Pack it up. We're off to Destin

Spud and I are going to Destin this weekend, to the SanDestin Resort, for a dock diving event. We are so excited! My mom began packing last night. I always know we are going on a dock diving trip when she gets out this big red box and starts putting stuff out on the table. And when that black and yellow equipment case comes out.....yippee!


Mom puts all the good stuff in the equipment case, because that's what goes to the event with us. (The red storage box stays in the motel room.) See what I mean? She puts bumpers and ducks and treats and all kinds of good stuff in that equipment case.

Sometimes Spud and I help her.

And then, once she gets everything packed, she loads the car. Boy, that is a job. She has to load crates, the ice chest, equipment box, storage box, her chair, water, her bag, and lots of other stuff.

Spud and I always supervise to make sure she doesn't forget anything. "Don't forget the chuck-it and tennis balls, Mom, so we can stop and play on the ride down there."

We think she did a pretty good job.

We will be back late Sunday night (or early Monday morning!). The only bad thing about this trip is that our dad can't go with us. He has to shoot some football or soccer or some type games up in North Georgia.

Wish us luck to jump big! Spud and I and our mom are very, very excited!!!

See ya on the dock,
Sally
The Fire of Team Fire and Ice
Dixie Dock Dogs

A party for dogs

Have you ever been to a party for dogs? Especially dock diving dogs? Well, it has to involve water and swimming and retrieving. And that's just what our party had yesterday.

Our dock diving club, Dixie Dock Dogs, had what my mom and dad called a "social" over at Ft. Yargo. That's a state park in Winder, Georgia. Oh my goodness! It was perfect for us dock divers. There was a big lake and lots of bumpers and balls and plenty of grass and trees and lots of adults throwing stuff for us to retrieve all day long!

They did stop once for a little while to eat, but then it was right back to swimming, retrieving, and running! We dogs had a BLAST!! I think the humans did, too.

There were about 19 humans at the dog party and 13 dogs. Most of them were Labrador Retrievers like Spud and me. But we also had a couple of Golden Retriever mixes and even one Basset Hound. He was crazy. His name was Emmett and he kept running around barking at us. He walked down into the water, but he doesn't retrieve or swim. But he sure barks and sniffs!

By the time it was all over, Spud and I were really, really tired. My mom called us "worn out."

My dad took lots of photographs, and my mom made a cool video from them. Here it is. You can see for yourself what a party for dogs looks like.

Click To Play

Thanks for looking at the video and reading about our party. Maybe next time, you can come to our dogs' party!

See you on the dock,
Sally
The FIRE of Team Fire and Ice
Dixie Dock Dogs

Our Throw Objects (aka our TOYS!)

As you already know, Spud and I love to retrieve, especially in the water. That's what we were born for, and that's what we do best. And that's what makes us good dock divers. After all, what is dock diving? Water retrieving!!

I thought you might want to take a look at what we actually retrieve when we dock dive. My mom and dad call these things "throw objects." But my brother and I think that's a mighty fancy term for T-O-Y-S!

My mom started out throwing this orange bumper for me. I don't use it much anymore, but it will always hold a special place in my heart. Every once in a while, my mom gets it out and throws it for some of my jumps.


At one of my dock diving events in North Carolina, my mom and dad bought me a new bumper. It was black and white and a little bigger than the orange one. I felt like such a big dog when my mom threw it for me!!


Right after they got me the new black and white bumper is when Spud decided he wanted to start dock diving. So, Mom and Dad got two new toys for us called wubbas. One was orange and one was yellow. A wubba is like a canvas-covered ball with long canvas legs. It looks kind of like an octopus. Spud really loves those wubbas!! Every time my mom gets it out for me, here comes Spud. And sometimes we fight over the wubba, like in these pictures.


"Give it back Spud!!!" Oh, little brothers can be so aggravating!!!

About then my mom saw us fighting over it and said in her best stern voice, "Sally, Spud, NO." Boy, when my mom get all "stern," (whatever that means), Spud and I know we better listen. She's not playing. Then she told us, "Release. Release." That is our command to let go, so both of us let go of the wubba, and it dropped to the ground.

She picked it up and put it away. Of course, she had to give us the same old lecture. "Now you two know we don't play like that with our throw objects. These are used only for dock diving. If you want to play like this, go get one of your toys." If I could speak her language, I'd tell her, "But to us these ARE toys."

Okay, back to the throw objects. Like I said before, we have two wubbas. Here is Spud with the orange one. He loves those wubbas and will jump a long, long distance for them.


We also have two other throw objects called Dead Fowl Trainers, or as most humans call them, DFTs. But to us dogs, a DFT is just a duck. That's what my mom and dad call it when they are talking to Spud and me. We love those ducks! We have a big one, which is actually a normal size DFT, and we also have a smaller one. My mom and dad got the smaller one because they thought it would be easier to throw. My dad throws the smaller duck a lot for Spud. Here's that goofy brother of mine with his small duck.


Now I, on the other hand, like the big duck. Oh, I like the smaller one also, but that big duck is what we use for my Speed Retrieve, and it makes me feel important to retrieve that big duck. My mom and I talked this past week and decided that she's going to start throwing that big duck for me at my next event.

I whisper to it, "Duck, I'm going to do a 20' jump for you next time."

Then I pick it up and bring it back to my mom for safe keeping.

With all these great toys, or throw objects, my mom just had to go get me a new one.....a stupid rubber chicken.

I sniffed it.....

and sniffed it....

And then I told my mom, "We don't need no stinkin' chicken!" So that chicken is now inside in our toy box. (Spud can have it. heh, heh)

So, that's it for today from Team Fire and Ice. All of our throw objects are always kept by our mom and dad in a safe place where we can't get to them to play with them and tear them up. (darn!)

The happiest days for Spud and me are when they bring those throw objects out, because that means.....we're going.....dock diving!!!

See you on the dock....
Sally
The FIRE in Team Fire and Ice
Dixie Dock Dogs

Sally Goes Vertical

My brother, Spud, and I went to an event in Asheville, NC, this past Sunday. There were signs all over the place that said "Bele Chere," and there were all kinds of booths set up on the streets. Oh my, the good smells for this lab nose!

But of course, the best part of the day was the dock diving! Okay, let's be honest. I didn't have the best day. I hit a couple of 18 footers, but then many of my jumps were very flat and only 13-14 feet. My mom said she's really going to work with me to try and get me to be more "consistent," whatever that means.

Spud had a really good day, though. He won the Senior Division and set another personal best. I'm so proud of that boy!!

The day wasn't a complete bust for me. I tried Extreme Vertical for the first time. Actually, I had tried it at practice before, but never at an event. Extreme Vertical is when you jump up for a bumper hanging out over the water. They measure how high we jump instead of how far. My best EV jump was only 4'10," but I had so much fun! I could have done that EV all day long.

Here are some photos my dad took of my EV jumps. I think I look pretty cool!

My mom said that we might try this vertical thing again. She said that she's not sure if I'm built to be a good EVer, but both she and I enjoyed it...and that's all that matters!

See you on the dock...
Sally
The Fire in Team Fire and Ice