Medina, OH - April 29, 2010 - If the beautiful blue skies and bright sun didn’t foreshadow what a great weekend we were in store for, than perhaps the more than seventy teams we had pre-registered for the weekend would! It was DockDogs® fourth year returning to the Puyallup Spring Fair and once again, it was an event to remember.

The event started off with some very exciting Big Air rounds of competition. Taking the lead early in the event were locals Kristi Baird and Adam Ellis with their labs Buddy and Hunter. The battle ended on Thursday with each team throwing down massive jumps of 24;, looks like this battle would have to continue into the weekend to find out the winner.

Friday was a full day of Big Air waves and we saw NINE more dogs join Buddy and Hunter in the “Pro” division; all with huge jumps going out past that 22′ mark! It was Bridger, the black Labrador Retriever out of Port Angeles, WA with his handler, Ryan Hainstock who now held the top spot of the weekend after Friday’s rounds of competition with an amazing jump of 25′6”!

Saturday began with a line of competitors waiting to register their dogs and give this sport a try! We started off the daily competition with a round of Speed Retrieve and after a very close match up; it was the little yellow Labrador, Riley, and her handler John Haas who had the fastest time of the day with a score of 6.194 seconds. Right on their tail was the hard to beat duo of Britten Jay and Caddis with a time of 6.198 seconds! Not to be forgotten was the ever competitive Express division of this class, where we saw Fern and her owner Kat Barnes come in at 8.127 seconds and take away the first place ribbon!

The rest of Saturday was busy as could be, with all of our waves completely full and equally competitive. Just when we thought our Pro Finals couldn’t get any more competitive, we saw two more dogs come out and jump their way into them! One of them being Pepper, a Catahoula Leopard Dog out of Mt. Home, ID, who leapt all the way out to 25′2”! The lone Malinois, Power Puma out of Las Vegas, NV showed he could hold his own with all these Labradors by securing not one, but two jumps that day at 25′!

Saturday ended with an extremely busy Extreme Vertical competition. With nearly twenty dogs lined up wanting to practice and warm up, we knew we were in for a treat. We started the boom at 4′6”, and watched it climb and climb, as dogs battled it out, giving each jump 110%.

Falling out just in time to take the top spot in the Cadet division was Riley, the yellow Labrador with a last successful grab of 5′4”! We didn’t see another dog fall out until a foot later! The Top Gun division of EV continued rising as we once again watched these Labradors battle it out with the superstar Malinois, Puma and the Catahoula Leopard Dog, Pepper. After some amazing jumping, it was the Sit Means Sit sponsored team of Alfredo Rivera and Power Puma who took the top spot away with a win at 7′ and a final grab at 7′3”! Right behind him was the very athletic Chessie, Caddis and owner Britten Jay with a grab of 6′10”! In a three way tie for third at 6′8”, it was Elsie May, Buddy and Pepper!
After such an exciting Saturday, the crowds and competitors were anxious to see what Sunday would bring. With two more qualifying rounds of Big Air and one more for Speed Retrieve, anything could and DID happen as our finals “bubble” changed drastically with each wave!

Just as it was a battle of the Pro dogs, it was turning out to be a showdown with our youth handlers as well! We had eleven competing all weekend, as fans watched these kids and dogs bond and show off their skills on the dock. After the weekend was all said and done, it was Kendra Lee and Rikki who took that top spot for youth handlers with a huge jump of 19′9″, also securing a mid air catch in the process!

Our Finals began Sunday afternoon with the closest “bubble” in each division that we had seen in a long time. In order to make our Pro Finals, you had to have a jump of at LEAST 24′!

First up was our Speed Retrieve Finals, where we watched John Haas and Riley sweep the entire weekend of Speed Retrieve competition and take away first place once again, with a time of 6.171 seconds! Coming in second was newbie to this discipline, Pepper, with a time of 6.299! Rounding out the top three was Julie Jay and Tractor with a time of 6.381.

