Event Disciplines
All events consist of 3 disciplines:
BIG AIR ** SPEED RETRIEVE ** EXTREME VERTICAL
Big Air (BA)
Big Air is the quintessential DockDogs event, often synonymous with the sport itself. It can be likened to a long jump competition for dogs, focusing on the distance they jump. In this popular discipline, a floatable toy is thrown into the water, and dogs have the entire 40 feet of the dock to run and leap into the pool. Each team is allocated 60 seconds on the dock, and the distance is measured from the end of the dock to where the base of the dog's tail enters the water
Extreme Vertical (EV)
Extreme Vertical is the equivalent of high jump in DockDogs competitions. An "EV Rig" suspends a bumper in the air, 8 feet from the dock's edge, with the starting height set at 4 feet 6 inches. Dogs can enter the competition at any height beyond this initial mark, but to progress to the next round, they must successfully release the bumper from the "EV Rig" in two attempts. The bumper height is raised in 2-inch increments until only one dog remains.
Speed Retrieve (SR)
Introduced in 2008, SPEED RETRIEVE is a timed event where a bumper is hung at the end of the pool. The dog is placed at 20 feet and must not cross the line before the starter says go or the light turns green. The dog leaps in to the pool and swims to grab the bumper. Once the dog has released the bumper the clock stops. Each team gets two tries to get their best score. The dogs that perform at the highest levels are big jumpers, powerful swimmers and focused on the bumper.