, Mom!

Thanks, again, Sally.

First, let’s clarify one thing. For some reason, some people think they can take their dog up on the dock for their first time ever, and, and because their dog enjoys water and loves retrieving, the dog is going to jump like the seasoned dogs like Sally and Spud. Their thinking goes something like this: "My dog loves water, swims all the time and loves to retrieve. He's can easily do this." And the truth is, the dog probably will make a good dock diver.

But first, the dog has to learn that skill. Many folk, unfortunately, do not see dock diving as a learning experience.

You wouldn't take your dog to try agility and just put them out with the hurdles and ramps and say "Jump over the hurdle," or "Go up the ramp." The dog would just stand there, of course.

Well, that's exactly what happens on the dock. Someone who is certain their dog will be a great dock diver takes their dog up on the dock, throws the toy out there, and says, "Get it, boy." The dog runs to the end of the dock and stops with no earthly idea what he's supposed to do. The toy is left floating untouched out in the pool or lake and the handler is left frustrated.

Let me add here that yes, occasionally, a dog readily jumps the very first time like he’s done it all his life. Sally was like that. The first time she tried dock diving, she flew off the dock like she had been doing it all her life. But those scenarios are rare.

Just as you have to teach a dog other sports such as agility, you need to teach your dog to dock dive. For some dogs, the learning curve is small, so the teaching process only takes one day. For other dogs, the learning curve is a little greater, so the teaching process might take days or even weeks, maybe months.

One more word of advice before the "How To" steps. It is very important that your dog have a good recall before you go to practices. Most of the practices are at a pond or lake or river, so when your dog exits, he need to know to come immediately to you. If your dog runs off with the toy expecting you to play a game of chase, that could be not only an inconvenience for those waiting for their turn on the dock, but also dangerous for your dog and others. At an event, it's not as important because there is only one exit ramp, and you will be waiting for him at the top of that ramp. But most practices are more wide open spaces.

Now, the following tips should help most people get their dog to jump for the first time.

The First Jump

Step #1

Get your dog used to going in the water to retrieve objects, not from the dock, but just from the edge of the pool or lake. In other words, get your dog comfortable and enjoying retrieving in water.

Step #2
After your dog is comfortable retrieving objects in water, take your dog up to the very edge of the dock. Do NOT put your dog at the far end of the dock and throw an object like you see the seasoned teams doing. Start up at the edge of the dock. Drop the toy right under your dog's nose. Do not throw the toy out into the pool; just drop it right under the dog's nose and encourage him to retrieve/get it/fetch, whatever term you use. If your dog balks, get down with him. Point out the toy; splash water on it; act as crazy and excited as you can to get him revved up and wanting that toy. Here are some photos of some people doing just that as they try to get their dogs off the dock.

And of course, here’s me with Hoppy!

This part of the process might take just a few minutes, a day or two, weeks, or occasionally, months. It all depends on the dog. But eventually, your dog will go off that dock!

Even if your dog has jumped off a dock at the lake, jumping into a pool (like a competition pool) is a totally different experience. The water is clear, and often the dog cannot see the water. For all they know, they are jumping onto a big blue thing.

Here are a few photos of dogs and their first jumps (if you want to call them jumps). Often, it’s more like sliding off into the water!

Maybe not the best form in the world, but when your dog makes that first splash, it will seem like an Olympic moment to you!

Here’s a video of a dog from the Buckeye DockDog club going in for his very first time. This is quite typical…and really cute!

Step #3

After your dog does make that first jump, it’s up to you to praise, praise, praise your dog! Act like he’s just won some Grand Championship! Then get him right back up on the dock and do the exact same thing. But still, do not throw the toy way out into the water expecting him to jump for it. At this point, your dog might only be jumping 1-2 feet, if that far. That’s fine! You goal at this stage should be to let you dog become familiar with just going from the dock into the water. Distance is not a factor…yet.

Step #4

Once your dog is comfortable going from the dock into the water, start throwing the toy a little farther out there…not 20 feet yet, but maybe 7-8 feet. The dog should still be jumping from the end of the dock, but now the dog should be getting a little distance.

Step #5

As your dog becomes more comfortable jumping from the end of the dock, begin moving your dog farther back on the dock to start the jump. Maybe start the dog 6 feet back, then 10 feet back, etc. Make sure the dog is successful before moving him back any farther. Soon, you will be starting your dog all the way back on the dock!

If your dog runs down the dock, but hesitates at the end before jumping, that’s okay. It might take a while for him to gain the confidence to jump without hesitating and thinking about it first. Once that confidence factor is okay, the hesitation at the end of the dock will disappear.

Now, your dog is a dock diving dog for sure. How long will it take for your dog to reach this stage? Who knows? Some dogs become a dock diver in just one day, while other might take weeks or months. But it will happen!

Your next step is to improve on your dog’s distance and form. I’m sure Sally will be posting some tips for that endeavor in one of next week’s posts.

***NOTE*** Steps 3-5 are for the newbies whose dog jumps for the first time like the dogs in these photos…the ones who very hesitantly make that first splunge. If, the first time on the dock, your dog readily jumps out into the water, you can skip steps 3-5. Your dog is ready for Sally’s Part 2 post coming next week.

Let me say “Thank You” to Sally for allowing me to be a guest writer, again, in her blog. It’s always such an honor to partner up with such a great literary talent.

See you on the dock,

Nancy (the Trainer of Team 3 Dawg Flite)

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Thanks to the following people for contributing photos or video for this post: Whitney (Chicagoland DockDogs Club), April (Rocky Mountain DockDogs Club), Cindy (Mokan DockDogs Club), Ron (Puget Sound DockDogs Club), Christy (Puget Sound DockDogs Club), Sue (Club 3D), Kris (Club 3D)

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

The Great Cuz Fight….a new video

2009-03-15T14:38:00.002-04:00

My mom enjoys getting video footage of us playing. Although she has tapes full of it, we dogs are like the cobbler’s children who have holes in their shoes. We have all this footage on tapes, but no videos, even though my mom makes her living producing videos!

Oh well, when she does finally manage to crank one out, it’s usually really good, and this video is no exception.