All three rounds of Big Air Finals were exciting, but it was our Pro division that had people on the edge of their seats waiting to see the outcome. After a very competitive, yet friendly competition, it was once again the beautiful black Lab, Bridger who not only saved his biggest jump of the weekend for Finals, but secured himself the top spot with an amazing jump of 26′! Matthew McCluskey and Pepper held their own and took second with a respectable jump of 25′6”! Completing our top three was Buddy, the 2008 National Super Elite Big Air Champion and handler Kristi Baird with a jump of 25′1”!

Next up were our Semi-Pro dogs who battled it out in their division as well! Showing how versatile she is, the little yellow Labrador Riley, with John Haas took away the blue ribbon with a huge jump of 21′8”! Right behind her was Andy Epperly and Buddy with a jump of 21′4”. Coming in third was Jeff Gratzer and Mack with a solid jump of 20′7”!

Last, but certainly not least, were our Amateur dogs who put on quite a show! These last 16 jumps were just as crowd pleasing as the Pro’s, as we saw Carl Lewis and his black Labrador, Gunner jump 19′5” and walk away with first! Challey Becker and her fun loving chocolate Labrador, Dunkel were right on their heels with a jump of 19′1”! Coming in third was the adorable Pit Bull Terrier, Lola with Cheryl Caragan with a jump of 17′5”!

Our Iron Dog competition was extremely competitive, but once again it was Power Puma who came in first with an impressive score of 3041.35. Not far behind was the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Caddis with a score of 3033.48, and the black Labrador, Bridger took third with 3017.87!

DockDogs® would like to thank our title sponsor Royal Canin for helping make it possible for us to be at the Puyallup Spring Fair along with the fair staff for having us back for another year of fun. DockDogs® looks forward to an even more exciting competition in 2011!

He’s a world-class athlete whose talents continue to surprise those around him, yet he’s devoid of ego.

He’s just having dog-gone fun.

Power Puma, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, is the reigning DockDogs 2009 national champion, a prestigious title in canine jumping-performance sports.

He recently clinched the title of Iron Dog Champion at a DockDogs world qualifying event.

“You’ll see, he goes straight to work,” said professional trainer and Las Vegas DockDogs president Lianne Hassen.

At a training facility near the Las Vegas Beltway and Robindale Road, Puma revs up and waits for a command from owner and handler Alfredo Rivera before launching himself into the pool.

He competes in three events: Big Air, a distance leap into a regulation pool; Extreme Vertical, a height-jumping event; and Speed Retrieve, a swimming event involving tasks.

Puma’s best scores include jumping 7 feet, 8 inches into the air during Extreme Vertical, jumping more than 26 feet during Big Air and shooting through a Speed Retrieval event at 5.8 seconds.

“There are world record-holders in all categories, but there are very few that can do all three,” Rivera said. “Puma is one of them.”

Puma trains daily and moonlights as a police demonstration and obedience work dog.

“He’s bred to bite, but he’ll only bite on command,” Rivera said. “He needs to have manners. I need to trust him.”

Rivera and Hassen have years of experience in training but just recently began competing in jumping performance sports with dogs.

The trainers use positive reinforcement. After a quick training exercise, Rivera lets Puma sniff around the property and enjoy a toy.

DockDog competitions are open to all sizes and breeds of dogs, and there are several categories of competition. The events draw large crowds and are scheduled around the world.

“I think when all dogs come out, they think they can jump 25 feet,” Hassen said. “They all think they’re a Puma.”

When Rivera got Puma, the then-14-month-old puppy was antisocial. Now he’s friendly with dogs and humans of all ages.

Rivera tested Puma’s skills on a dock one day in March 2009 and watched the pooch beat competitors’ jumps by more than 10 feet.

Puma’s success wasn’t a total fluke, Rivera said.

“It’s a combination of obedience and athleticism,” he said.

Puma is constantly moving and alert. Among Rivera’s five dogs, Puma eats double the amount of dog food to fuel his active body. “He’s a maniac,” Rivera said. “He has so much energy.”

Rivera hopes Puma can make history as the only dog to be a national champ twice. He said Puma’s competition is ruff, er, rough.

