Competition Dock Diving Newbie

Hi! My dog and I have been doing our own version of dock diving into a lake by our house. She doesn't get much of a running start due to trees, but the general idea is there as you can see from her picture. I see there is an UAD competition in King Of Prussia PA in February, which is about 2 hours from me, and I am thinking about entering her for fun. Are there people there that can help us teach her the dock diving basics between the splashes? How many splashes do we need to sign up for? I think this would be great fun for her, and for me, but I want to have everything straight before we register. Also, do we need to bring chairs since this is being held at an indoor pet expo? Thanks and we hope to see you there!

There are always very nice people that are very willing to help out the newbies at events!!! You can sign up for as many or as few splashes as you want - that is all up to you!!! I would recommend you bring a chair, towels (to help dry your dog off before bringing him outside), snacks (for you and your dog), a crate and maybe some dry clothes as sometimes you can end up pretty wet (I always end up with wet feet so I try to remember to bring dry socks with). I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff too but I'm sure that some of the other dock jumpers will chime in too It is a lot of fun and everyone with UAD is so nice - be ready for your newest addiction!!!

Steph covered pretty much what you will need, I would add, bring some water. You would think they get enough jumping into a pool, but many dogs don't.

You will have no problem getting help, support, and advice from the UAD family. We all are in this sport because our dogs love it and we always love it when new people join us for a fun weekend.
Welcome!!!

If your dog is unaccustomed to large, very noisy crowds and very geeked dogs, it would be a good idea to bring a comfortable crate for secure quite time. I've never been to this event- don't know if the temperature is comfortable or not in the crating area. If it is on the cool side you may want to have something to keep your dog warm between splashes (especially to potty your dog outside).
Because the excitement (and therefore stress) level is higher than normal, I would avoid giving your dog anything too rich or new (one reason why many of us always use water from home or purchase spring water when we run out of the home stuff).
As Steph noted, be prepared to get wet- because it's going to happen!
Oh yes, if you do not have a water resistant bed for the crate, I'd opt for an old wool blanket or coat or a fleece blanket- never cotton towels, they just hold the water and make for a rather uncomfortable bed.

Thanks for all of the advice! I want to be prepared, especially since its our first time! I'm sure we'll all have a great time, she lives to swim and retrieve and we love to see her excited and happy. She has endless energy, so much so that when she water retrieves in the summer we end up having to hide her water toys or she would jump in out all day! Hope to see you in King of Prussia!

Well, first off... welcome and best of luck at the PA event!

In addition to what has already been mentioned, I would recommend bringing a crate cover of some sort (blanket, towels, etc) not only to further help hold in heat, but to also give more of a "down time" environment. The indoor events tend to be much louder and more visually/mentally stimulating and some dogs get a bit overloaded and will wear out much faster if they don't have some way to rest away from it all for a bit between activities.

Another thing to keep in mind is that, for a variety of reasons, some dogs take time to get used to the idea of jumping into a pool rather than a lake, and off a dock 2ft above the water rather than one 6in above the water or off the shoreline. So, if they hesitate at first, don't worry, it happens all the time... just be patient and encouraging. If they are really hesitating or unsure about the situation, it's often best to start them in off the exit ramp, rather than the dock. That way, they can either jump in closer to the water's height or simply walk in off the ramp... giving more of a chance to slowly build confidence with the setup and environment before moving back up to the full dock. Another common mistake is starting a brand new dog who is hesitating all the way back down the dock. Instead, start them close to (or sometimes right at) the end and then slowly start further and further back as they progress and improve.