Spud, Hoppy and I have lots of cool toys, but one of our favorites is our Cuz. Okay, Hoppy and I love the Cuz. Spud only really likes tennis balls.

The Cuz is a rubbery round ball-like thing with feet. And it makes an awesome squeaky sound. Hoppy is crazy over it. He’ll just walk all around the house with that thing in his mouth squeaking it….and squeaking it….and squeaking it….and squeaking it!

This morning my mom got some good footage of us playing with the cuz, and this time, she actually turned it into a video!

It’s pretty cool. Enjoy!

Click To Play

See you on the dock,

Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: dogs,labrador retrievers,dock diving,dock jumping,playing,cuz

I’ll never understand humans

2009-03-12T10:16:00.004-04:00

During our dock diving events, we dogs spend a lot of time in our crates, which to be perfectly honest, can be boring. So to pass the time, I enjoy lying there and watching everyone.

It’s fun checking out all the people and their dogs walking by. There is always someone with food…always some dog misbehaving…always some dog shaking water all over everyone. What a blast!

This extended crate time also gives me ample opportunity to think. I’m sure humans wonder just to what extent our cognitive skills take us canines, but we can analyze, evaluate, draw conclusions, predict, etc., and often times, better than humans. Trust me, I’m a master at analyzing my mom’s thoughts and actions to get exactly what I want. Yep, with my canine cognitive skills, I can play her like a fiddle.

But I digress…back on topic. At our last event in Charleston, while sitting in my crate, watching and thinking, my mind turned to a most valuable subject…our potty habits. It was then that I came to realize that I will never, ever completely understand humans, or at least my mom.

Let me explain. At the Charleston event, this was our bathroom.

Yep, that’s right. They expect us dogs to do our business out there in the wide open spaces…right in front of god and everyone. We have to put our little tushies right down there in the pine needles, grass, dirt, leaves, sticks, it doesn’t matter. We have no privacy, no toilet tissue, no doors to close, no seats, no fragrances to help with foul odors. It’s rough.

While sitting in my crate contemplating my next trip to the potty a la alfresco, I see my mom coming back from her own potty trip. She is whining and complaining about “these horrid bathroom facilities,” and how she hates going in “these things.”

What is she talking about? Is she NUTS? Her bathrooms are private, a pretty green color, and they have doors.

If she thinks going in those green boxes is bad, she should try putting her tushie down there on the ground with the pine needles, sticks, and chiggers!

What a wimp!

See you on the dock,

Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite

Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs

Technorati Tags: dogs,labrador retrievers,bathroom,dock diving,dock jumping,dock dogs

Dock Diving FAQs.....another guest writer. :)

2009-03-09T07:55:00.016-04:00

My mom and I get a lot of people asking about trying dock diving with their dogs. They want to know where they can go try it, what they need, what type dog can do it, and many others.

I like questions about dock diving, because it gives me a chance to talk about my most favorite activity. But to answer these questions, I'm going to turn today's blog post over to my mom. (I don't think she can do much harm in just one post.)

So....take it away, Mom!

Thanks, Sally. Sally's right about people asking how to get their dog started in dock diving. I get these questions on almost a daily basis. So, here's a run-down of some of the most frequently asked questions and the answers.

1. Do you think my dog can dock dive? Potentially, any dog can dock dive. In order to be a successful dock diver, your dog needs at least these two qualities: 1) a strong toy drive or drive to retrieve, and 2) a love of water. Having both qualities almost assures that your dog will be successful. That's why Hoppy isn't a dock diver. He has neither a drive to retrieve nor a toy drive, and he doesn't like the water. But we're working on it!

2. Where can I find a place to dock dive? That is a good question. Our local dock diving club, Dixie Dock Dogs, is affiliated with DockDogs national organization which has local clubs around the country. Check with dockdogs.com by going to the forums and see if there's a club near you. If not, then just find a dock on a lake, pond, or river and start jumping!

3. What do I need to dock dive? Technically, all you need is an object to throw for your dog to retrieve. Depending on where you are jumping, you will probably need a leash to contain your dog when not on the dock.

4. Can I throw any type toy? What about food? The DockDogs rules say the object has to be floatable, non-edible, and not live or has never been live. That's all. But that pertains to events. I've seen people use all types of things at practices to get their dog off the dock. The use of treats at practice is certainly acceptable in order to lure your dog off the dock. But once your dog is jumping, then you should adhere to the event rules to get them used to the proper procedure.

5. Should I take my dog to an event or wait until he can go off a dock? Do not wait! Go to an event as soon as you can. There will be people to help you get your dog to jump. A dock diving event is definitely the perfect time to let your dog have his first dock experience.

6. Can I push my dog in the water if he won't jump? The DockDogs rules say no. So do our club's rules. I'm not sure about other clubs' rules. If you're jumping on your own, you know your dog better than anyone. I definitely wouldn't throw a dog in. That can be traumatizing, and he'll be turned off to any dock diving.

7. Can I get in the water to coax my dog in? The DockDogs rules say no, so at events, definitely not. But people in our club have gone in at practice to get their dogs in. I'm planning on going in the water to coax Hoppy in (after the water warms up).

8. Does my dog have to have a good sit/stay? No, not at all. There are two methods of throwing an object. The first is The Chase. That's where the dog sits and stays while you go to the end of the dock. release your dog, throw the object out over the water, and the dog jumps for the object. For The Chase, your dog does need a good sit/stay. The other method is Place and Send. That's where you throw the object out into the water and then release your dog from wherever you want on the dock. The dog jumps out into the water for the object which is floating in the water. Your dog does not need a sit/stay for the Place and Send method.

9. Does your dog have to be pure-bred or registered in order to be a dock dog? Absolutely not! DockDogs accepts any breed, any mixed breed, any size, any age, any color. Many of the very best dock diving dogs are rescues. It is a very open sport that welcomes all dogs.

10. Where can I find these rules you keep talking about? The rules for the DockDogs national organization can be found on their website. Practice rules for each individual club you can get from each club.