“It’s all about the day of the event and how you’ll perform,” he said.

One of Hassen’s dogs, Rex, is one of Puma’s main competitors.

“It could be any one of them,” she said.

Rivera said he can tell Puma enjoys performing, and he feeds off the pooch’s energy.

“Ninety-nine percent of people who do DockDogs do it because they love their dog,” Rivera said.

For more information about dog athletic sports, visit dockdogs.com.

Contact Centennial and Southeast View reporter Maggie Lillis at mlillis@viewnews.com or 477-3839.

St. Louis, MO, November 9, 2009 - Competitors came from across the nation to participate in the 10 year anniversary of the DockDogs National Championships. The event held October 16-18 was hosted at King’s Island Resort in Mason, OH and commemorated a decade of canine sports like big air (dock jumping), extreme vertical (high jump) and speed retrieve.

Special activities acknowledged the anniversary, including a competitor’s luau on Friday evening in which members dressed in island attire and danced the night away. Members also attended a semi-formal member’s banquet on Saturday evening which was emceed by DockDogs CEO, Grant Reeves. The event highlighted the association’s history of tradition and innovation while looking forward to the next ten years.

The competition brought out Arenus corporate partners Sit Means Sit dog training from Las Vegas, NV. Sit Means Sit had several trainers competing in the finals, including DockDogs World Qualifiers Fred Hassen, with his dog Rex, and Alfredo Rivera, with his dog Power Puma. Rivera and Puma placed first in the IronDog Extreme Vertical event with a height of 7’6”, and captured the 2009 IronDog title. “Being at the 2009 DockDogs National Championships was an incredible experience,” said Alfredo Rivera. “The dogs participating were simply amazing, especially performing at such high levels in extreme cold weather. It was an honor for Sit Means Sit to come out on top with so much talent present.”

Hassen and Rex placed first in the IronDog Speed Retrieve event. “We were thrilled to be there; it was one of the most exciting events we’ve competed at,” said Fred Hassen. “We were happy that Sit Means Sit and Las Vegas DockDogs performed so well and came out on top!”

The event was made possible by sponsors like STEADFAST® CANINE joint health supplement. STEADFAST® CANINE is a joint health alternative to the traditional glucosamine and chondroitin supplements. The product plays an important role not just in joint health maintenance, but also supports the integrity of bones, tendons and ligaments. This is crucial for these special canine athletes and also important for growing puppies and senior dogs prone to joint issues.

“It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to make it to the level of competition that DockDogs Nationals hosts,” said Simone Pophal, Business Manager for Arenus. “We are very excited for our friends at Sit Means Sit and are pleased to be able to provide a product for dogs that delivers superior results.”

About Arenus:
Arenus is a premier provider of innovative health and nutrition products for pets and horses. Arenus is a growing division within Novus International, Inc., a global company dedicated to health and nutrition through science. To learn more about our products, or find an Arenus event near you, call (866) 791-3344 or visit www.arenus.com.

About DockDogs:
DockDogs® is the independent governing and sanctioning body for regional, national and international dock jumping performance sports. DockDogs® establishes the rules and standards of the sport, tracks results and records, and supports and promotes the growth of its athletes, events, spectators, and sponsors. To learn more visit www.dockdogs.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Medina, OH - March 23, 2010 - This past weekend it didn’t matter if you were a hunting enthusiast or fishing extraordinaire, there was something for everyone at this year’s Big Horn Outdoor Adventure Show in Spokane, WA as the show celebrated their 50th year in style. Amongst the fishing, the boats, rifle ranges and all of the folks, there were lions and tigers and….dock diving dogs??

“Oh my, look at that dog fly!”, an onlooker shouted from the crowd as we kicked things off with our first Big Air wave competition of the weekend. There were many new faces to be found on the dock as the locals piled in early to give DockDogs® a try with their four legged friends. Taking home 2nd was in fact a local first time competitor, Dee Brandt with her friend’s black Lab, Tucker. With a little bit more experience and a jump of 16′7″, Gigi Grant’s dog, Kiowa, was able to lock in first place in their first of many waves of competition this weekend. Finishing off our day we saw our first Pro jump of the weekend in Big Air wave #3 from Puget Sound DockDogs® Vice President, Kristi Baird, with her dog Buddy, making it all the way out to 23′1″!

