On Sunday, we took Piper to the Central California Labrador Retriever Club’s second-annual Dock Dive/Barn Hunt Fun Day. Piper likes jumping in the pool at her Pop and Grandma’s, so we thought she might enjoy this dog event. Boy did she ever!
The event was held at the Doggone Dirty Dog Sports facility in Hollister, CA, which is AMAZING! Dock diving pool? Check.
Giant doggie exercise area? Check.
Permanent potty space? Check.
Lots of parking, shade, and seating? Check.
Fun backdrops to take pictures in front of? Bonus!
It’s a fantastic facility and Rhonna Dias is a great host.
The low-key atmosphere made for a perfect opportunity to try out a new activity. Many CCLRC members brought puppies, so Piper wasn’t the only one working on her manners. In fact, this is the first event we’ve been to with primarily Labradors. I often make the mistake of comparing her obedience skills to older dogs of different breeds, and that’s a losing proposition. It was nice to see that she’s working on the exact same things (pulling on the lead, whining, jumping) that other Labs the same age are working on.
Most importantly, though, Piper loved dock diving! We started her on the exit ramp to try and get her used to entering the pool, and after just two throws there she was ready to try the big platform. She didn’t jump immediately on the first platform toss, so we retrieved the tri-bumper with a pool skimmer and tried again. And that, ladies and gentlemen, was all it took! Pips jumped on every jump after that, and each one was a little farther and with a little bit less hesitation at launch. Between her first round and second round, she was even whining to get back into the pool! To demonstrate her growth between jumps, here’s a video from her first round, followed by one from the second round:
All-in-all, this was a super fun day with a friendly group of humans and some absolutely gorgeous Labradors. Special thanks to Katy Bazurto w/CCLRC for coordinating such a great event, and to Rhonna Dias for hosting guiding us through the activity.