11. How did your dogs get their titles? In order for your dog to be titled, you have to first be a member of the DockDogs national organization. Then five jumps at national events within any title's range gives your dog that title. For example, the Junior Title range is 10'-14'11". Five jumps within that range at any of national events will earn your dog a Junior Title. It does not have to happen at one event. The five jumps can be at several different national events. (There are also Regional Titles which are earned the same way, but at regional events.)

12. I would like for me dog to do this, but he's too old. Not so! DockDogs has a Veteran's class for dogs eight years and older. These dogs have their own awards, their own titles, and their own rankings. They can also participate in the regular events and jumps as well.

If anyone out there in reader land has additional questions, please let me or Sally know. We'll gladly respond. I have a feeling there are a lot of great dock dogs out there waiting to be discovered.

Remember, your dog will never be a dock dog if you never give it a try. He'll never jump off the dock if he never gets up on the dock first!

Sally is preparing a "How To" post for those of you who want to actually give it a try. She'll probably post that next week, complete with some very entertaining photos of people trying to get their dogs to make that first jump. So, stay tuned!

Filling in for Sally (although I could never fill her shoes, or paws),
Nancy, the Trainer of Team 3 Dawg Flite
Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs
Dixie Dock Dogs video

White, wet cold stuff. Could it be......SNOW?

2009-03-03T08:00:00.004-05:00

I've heard my mom and dad talking at times about the "Blizzard of '83." Now, I'm not sure if they are talking about 1983 or 1883. They're not all that old, so I'm assuming it's 1983. They said we got 7 inches of snow one day.

Snow. I've never seen it. Well, there was that icy stuff up in Louisville, but that wasn't snow. My mom has showed me photos and videos of dogs playing in snow....running, frolicking, playing happily. It looks like so much fun.

Well, we finally got our chance. Sunday, it started snowing, and it snowed....and it snowed....and it snowed....and then it snowed some more. By Monday morning, we had S-I-X WHOLE INCHES!

When my dad took us out Monday morning, I couldn't believe my eyes. Everything was white...not just a few blades of grass and some leaves like our usual snow. Our whole yard, the neighbors' yards, the streets, the driveway, all the trees, all the branches, our mailbox, our shrubs....everything was a bright white. It was actual, real, northern-type snow!

At first Spud, Hoppy and I just sniffed. All of our leaves, dirt, blades of grass...everything smelled so different with snow on it. But then my mom got out the Jolly Ball and the wubba, and the race was on. We had a blast!

Here's a video my mom made. Enjoy!

Click To Play

See you on the dock (or snow pile),
Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite
Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs
Dixie Dock Dogs video

Primal instinct, or birds, birds, birds!

2009-02-25T06:43:00.017-05:00

I'm sorry it's taken me a while to get this post up. My dad had some problems with his photos, and it took him a couple of days to get it straightened out. (Now, let's see if I can find any other excuses.)

But.....I'm home from my Field Training Seminar. Tired, but very happy. It was at a place called Pacesetter Training Kennel, and it was awesome!

It took me a few days to realize that the whole things wasn't a dream. Oh my, now I know what Labrador Retriever heaven is like. Birds everywhere...falling from the sky...ponds and mud...grassy fields...rolling hills. Yes...YES...YES!!!

At first, I wasn't too sure about those flappy little things on the ground. I had always retrieved objects...bumpers, balls, wubbas, dead fowl trainers. Live critters, however, were something I had just always chased, but never actually caught and retrieved. Oh, I'm talking about cats and squirrels...along with an occasional misdirected brother Labrador Retriever.

But at this training seminar they threw this live bird in front of me. I was like, "Oh my, now what do I do?" It was running around, all feathery and crazy-like.

I poked it with my nose, touched it with my paw.

One quick glance at my mom let me know that I was okay. There were no "Sally, NO, leave its" coming from her.

After a couple of minutes, the trainer came over and picked up the flapping pile of feathers and guess what she did. Put that thing in my mouth!! O-M-G! I couldn't believe it. I just stood there speechless. (Of course, how could I bark with a pile of wiggly feathers in my mouth.)

I continued to watch my mom. Was she going to come rescue me? Was she going to come scold me? I assumed she would be over there like a flash, "Sally, drop it," "Sally, what are you doing with that bird," "Sally, are you completely crazy?"

But there was not one word coming from her. She was actually smiling at me.

Then it happened. Somewhere deep inside my brain something clicked. No matter how many dictionaries or thesaurses I use, I can't describe the feeling. It was like, "This is what I was born for. This is why I'm here on this earth." Euphorically I retrieved those birds in the practice yard...over and over and over. Each one was better than the one before.

Yep, that's it. I was put on this earth to carry birds. My mom calls it my primal instinct. I don't care what you call it. I like it and want to do it some more.

There were other dogs there whose primal instinct also erupted. One Golden Retriever chased the birds around for a while before she finally realized she was supposed to pick them up. She was really funny!

So, once we all realized we were supposed to be carrying the birds around, we began retrieving the birds out in the fields. It was awesome! We went out in this big, grassy, green field with gently rolling hills. The bird boys (yes, that's exactly what they're called) took the birds way out in the field...about 100 yards or more. My mom and I would stand at something the trainer called the line.

After a few seconds, we would hear a loud "POW!" I think it was a gun firing, because I kept hearing the word "gun." But all I know is that when my mom said the word "watch," I knew to listen for that POW and look for a bird to fall out of the sky.

Oh, what a wonderful, exhilerating sight that was. Then my mom would release me with "Get it, girl," just like she does on the dock. And off I flew, like a shot out of a cannon.

The duck was always down in the tall grass. It was my job to find it...look for it, sniff it out. And then....back to my mom with it!

After the grassy fields, we went to an even better place to retrieve birds...a pond! As we drove up near that pond and I saw the water, I thought, "Geez, this seminar thing just keeps getting better and better."

But when I looked closer down the bank at the pond, I saw a big black thing. I didn't know what it was. It looked like some kind of a dog, but it was HUGE! The biggest dog I'd ever seen. And it didn't bark. It made some weird noise.

My mom called it a cow, but everyone else called it a bull. Once someone chased it away from the pond, we started retrieving the birds from the water. My, oh my, oh my. I could have done that all day long.