Friday started off with a little friendly competition between brand new dogs in the ever DockDogs® “Rookie Competition”. This particular competition was only open to dogs and handler’s who have never competed or practiced with DockDogs® before. This special event was put together by local radio station 93.7 “The Cat” and the DockDogs® Worldwide Headquarters, with all proceeds donated to the Chase Away Canine Cancer Foundation. Just one more step we, here at DockDogs® are taking to look out for the future of man’s (/women’s) best friends.

John Haas and his dog Riley took home the win in our first Speed Retrieve competition of the weekend with a time of 6.245 seconds; stealing it away from Britten Jay and Caddis who came in second with the only other retrieve in the six second range at 6.453 seconds!

Ryan Hainstock and Bridger made the Pro Finals in Big Air with their jump of 22′6″ taking home 1st in wave #8 with Adam Ellis and Hunter just missing out with a 2nd place jump of 21′10″. These two went head to head again in wave # 9 with both of them jumping out to 22′11″, but in the end Ryan and Bridger came out on top, this time with a better second jump, to finish the wave off in the top spot. Just a couple hours later Hunter decided to put a little more distance between himself and the rest of the competition when he took the best jump of the weekend to a new level and landed with a 24′8″ jump in Big Air wave # 10!

Extreme Vertical had three states represented this weekend as people from Washington, Montana and Nevada took turns getting high off the dock on Saturday. Some were Cadets, some were Top Gun but all were having fun as the crowd got loud with every 2″ the DockDogs® Flappy went up. Kelly Noyd’s dog Rookie had the most grabs, starting out at a height of 5′ and making it all the way up to an attempt at a tie with his personal best at 5′10″. Although he wasn’t able to pull it down this time around he still walked away proud with 1st place in the Cadet division. Kristi Baird and her Lab, Buddy, put up a fight in the Top Gun division, but were no match for the World Championship qualifying and Sit Means Sit sponsored team, Alfredo Rivera and Power Puma. They won the competition with a grab at 6′10″ but made it all the way up to 7′4″ after taking advantage of the two extra attempts at a height of their choice.

The power duo of Alfredo Rivera and Power Puma also beat out ten other teams for the title of Iron Dog champion this past weekend. Coming in a meager 28 points higher than Britten Jay and Caddis, Power Puma earned himself a second invitation to the 2010 DockDogs® World Championships later this summer.

As we came down to our last day and the last qualifying rounds of competition before Finals we saw a few new teams step up to the challenge. One being first time Big Air competitor, Mindy Lyons with her dog Sadie, making it out to 16′6″ and qualifying 2nd for the Amateur Finals. In the last round of Speed Retrieve competition we saw many false starts on the Royal Canin starting block as teams tried timing the system to get the best possible time.

The winner of the last wave and of the Speed Retrieve Finals never gave anyone a chance as he dominated both the entire time. John Haas and his Labrador Retriever, Riley, stole the show in the last wave with a time of 6.427 and took home 1st in the Finals with a time of 6.573 seconds!
First up in our three rounds of Big Air Finals were the Pro teams. This division was high jacked by names that should look very familiar to you as they have set the bar all weekend long; but today was the day and now was the time that they needed to bring out their best. After coming in at a close 2nd in Speed Retrieve, Ryan Hainstock and Bridger did just what they set out to do this weekend, earn themselves an invitation to the 2010 DockDogs® World Championships with an impressive jump of 24′5″. Adam Ellis and Hunter came in 2nd with a 23′4″ jump followed by Kristi Baird and Buddy with 23′3″.

The excitement from the Pro division carried over into the Semi-Pro category as two tied for 3rd place at 20′7″ for their first jumps. Coming down to a mere one inch, Drew Howerton and Josey edged out Steve Darnold and Casey for the 3rd place win. Second place was taken by Casey Van Buskirk with his four-legged friend, Zorro, with a jump of 20′10″. Scott DeBruyn managed to coax his dog Jack just ONE inch further to take home the 1st place bragging rights for this division.

