Practice?

Hello,

My name is Darren and I am interested in learning more about this sport with my dog, Raleigh.

We were looking to attend the upcoming show in Novi to give it a try and see how he would do with the water jumping, but alas, the Splashes were all filled up, so we will probably come and watch the events.

We are thinking about attending the practice session, which actually brings me to my question.
I live in Lansing, and I was wondered if there are any 'practice' areas/places available nearby - someplace where there is a jump ramp set up? I would like to be able to see how he reacts to the situation prior to all of the surrounding excitement (?) He is a good dog and enjoys chasing his toy into the water very much, I am just not sure how he would concentrate with all of the other distractions going on in such an environment.

Thanks for any help on this matter,
Darren

well first off welcome and be prepared for a highly addictive sport and a great way to spend time with your four legged family members. I dont know of any places to practice this time of year, indoor events are very dificult because of time restraints. this sport is growing so fast back when we started about 2 years ago it wasnt hard to get on the dock for a little practice. i guess milt or brian would be able to answere the question on trying it out in novi. but as far as just practice during the summer if you can find a lake with a dock your all set i take the dogs down almost daily to play. well just wanted to say welcome and hopfully you get the chance to go play

Hello and welcome.
Jamie is right- getting dock time at an indoor event for those just wishing to give it a try is not easy now that the sport has gained in popularity. You have the right idea in attending to check things out, asking questions, introducing yourself as a newbie.

Most competitors are very eager to assist the "greenhorns" and their four-legged partners. These events can turn into social events for the competitors though, so do make sure you introduce yourself or we are likely to just keep blabbing away among ourselves.
You seem to already know your dog might be overcome by all the excitement. That's good- not everyone thinks that far ahead. Have you competed in other sports with your dog? If so, what type? Indoor or out? Has your dog been exposed to a PA system and the reverberating noises that those can give?
I started to type a lot of recommendations, then realized you may already have prepped your dog in just such a manner. I guess I should wait until I have a better sense of what info would serve you and your dog best.

Darren,
I live in the Lansing Area
Give me a call and we can talk
Jim
517-977-7153

Hello!
Thank you for the welcome.
Thanks for the information JT & Angela.

Raleigh and I are able to get some water jumping in during the summer, but it has not been anything sanctioned, nor do I know really how far he is jumping. But he has a blast and will not stop until I make him...

I was not sure if there was a dock or jumping facility around for practice in the winter time, which it looks like is when all of the jumping competition takes place according to the calendar. I guess, I am being a little over protective with him, regarding the venue environment (I am sure he would probably like outdoors better), but he is a good natured animal and not much seems to phase him - especially if I have his ball...

Thanks again for the comments & suggestions.

Jim, I will give you a ring to talk more about this matter. Thanks.


Good Luck to you and your dogs this weekend at Novi!

Actually, most of the events are during the spring and summer months... it's just that they are not completely finalized and, thus, not yet posted on the website's schedule. So, you can expect to see lots of warm weather, outdoor events!

As for a practice facility during winter... there unfortunately isn't really one available yet (except for a few states where people have taken advantage of small, indoor pools for basic practice/conditioning... doesn't help too much with the really big jumpers, but at least it's something... still, they are very few in number and hard to locate). During the summer, in MI, there are several public docks people practice at, along with a regular competition/training setup in Romulus, MI.

Darren,

I think you are wise to be a bit "overprotective". You absolutely want his first experience at an event to be a good one. Angela did a great job of listing all of the "considerations". Even some of the more seasoned dogs don't do as well indoors. It's a great idea to come watch an event first. There can be distractions though that you may not realize as a spectator as much as you would if you were up on the dock. The first event I watched was Novi 2 years ago. My view as a spectator was different than the first time getting my girls on the dock. If your dog ends up loving the sport the rewards will be endless. As Angela said, please introduce yourself!

Milt also said in another post that there will be 3 events in Kalamazoo this year that will have plenty of practice time. See the post "The Good Old Days".