By the time we finished the pond work, we were ready to go home. Well, my mom was ready. I, on the other hand, wanted to stay and retrieve more and more.

My mom said that she is going to work with me some more so I can get my Junior Hunt Test title.

Wow! More birds! Bring 'em on!

See you on the dock (or in the field),
Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite
Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs
Dixie Dock Dogs video

New adventure for Sally this weekend. Fun, Fun, Fun!

2009-02-20T21:06:00.003-05:00

You'll never guess what I'm going to do this weekend. No, it's not dock diving, although it does involve water.

My mom and I are going on a field training seminar. Now, how cool is that! It's a hands-on...or paws-on...working 3-day seminar with Pacesetter Training Kennel. We'll work on things like marks on land and water, gun training, and get this....we'll get to work with real birds! Wow! I'm so excited, I'll never sleep tonight.

I've got my bag packed and ready to go. (And I won't be on the internet for three days either.)

Real birds. Real birds with feathers and all. My dear readers, I'm going to be a real retriever!!

My mom said she just wants me to learn this retriever stuff. She doesn't want to hunt with me....heck, she doesn't even own a gun and doesn't even like going out in the woods. My dad has been laughing at her going on the training seminar.

I heard them talking. It went something like this.

Dad: Now, Nancy (He calls her Nancy. What's wrong with "Mom?"), you realize you're going to be out in the field and woods for this seminar.

Mom: I know.

Dad: You'll probably get dirty.

Mom: (eyebrows raised) I know.

Dad: You might see bugs and critters.

Mom: (gulping) I know.

Dad: Snakes.

Mom: (gulping very hard) I know.

Dad: Okay, this I've got to see.

Dad, my money is with you. She's a weenie.

But I'm not! Birds, bugs, dirt, mud, water, snakes, and critters.....here I come!

See you on the dock...or in the field,
Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite
Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs
Dixie Dock Dogs video

Hoppy is gonna be the death of me yet!

2009-02-19T12:08:00.012-05:00

Thank goodness our crating area was way away from the dock area at the event in Charleston.

And here is the obligatory photo of my mom and dad standing in our tent. There we are in our crates.....Spud, Hoppy, and me.

Does anyone besides me think it's unfair that the humans get to walk all over the place completely unfettered during a dock diving event, but the dogs have to be crated? I mean, who is the most important here. Without the dogs, there would be no dock diving!

But I'll save all that for another post.

This post is about you-know-who. Hoppy! Yep, my mom let him up on the dock again. He isn't any closer to dock diving now than he was back in Louisville.

I saw these photos on my dad's computer when he was editing them, so I'm going to show you exactly what that goofy Hoppy did. Just the thought of a member of Team 3 Dawg Flite acting like such of googball while he's supposed to be dock diving.....well, where is my Prozac?

Although I didn't hear him talking to my mom, I know what he was saying...or thinking. So I put captions with these photos. This, my dear readers, is my brother Hoppy.

"Hmmmm.....looks like water down there."

"Oh Mom, you brought my wubba. Cool!"

"Mom, you're not putting my wubba in the water, are you? Why?"

"Uh, Mom, I'll just whisper this in your ear so I won't
embarrass you. The wubba belongs home in the toy box,
not up here on the dock."

"Uh-oh, Mom, you have some syrup from breakfast on your chin.
Here let me just clean it off for you. You're welcome."

"Now see what you did. You put the wubba down there
in the water and you can't reach it. Ha-Ha-Ha!"
"Huh? You want me to do WHAT!"

"Anyone out there besides me think this woman is completely nuts?"

"I love you, Mom. I'll jump next time, I promise. But this time,
let's just have fun. Okay, Mom?"

Dear readers, anyone out there who worships any type diety, please pray for my brother, Hoppy. He needs all the help he can get.

I'm going to enter the witness protection program.

See you on the dock,
Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite
Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs
Dixie Dock Dogs video

Beep, beep, beep, beep. Hot off the press from Charleston.

2009-02-17T13:27:00.007-05:00

The DockDogs event in Charleston is over, and Team 3 Dawg Flite is finally home. Tired and worn out, but very happy! I've got a few various things on my little dog mind I want to share, things that came to me while in Charleston, but I'll save those for later posts. I'll make this post about our performance.

Fortunately, our dad is a professional sports photographer, so we have great photos to share with everyone. Unfortunately, he is also Spud's handler, so we have no photos of poor Spud. A friend took some shots of Spud, however, and she is going to share them with us....we hope.

Now, for the results:

Me (Sally):
1st place in Senior Division in Big Air wave
1st place in Speed Retrieve wave
Set personal best Speed Retrieve time of 6.91 seconds!
4th place in Speed Retrieve finals
Earned Speed Retrieve Turbo Title
Earned one leg towards Extreme Vertical Cadet Title

Spud:
3rd place in Master Division in Big Air wave
Earned 3 more legs toward Big Air Master Title
8th place in Big Air Semi-Pro Finals

Hoppy:
You wouldn't believe it. What a clown!

Now for the photos. These first ones are one of my Big Air waves. It is the wave where I jumped 19'8" and got 1st place in the Senior Division.

I really, really love going off that dock!

These next photos are from one of my Speed Retrieve runs. This is the one where I did a 6.91 run, which was a personal best for me. When I heard the announcer say "And Sally's time is 6 point," immediately, I knew I had set a new personal best. You see, I've tried and tried, but I've never been able to break 7 seconds. So when he started off saying "6 point, " I almost swallowed that duck! 6.91 seconds! YES!

My mom was so happy. She hugged and hugged me. She got all wet, but she still hugged me! I felt very proud. Here are the photos from that heat.

TA-DA!

The only thing left is Extreme Vertical. I don't usually do EV. Why not? Wellllllll....I'm just not very good at it. The lowest height has always been 5' which....believe it or not....I've never been able to reach! (How pathetic!) But this year, they changed the rules to lower the starting height to 4'6" for little dogs and crappy-jumping big dogs like me. So, I asked my mom, "Please, please, please let me try EV just once more." She did, and I hit the 4'6" and then I hit the 4'8". Now, how 'bout that! The 4'8" jump was my best, however. I went out on 4'10".