The Amateur Finals saw two of the members of British Columbia, Canada’s new West Coast DockDogs® make the trip down to show us that they may be new but they know a thing or two about Big Air. However, in the end it was the local newcomer, Mindy Lyons who managed to make it on the podium with her dog Sadie’s jump of 16′3″, which landed this team in 3rd place. Taking home the win was Jesse Freije’s black Lab, Charlie, earning his spot with a jump of 17′10″.

It was great for all who took advantage to have Royal Canin on site this year with their plethora of knowledge on pet nutrition. It helped make our third annual stop at The Big Horn Outdoor Adventure Show the biggest and the best yet. DockDogs® and Royal Canin would also like to congratulate all those teams who made the trip to this 4th DockDogs® World qualifying event and who are leaving with invitations. We look forward to seeing you all at World’s this summer!

Begin by Displaying Good Etiquette;

- There are general social etiquette rules that should be easy enough to follow. Always say “please” or “thank you.” No one likes a demanding person. When pointing out a rule, making a suggestion or demand always say, “please,” and never bark out a rude order.
- When making someone’s acquaintance, it’s always proper to shake the other person’s hand and say, “nice to meet you” or offer a similar pleasantry.
- Never interrupt when someone is speaking. Wait until you’re sure they finished before adding your own thoughts.
- Always strive to be fair but firm.

Dog Owners/Visitors and their dogs - Identifying barking and growling techniques to determine if dog is friendly enough to socialize with other dogs and dog owners.

Focus Areas; Owner Responsibility, How to be a better pet owner, How to recognize aggressive and non-aggressive canine behaviors, How to ensure children’s safety around dogs, How to make sure your house/outdoor space is safe for dogs, Understanding dog park environment and “how to” stay calm and show respect to park visitors and receive the same courtesy;

1. Owner Responsibility - Control Dog’s actions from; Molesting pedestrians - chasing vehicles - Damaging property of someone other than the owner of the animal - Without provocation, chases or approaches a person in an attitude of attack - Attacks or bites a person - Kills or inflicts severe injury to a domestic animal - Follow park rules and regulations - Stress supervision of the dog by the owner, most problems occur when the owner isn’t paying attention.

2. How to be a better pet owner; Dogs like to be dogs. Provide pets clearly defined structure in their lives and they will have freedom to enjoy their life. - Feed quality food, provide plenty of water and exercise for your pet. - Exercise, dogs need regular exercise to ensure continuing good health. - Groom your dog, All dogs should be groomed regularly for health and best appearance. - Protect form poisons, make sure your home and yard are free from poisonous substances. - I.D. your dog, your dog sure wear an identification tag with your name, address and phone number at all times. - Provide shelter, your dog needs a sheltered area for the time he spends outside. - Travel safely, keep your dog safe in the car by using a crate or by attaching the dog to a seat belt with a harness. - Watch the heat, dogs can succumb to heat stress in a matter of minutes.

3. How to recognize aggressive and non-aggressive canine behaviors; Aggression in dogs is the most serious behavior that pet owners must deal with and it is largely preventable if the owner understands how to control and direct their dogs’ energy. - Genetic and hereditary factors play a major role in aggression. Breeds that are bred for protection will display a higher percentage of aggression naturally but every breed is capable of biting under the right circumstances. - Dog approach with its tail held high is a dominance posture, this can provoke a confrontation. - Dog holds its tail between its legs equals a stressed or submissive dog. - Wagging tail does not necessarily mean a happy friendly dog (a dog that is confident and loves to be aggressive will wag its tail when fighting or biting) - There are several types of aggression; Defensive (induced by fear, pain or punishment, known as fear biter.) - Dominance (confident, macho, stand tall up on their toes, tail high, mounting, staring, stiff gait, posturing, lunging, low pitched bark/no bark at all) - Possessive - Territorial - Predatory/Prey (”pack” attitude that can take hold of a cluster of dogs) - Parental - A dog may exhibit more than one type of aggression.

