A leap and a swim

July 17, 2007

By MATT TUNSETH/ Frontiersman

WASILLA - Some very hot dogs cooled off in Lake Lucille Sunday afternoon.

More than 20 canine athletes hopped, leaped and soared off the end of a dock into Lake Lucille as part of the first DockDogs jumping competition ever held in Alaska.

&#8220This is the inaugural one,” said Alaska DockDogs president Cathy Moore. &#8220This is a big deal.”

While distance dog jumping has grown by leaps and bounds Outside, the sport has been slow to catch on in Alaska.

&#8220Alaskans are just so busy in the summertime,” Moore said.

The sport began to gain popularity in the early part of the decade, spurred on by its appearance in ESPN's now-defunct Great Outdoor Games in 2001. While the games folded after a five-year run, the sport of canine dog jumping lived on.

Today, distance dog jumping is a nationally-sanctioned sport governed by DockDogs of America. The sport has also branched out into foreign countries, with governing bodies in Canada and the United Kingdom.

Wasilla's Mark and Robin Braaten got involved with the sport in 2002 when they entered their German shorthair pointer Ms. Ruger at nationals. Ms. Ruger - who serves as Mark's duck hunting companion when she's not jumping - took to the sport immediately.

&#8220She was fourth in the nation in 2002,” Mark Braaten said Sunday.

Braaten said Ms. Ruger always liked the water, and running off a dock and taking the plunge was a natural fit.

&#8220We had seen it done, and when I got her as a puppy, she just loved the water,” he said. &#8220It took right off for her.”

The event held Sunday was more of an exhibition than a competition. Instead of a video camera set up to record precisely how far into the water each dog jumped, a judge eyeballed each animal's landing spot in relation to a floating distance marker. Most dogs landed somewhere between 10 and 15 feet from the dock, though some did go a bit further.

Cathy Moore said the idea behind holding the Wasilla event was simply to educate people about dog jumping and drum up some excitement for the new sport.

&#8220This is just a fun jump,” she said. &#8220We're just trying to see who's interested.”

Wasilla's Terri Troll brought her dogs Siren, a Portuguese water dog-greyhound mix, and Scorch, a Portuguese water dog, out to Lake Lucille to check out the event. Troll said she's been actively involved in dog agility and dog obedience, and figured she'd give jumping a try.

&#8220We saw it in the paper and I though it would be fun,” she said.

Siren wound up being one of the stars of the competition, sailing past the 15-foot mark more than once.

&#8220She's a swimming fanatic,” Troll said. &#8220She just loves the water.”

But while Siren took to the water instantly, Scorch needed a bit of prodding.

On her first attempt, Scorch ran excitedly to the end of the dock, then came to a screeching halt just before takeoff. Twice more the dog went through the motions, and twice more she failed to leap. Finally, with a bit of prodding from Troll, Scorch bravely leaped into the unknown.

&#8220She needed a little help,” Troll said.

Participants Sunday said they believe the sport will grow quickly in Alaska because of the state's notoriously high percentage of dog owners - which according to the Alaska SPCA is the highest in the nation.

&#8220There's so many dog people up here,” Mark Braaten said. &#8220In the Lower 48 there's a competition every weekend.”

Also adding to the sport's draw, he said, is that it's not restricted to certain breeds or super-athletic animals.

&#8220Any dog that likes the water,” Braaten said.

There are various divisions based on age, size and how far dogs can jump, meaning dogs can compete against other canines of similar ability.

Braaten said it's only a matter of time before the sport becomes a weekly event here in Alaska.

&#8220It's going to take off.”

For more information on dog jumping in Alaska, email akdockdogs@yahoo.com or visit www.alaska-dockdogs.org.

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@

frontiersman.com