And now....drum roll, please....the EV photos!

So, that's it, folks. My weekend at the SEWE in Charleston. I'll make separate posts for Spud's jumps and Hoppy's....uh, well.....um....shall we say....appearance. (What a goofball!) So check back later.

See you on the dock,
Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite
Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs
Dixie Dock Dogs video

Dock Diving in Charleston. Yippppeeeeee!

2009-02-13T20:48:00.005-05:00

Just a short note to let y'all know Team 3 Dawg Flite is in Charleston, SC, this weekend at a DockDogs event. I'll make a post about the event and how we did later. I just want to make sure everyone knows where I am, 'cause I sure won't be blogging or surfing the net much this weekend!

Here are just a couple of photos from today. This is our tent and crating area.

See our cool banners. One is for Team 3 Dawg Flite and the other is for Dixie Dock Dogs. And those little red flags? Well, those are UGA flags. Remember, we live in Athens, Georgia, home of the University of Georgia Bulldogs. My mom and dad are big fans.

Now for the other photo. This is ME! Who else? This is one of my jumps from today.

My dad got the whole series of that jump. I'll post them later when I have more time. The splashdown from that jump is hilarious!

Gotta run now and get my rest so I can jump big tomorrow. Spud and Hoppy are already asleep, and I can hear my dad snoring over on the bed now. My mom is watching TV, so we all know she's not long in the world of awake.

Y'all keep your fingers crossed for me. I'll post again when I get home.

See you on the dock,
Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite
Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs
Dixie Dock Dogs video

Heck, I'll take any 'ole award (edited)

2009-02-12T09:18:00.005-05:00

My up-and-coming dock diving buddy Chester has given me this award.

Here are the rules he sent with the award:

"When accepting this auspicious award, you must write a post bragging about it, including the name of the misguided soul who thinks you deserve such acclaim, and link back to said person so everyone knows he or she is real. Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in content or design. Or improvise by including bloggers who have no idea who you are because you don’t have 7 friends. Show the 7 random victims’ names and links and leave a harassing comment informing them that they were prized with “Honest Weblog”. Well, there’s no prize, but they can keep the nifty icon. List at least ten honest things about yourself. Then, pass it on!

Okay....my 7 friends first. I do have 7 friends, but I'm not sure if I have 7 friends who have blogs. Whoa. This is going to be more difficult than I though. So many of my blog friends already have this award! Hmmmm....let me see:

1. Martha
2. Golden Honey
3. Ruby Roo
4. Irie
5. Ladybug
6. Moose
7. Gucci

Whew! That was difficult. I had to go into my archives of comments to find 7 dogs that knew me (or had visited my blog) and had not already been given this award.

Now, let's see. Ten honest things about myself. Hmmmmm......

1. Although I'm a very active and energetic dog when dock diving, I'm a couch potato at home.
2. I once tried to jump out of our boat while at full speed and caused my mom a bad leg injury when she dove across the boat to save my life.
3. I'm scared of loud noises.
4. I think Hoppy's breath stinks.
5. I have an incontinence problem and have actually wet my mom and dad's bed before. (Meds have this under control now.)
6. My day care gave me a toy for my first birthday. I destroyed it within 1 minute (literally) after I got it home.
7. I secretly laugh at my mom when I see her step out of the shower. I'm sorry, mom!
8. Sometimes I pass gas and blame it on Hoppy or Spud.
9. I was the one getting into the bathroom waste basket a few months back, but I let the boys take the blame.
10. I obviously have trouble counting.

(I had to edit this to make 10 honest things about myself. I only had seven before. Oops!)

Okay. Done.

See you on the dock,
Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite
Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs
Dixie Dock Dogs video

My mom's been busy, busy, busy!

2009-02-10T08:42:00.006-05:00

You should see my mom's studio. It's small, but completely packed with computers, drives, printers, monitors, scanners, DVD players. You name it; if it's video-related, it's stuck somewhere in that small room. (This is just her working area. The storage area is another room.)

This is her editing corner. The photo is a couple of years old. There are a bajillion new drives over there now.

And this is her business corner. Again, an old photo. She's updated her computers and monitors, but it still shows all of her gadgets, or toys, as she calls them.

Lately, she's been on her business computer a lot.....a whole lot. I've wondered what she's been up to.

Well, she finally revealed it to us. She made a 3 Dawg Flite website!

Now, how cool is that!

I've been looking it over, and I must say, it's pretty thorough. Here's the link to it. What do you think?

Team 3 Dawg Flite Website

See you on the dock,
Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite
Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs
Dixie Dock Dogs video

What's next? The Rolling Stone?

2009-02-05T11:01:00.006-05:00

The DockDogs organization puts out a magazine called dockdogs magazine. (duh!) Guess who was on the cover of the latest issue? Yep, you guessed it. The latest canine cover girl herself........

My mom is working on pawtograph signings at all the pet stores and doggy day cares.

See you on the dock,
Sally, the Captain of Team Fire and Ice
Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs
Dixie Dock Dog video

Dock Diving Report from Louisville.....the good, the bad, and the ugly

2009-02-04T08:53:00.011-05:00

First of all, let's get this out of the way and off the table. I am not a snow dog. I am not an ice dog. I don't like it. It hurt my feet. I didn't like peeing and pooping in it. I didn't like walking on it. This frozen tundra of Louisville, Kentucky is just not for me.

I'm sorry to hurt the feelings of my northern canine friends, but you can keep your snow and ice. I'll take my sunny-and-60-degrees-during-the-winter weather and live in my blissful little warm and snow-free world down here.

My mom had all kinds of plans to take some cool photos and video of Spud, Hoppy and me playing in all the white cold stuff. But dang! We could barely walk on it. Forget running and playing! That stuff is treacherous!

Okay, go ahead and call us weenies. Call us sissies. Call us babies. I can hear y'all laughing all the way down here, and I don't care.

Here is the one photo we managed to take. My mom made us take it. Move over Jack London and Buck. Here comes Team 3 Dawg Flite!