4. How to ensure children’s safety around dogs; The primary goal is simple - never allow any dog to achieve dominant status over any child, do not let them walk stiffly with tail high, place a paw/mount on them or push them aside as they walk by. Do not allow the dog to demand excessive attention from the child and create fear in the child, which can make the child become prey. - Choose a dog that is a good fit. - Supervise play with children. - Teach your children to ; respect all animals, ask all owners before petting a dog, how to say hello to dogs (children should never hug a dog that is not their own and should present a closed fist for the dog to sniff when permitted to greet a strange dog, this protects the fingers in case the dog becomes frightened and tries to nip.) - remain quiet and calm around dogs (screaming, high-pitched laughter, running, in general being noisy and high energy can cause a dog to label the child as prey and trigger the chase response in their brain. Once triggered, the response is almost impossible to interrupt in a dog that is not trained. The dog is reacting to chemical stimulus, not rational thought and is extremely difficult to sidetrack.) - Children should never hit dogs with their hands or an object, to lower their voices when interacting and do not impose themselves on any dog that shies away.

5. How to make sure your house/outdoor space is safe for dogs; Until the dog learns good manners, confine him in a dog-safe room, kennel/crate, x-pen, inside the house when you’re not there to supervise. Baby gates as well as doors can be used to control access to various parts of your house. - Avoid leaving food, garbage and debris in areas that your dog can access. Clear off counters and put trash and garbage cans in closets or use cans with tight-fitting lids. - Train dog to understand how to follow rules by pleasing you and allow as much freedom as they earn by exhibiting the correct behavior without prompting. - If you must keep your dog outside, provide a secure, high fence or and enclosed dog run, with a top for those fence jumpers or climbers. Provide a top with shade, items to chew on and plenty of water. - Fix your fences. - Bored dogs left in yards outside free to roam, often bark at ever sound or movement to occupy themselves… dig holes… fence-fight with neighborhood dogs and other animals… dog under fencing… climb or jump over fences…

6. Understanding dog park environment and “how to” stay calm and show respect to park visitors and receive the same courtesy; Exercise proper etiquette. - Do not get angry, stay calm and speak with a level voice. Count to ten and take a deep breath. Be fair but firm. - Be aware of any dominance behavior and interrupt , do not allow dominance behavior to escalate into a confrontation by dog or inidividual. - Be aware of submissive dogs’ becoming prey. - Be alert for any individual that encourages their dog to be aggressive.

Sit Means Sit dog trainer Billy Salcido is explaining the place in motion drill with alternating sits and downs on the place using the group of clients and their dogs as distractions. At Sit Means Sit helping our clients have a happy dog under control is our goal. Interested? Franchises are Available!

Who says little dogs can’t be trained? This is Twister, a Rat Terrier working on his attention around distractions using the place in motion drill. If you look closely, Michelle has added hand signals to her sit and down on the place. Place just means “hang out”. It provides our clients a way to direct their dogs energy. Interested? Franchises are Available!

Billy Salcido, a Sit Means Sit dog trainer during a Sunday morning group class. He is using the place command creating a drill that encourages attention to command under extreme distraction. The dogs are within close proximity to each other but must stay attentive until released to interact and play by their respective owners. We at Sit Means Sit are able to achieve control without sacrificing the dogs zeal for life. We insist on achieving a happy dog under control. Talk is cheap! Interested? Franchises are available.

Alfredo Rivera a Sit Means Sit dog trainer with his dog Puma at a Las Vegas DockDogs event held at Strutt Your Mutt 2009 in Las Vegas. Puma the 2009 DockDogs Iron Dog National Champion hits a personal best of 7′7″ and then 7′8″ in Extreme Vertical. Fred Hassen caught it with his I-Phone.

Alfredo Rivera, a Sit Means Sit dog trainer with his dog Puma jumping in Extreme Vertical @ the DockDogs World Championships Iron Dog QuarterFinals.