Dock jumping is a dog sport in which dogs compete in jumping for distance or height from a dock into a body of water.

A team consists of one dog, of any type or size,or age, and usually one handler. Dogs must be over 6 months of age to compete. Handlers may use a toy, also known as the chase object. The dogs are not required to chase or retrieve the toy.

The jump distance is measured from the lateral midpoint of the end of the dock to the point at which the base of the dog’s tail (where the tail meets the body) breaks the water’s surface. The jump distance is measured electronically using digital video freeze frame technology or, in some cases, is measured manually by judges.

Each team takes two jumps in round-robin format. The longer of the two jumps is that team's score for that competition.

A jump in which the dog’s tail enters the water at a point further from the dock than another part of the dog’s body is scored using the point of the dog (for example, the head/nose) that breaks the surface of the water closest to the dock.

If the dog’s strides are off so that the dog starts its jump before the end of the dock, that is a disadvantage, because the jump is always judged from the edge of the dock, not from where the dog leaves the dock. A jump is only official if or when the toy leaves the handler's hand.

Place and Send

1. Walk the dog to the end of the dock and or, hold the dog back while throwing the toy into the water. Walk the dog back to the starting point, place the dog, then release or send the dog to go get the toy.
2. This is effective for dogs that are not trained to wait or stay on the dock, especially if they have a lot of speed and can compensate for the lack of lift at the end of the dock.

Chase Method

Gives an advantage to the teams that can use this technique correctly.

1. Place the dog in a stay or wait at his/her starting position on the dock.
2. Walk to the end of the dock holding the toy.
3. Call the dog from the end of the dock.
4. Time the throw, and throw, trying to keep the toy just in front of the dog's nose so they chase it into the water.

The goal is to use this method to get the dog at the optimum launch angle to increase distance by getting him to jump up, instead of just out or flat, as with place and send. The chase method is difficult to master. However, if the dog is toy-driven, he can be trained to follow the toy.

A dog that jumps up at the end of the dock is said to have a good "pop".

A dog that jumps straight out at the end of the dock is said to be "flat".

Dock Jumping Videos

dockdogs.com

splashdogs.com