Now, for the dock diving report. Me first, since I'm the Captain. I must admit that I started off really badly. I don't know what was wrong. It was my first indoor event, and all that loud noise bothered me a little. But that's no excuse. I should have done better.

My mom kept telling me to "Settle, Sally. Focus. Look at me." But every time I got up on the dock, for some reason, I lost my focus. My first jumps were only 13, 14, and 15 feet. Those are Junior Division jumps!! YIKES! How embarrassing.

So, on Saturday, my mom took me off in a corner of the building and worked with me for a while. I regained some of my focus and settled down a little. By Sunday, I was better....not back to normal, but better.

I ended up in the Amateur Finals and came in 4th place with a jump of 17'5" which is certainly not my best, but definitely an improvement from Friday.

See my jumps. I'm trying my best to focus and do like I should.

This is my mom's favorite photo. Let's just say the look on my face is rather....uh, er....um....strange?

Look at the pretty 4th place ribbon I received! My mom was so proud of me!

Now, for Spud. That boy started off quite well. His first jump gave him first place in the Master Division. Then he got two first place jumps in the Senior Division. Look at his cool ribbons! His crate looked like Michael Phelps' wall.

But by Sunday, Spud was having trouble. My mom and dad don't know what happened. Those good jumps from Friday and Saturday earned him a place in the Semi-Pro Finals, but by the time the Finals came around on Sunday, Spud wasn't even jumping. He would run down the dock and stop at the end....like he was afraid to jump.

On the way home I talked with Spud. He felt terrible about what happened. I asked him, "Spuddy boy, why did you stop jumping? What was going on in the doggie brain of yours?"

"Sally," he answered, "I have no idea. The crowd was loud; the music was even louder. And all that barking was just magnified in that big hall. It was like one big echo chamber. It made me nervous."

NERVOUS? Oh dear, I had no idea my brother was such a fragile flower!!! I'm going to suggest to my mom and dad that they call in the Dog Whisperer for that boy.

Hoppy's big performance has already been covered in my previous post. He's the happiest of everyone. He actually thinks he's a dock dog now. I'm sorry, but this is not a dock dog!

So, Louisville was good and bad. Not the best, but not the worst. My mom is making a little video that y'all will like. I'll post if for you later. Until then, I've made my To Do list:

Work on my focus
Call Dog Whisperer for Spud
Teach Hoppy difference between a dock dog and a dock playtime dog

Gotta run. I obviously have a full agenda today.

See you on the dock,
Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite
Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs
Dixie Dock Dogs video

Quick update...Hoppy's first jump???

2009-01-31T09:38:00.003-05:00

Spud and I are having a great time dock diving up here in Louisville. Spud's doing fantastic. I'm doing okay. Then there's Hoppy.

My mom got Hoppy up on the dock for his first jump. Now, keep in mind that the two things a dog needs to be a dock diver are:

1. strong drive to retrieve toys
2. love of water

Let's see....

1. Hoppy has never ever retrieved anything outside. Not a ball, not a stick, not a bumper, nothing. So he has absolutely no drive to retrieve.

2. He will only go into the water up to his chest. So he has absolutely no fondness for water.

So far, not so good for Hoppy being a dock diver. But, my mom insisted on letting him have fun by being a part of the team and like Spud and me. So she paid the DockDogs wave fee and entered him in a wave. (Actually, it was more like a DockDogs donation, because she knew he would never jump!)

She got him up on the dock. He was running up and down the dock like he thought it was the back yard or something. Didn't he know he was supposed to sit and wait for her to throw the wubba and then jump in the water to retrieve it? What's wrong with this boy?

Now, I sat in my crate watching his shenanigans. Up and down the dock....running around playing. I barked and barked at him. "Hoppy, sit down. Hoppy, listen to mom. Hoppy, act like a dock dog!" But he wouldn't listen to me.

My mom got down at the end of the dock and tried to get him interested in the wubba and water. For a split second, he looked like he actually might jump.

But then he would run back down the dock. Playtime for Hoppy. My mom was cracking up laughing at him, as was everyone else. I was embarrassed.

Then, after looking again at the wubba, he was so happy and appreciative of my mom letting him up there on the dock, he actually started.......

......KISSING HER! Right there on the dock! OMG!

I have to run now. Time to get back over to the venue for our next wave. I'm going to get some Groucho Marx glasses/nose so no one recognizes me as I walk in with him.

See you on the dock,
Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite
Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs
Dixie Dock Dogs video

We're off to a dock diving event, or maybe ice diving?

2009-01-29T11:12:00.007-05:00

Boy, oh boy, oh boy!!! We're all packed and leaving this afternoon for a dock diving event in Louisville, Kentucky. I think it's called the Louisville Boat, RV, and Sport Show. It's been over two months since our last event. I'm so excited. I saw my mom last night packing our dock diving box and equipment case. Spud and I got together and talked about it, and we both knew immediately what was happening.

Then my dad showed me what the weather is like in Kentucky right now.

I think this stuff is what they call "ice" or "snow," but I'm not sure because I've never seen snow before. I keep hearing humans talk about it, and it's always on the TV. You see, we live in Watkinsville, Georgia (just outside of Atlanta), and it doesn't snow here. Well, it's hasn't snowed here since I've been born.

I think it's white. Oh yeah, it must be cold, because everytime they show it on TV, people always have on coats and gloves and hats. They also have some kind of flappy piece of cloth wrapped around their necks. (Personally, I think they look rather silly.)

Here is the most snow I've ever seen. This was our big accumulation last winter.

Yes, everyone please take out your magnifying glass and look for those little white spots on the ground. That, my dear friends, is snow. Look at poor Spud. He looks frozen like a yard ornament.

I'm worried about what I'm going to do in this stuff. Can you run in it? Can you poop on it? Will my feet freeze? What if I sink all the way down under it and am never seen again until May!

It's a good thing the dock diving event is indoors. Otherwise, we would be jumping into a solid sheet of ice, which, I'm almost postive, would hurt.

I'm just going to keep repeating my mantra: "Sunny and 70 degrees. Sunny and 70 degrees. Sunny and 70 degrees." I can feel the sun on my furry back and the sand between my furry toes already. Please don't disrupt my fantasy.

See you on the dock (if I don't freeze first),
Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite
Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs
Dixie Dock Dogs video

Houston, the Eagle has landed.....at Lake Oconee.

2009-01-27T06:24:00.009-05:00

Okay, the title might be a bit overdramatic. Our practice Sunday was not quite as historic and memorable as man's landing on the moon, but it was important to Team 3 Dawg Flite.

You see, our dock diving club has not had a practice since last August. Back then, we had a terrific practice facility. We were having fun, exciting practices. Everyone was doing so well. Then, all of a sudden, we couldn't go back there any longer.

Now, my mom and dad never told us exactly why we couldn't go back. But I do remember hearing them talk about the owner of that facility a lot back then. I know they were not happy at all because when they talked about him, they used their "bad puppy" voices.

But enough about that. I'm digressing. On to the good stuff....dock diving! Not to toot my own horn here, but I did pretty darn good Sunday. Here's a series of photos my dad took of one of my jumps. As you can see, when I get up there on that dock, I'm all business.

It's hard to describe the feelings I have as I'm doing a dock dive. My mom is down at the end of the dock shaking the duck or flappy or bumper....getting me all keyed up. My whole body starts quivering just waiting for those magic words, "GET IT, GIRL!" Sometimes it seems like an eternity up there on that dock, sitting, fidgeting, wanting that toy so very badly.

I keep thinking, "Come on, mom. Say it. Say it. Release me. Please." And when that moment happens...when the euphoric sound of those three words, "GET IT, GIRL!" reach my readied ears, it's like the floodgates have been opened...the charge has been sounded...the heavens have parted and the archangel has....well, okay, maybe I'm getting carried away.

But is it a terrific feeling taking off after that toy, flying off the dock and splashing down in the water with that toy securely in my mouth.

Here is my favorite shot from Sunday's practice. Ya know, it just doesn't get any better than this.

This photo shows it all. I never take my eyes off that duck as I reach for it the entire time. But, look at my feet. Notice how I have all my toes spread out preparing for my landing.

Hey, maybe the title of this post wasn't all that far off after all.

See you on the dock,
Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite
Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs
Dixie Dock Dogs video

I've been.........WHAT???

2009-01-23T07:17:00.008-05:00

Tagged? I've been tagged? Is this a new dock diving term? Is that good or bad? Is it going to hurt? Am I going to be embarrassed? Is it lethal? Will it make me rich? Will it make me poor? But the most important question of all:

Will it interfere with my dock diving?

My mom told me that Chester's mom "tagged" me. So here is my "tagged" photo?

This is a photo of my mom and dad out on their boat. They have a pontoon boat, and this photo was taken up on Lake Burton in North Georgia. I like this photo. My mom likes this photo. I remember when I was a little puppy, she used to have a larger version of this photo sitting on her computer desk.

I just looked over there and it's gone. I asked my mom what happened to that photo. She quickly answered (with her rolling, sarcastic eyes), "Well, Sally, what do you see where that photos used to be?"

The answer was simple...a photo of me dock diving....stretching out as far as I can, getting big air, reaching for that bumper.

My mom continued. "Sally, that photo of your dad and me on the boat fell victim to an addiction I have developed."

My mom has an addiction? What could it be? She hardly ever drinks. (maybe 4 or 5 drinks a year) She doesn't have enough money to be a drug addict, nor does she have enough money to be a gambling addict. And let's face it, does she look to you like a sex addict? No, I don't think so!

So what could this addiction be....an addiction bad enough to have consumed her wonderful photo?

Again, she continued. "Sally, your dad and I are both.....dock diving addicts!"

So that's it. Well, that's certainly not news. Our entire family has a dock diving addiction.

"Yes, my chocolate dawg, if you'll look closely all over the house, you'll notice dock diving photos have replaced vacation photos, family photos, historic photos, decorative photos, photos used to cover burns and blemishes on the coffee table. Almost every photo in our house is now one of you and/or Spud jumping, running, swimming, retrieving. That, my dear chocolate dock diver, is our addiction. Dock diving has obviously consumed our lives."

Whew! Well, in my opinion, it's a great addiction. Here's a list of "Signs of a Dock Diving Addict" that I got from a post on a dock diving forum that my mom goes to a lot.

You have more pictures of your jumping dog than of your kids.
You purchase SUVs, pick-ups, mini-vans with traveling to dock diving events in mind.
You miss family occasions to go to dock diving events.
You have a dedicated Dog Towel Collection
You find yourself repeating the words "get it, get it, get it" over and over.
You lose your keys or wallet only to find them in the bottom of the dog's equipment bag.
Your credit card statement has more dock diving items on it than anything else.
Your GPS favorites are all dock diving events.
90% of all your shirts in your closet have logos or prints related to dock diving.
Your DVR is set to record all the dock diving shows.
Your dog perks up to watch and listen to the dock diving TV shows.
The first thing people ask when seeing you is, "How the dock diving going?"
You purchase and install special sets of shelves just to organize their equipment and toys.
You rearrange rooms to hold dock diving equipment, medals, ribbons, etc.
You refer to Michael Phelps as swimming in "waves" rather than heats.
No matter where you are, every lake and dock you see makes you think, "My dogs sure would love jumping there."

Yep, we are 100% dock diving addicts. Good-bye sweet, loving photo of mom and dad in their boat. Hello Big Air jumps and Speed Retrieve runs!

One last request for my readers. If any of your out there in Blog Reading Land know of a 12-step program for dock diving addicts, keep it to yourself. This is one addiction for which I do *NOT* want a cure!

See you on the dock,
Sally, the CAPTAIN of Team 3 Dawg Flite
Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs
Dixie Dock Dogs video

Dock diving at our new practice dock!

2009-01-16T13:22:00.006-05:00

Hip-Hip-Hooray! Our dock diving club, Dixie Dock Dogs has a new practice dock. Yippee! Yee-Haw! Hallelujah! Woo-Hooooo! (Are there any more expressions I can use? My mom calls them onomatopoeia, whatever that is.)

And here it is. Isn't it just the coolest dock in the whole world!

My mom and dad and Spud and I are so excited! Hoppy isn't excited. He's still working on the definition of the word "retrieve."

The dock is located down at Lake Oconee, which happens to be the same lake where we keep our pontoon boat and go during the summer. The dock is at the lakehouse of two very nice people named Bob and Greta.

The dock is 50 feet long. You non-dock diving people have no idea how important this is. You see, a regulation competition dock is 40 feet long. So, we have a regulation dock to practice on!!

It's on a cove just off Lake Oconee...very peaceful and nice, with a great graduated shoreline for us dogs to exit out of the lake.

We haven't had an official club practice for five months. You see, we used to have a nice practice dock, but then something happened, and we couldn't use the dock any longer. So the Great Dock Search began.

My mom and looked and looked and looked and looked for another dock for us. That poor woman became obsessed. She called every human being in the Northern Hemisphere. She went and looked at every body of water in North America....including puddles in people's driveway.

I swear, one day she pulled the car over and asked some guy standing there checking his mail if we could build a dock in the mud puddle beside his driveway. He said no, so she asked if we could build a dock in his bathtub. Pitiful.

The problem was, every lake (or pond) either had no dock, or if it had a dock, the lake (or pond) had no water. Mom kept cursing something called a "drought" here in Georgia. Boy, she even made up some curse words when talking about that "drought."

Well, the search is over. I don't have to ride and ride and ride around with her any longer looking at every H2O molecule in Georgia. We have our practice dock.

NOW, LET THE GAMES....er, uh.....PRACTICES BEGIN!

See you the dock....the NEW DOCK!
Sally, the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite
Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs
Dixie Dock Dogs video

And the new name is.....(drum roll, please)

2009-01-11T18:52:00.000-05:00

....Team 3 Dawg Flite. Yep, that's our new name now that Hoppy is an official member of our team. He doesn't dock dive yet. Heck, he doesn't even retrieve or swim yet, but our mom and dad say he will. They are working on it.

Okay, back to the new team name. Our mom and dad are pretty excited about it and even have us a brand new logo. Notice the three colors of the dogs: chocolate for me, dark yellow for Hoppy and light yellow for Spud. Now, how cool is that!!!

So, now the problem becomes, how do I go about changing over this blog? I've changed the title and all the stuff actually on the blog. But the website address is still the same (teamfireandice.blogspot.com). My mom is going to have to help me change that.

Then we have to change all the places we've signed up for to promote my blog! Accckkkk! That is going to be a pain, because I'm not sure I kept a track of them all.

Oh well, in the words of my mom's immortal hero, Scarlett O'Hara, "I'm not going to think about this today. I'll just think about it tomorrow."

See you on the dock,
Sally, no longer the fire, but the Captain of Team 3 Dawg Flite!
Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs
Dixie Dock Dogs video

Is it true? Are we going dock diving again?

2009-01-08T16:47:00.000-05:00

Now, I'm not an eavesdropper. I respect people's privacy. But, come on now, when I hear the phrase "dock diving," my ears perk up. Heck, my whole body perks up. The adrenalin starts flowing...visions start going through my mind, visions of docks, ducks, and bumpers.

That's what happened last night. I heard my mom and dad talking about a dock diving event in some place called Louisville, Kentucky. It was something called the 2009 52nd Louisville Boat, RV, and Sport Show. I really and truly think we are going!

So I went right out in the garage and got all my throw objects and took inventory.

Yep, everything's there, big duck, Flappy, bumper, little duck, and Wubba. I'm ready when you are, Mom and Dad.

But there's one more thing. Has anyone but me wondered about our team name? Our team name is Team Fire and Ice. I'm the Fire and Spud is the Ice. Well, with Hoppy joining our team, we need a new name.

I suggested Team Fire and Ice Cubes. I'd be the Fire and the guys could be the Ice Cubes. Well, that didn't go over very well.

I think my mom and dad have decided on a name. They've been looking at these pictures they call "logos" and pointing and getting all excited.

I'm just ready for this dock diving trip to Louisville. I better to gather up the Ice Cubes so we can get ready.

See you on the dock,
Sally, the Fire in Team Fire and Ice (at least for the present)
Proud member of Dixie Dock Dogs
Dixie Dock Dogs video

Pedigrees and parents. My emotional trauma.

2008-12-31T09:57:00.000-05:00

I'm going to get this out in the open. I don't want some tabloid to come along and find the story and splash it all over the news stands and TV like they did the "John Edwards cheating on his wife" story or the "Elliot Spitzer scandal."

I do not want my family shamed like that. I refuse to put them through such pain. I love them too much. So, here goes.

I found out that Hoppy and I are actually half brother and sister. We have the same father. Can you believe that? Let me explain.

My parents showed me my pedigree once and my bio parents' names were Hot Chocolate (mom) and Badger (dad). When I was a little bitty puppy, I loved them so much...especially my dad. He was (and still is) a gorgeous lab. Here's a picture of him that my human dad took the day they came out to see our litter.

OMG!!!! Hoppy looks just like Badger! And no wonder, Badger is his dad, also. I don't look like my dad. I probably look like my mom, but we don't have any pictures of her.

What, you ask, is so bad about being Hoppy's half sister? Can't you see what this means? Can't you read between the sleazy lines?

My dad (bio dad) went out and cheated on my mom (bio mom)! And I thought they were so happy together. They produced a beautiful litter of 13 of the cutest puppies. That would be me and my 12 littermates. Here we are at about 5 weeks old.

I'm devastated now that I found out that he cheated on my mom with some female named Melee or Jada or whatever. That's where Hoppy came from. I saw it on his pedigree.

Well, I talked to my mom....my human mom.....and she said that I should just let it go. She said that dogs aren't like humans, and often times they do things like this, so it is okay. And that I should love Hoppy even more because we are blood related.

Oh geez. Okay, I'll love him, but, Hoppy, don't ask me to donate a kidney!

See you on the dock,
Sally, the FIRE in Team Fire and Ice
Proud Member of Dixie Dock Dogs
Dixie Dock Dogs video