Diving Dogs Make a Splash
Themes: Competition
A dog is jumping high in the air in an attempt to grab a yellow toy with its mouth.
Flying dogs? No, it's the sport of dock diving.
Many dogs have natural abilities to run, jump, and swim, and most will do anything for their favorite toy. So, it's no surprise that some pups have taken the plunge into one of the fastest-growing canine sports—dock diving! In this sport, dogs sprint down a dock and then take a flying leap into a swimming pool in order to grab a tempting toy. North America Diving Dogs (NADD) events draw big crowds eager to see dogs reach new heights in three categories: Distance Jumping, Air Retrieve, and HydroDash. Want to learn more about this soggy sport and meet a few of its record-fetching dogs? Ready, set…dive!
Diving Dogs Make a Splash
Themes: Competition
A mid-air photo of a dog jumping.
Spitfire is a champion jumper.
Taking the Leap in Distance Jumping
Distance Jumping is sort of like a long jump for dogs. First, the dog takes a running start off a dock that's about 40 feet (12 meters) long. Then, the dog catapults itself as far as possible across the length of the pool in an attempt to retrieve the bumper, a toy that's been tossed out of reach. The flying dog that flings itself the farthest wins!
Spitfire, a dog breed called a whippet, has made huge waves in Distance Jumping alongside his human, Sydney Mackey. Breaking record after record, Spitfire gained the nickname "the Michael Jordan of dogs," after the high-jumping basketball legend. This dynamo's long-distance launches from the dock are always prompted by Mackey's signature cue: "Ready? Ready? READY? Go, go, go, GO!"
Spitfire no longer holds the world record in Distance Jumping—another whippet named Sounders took that honor with an astounding jump of 35 feet, 11 inches (10.9 meters). But "Spitty" has cemented his legacy as one of the best. In 2022, he was inducted into the DockDogs Hall of Fame.
Diving Dogs Make a Splash
Themes: Competition
A photo of a wet dog in mid-air leaping toward a toy suspended on a rope.
Marbles the dog jumps super high.
Soaring High in Air Retrieve
Air Retrieve takes distance jumping to a new level. It's a bit like a high jump for dogs. In this event, the bumper is suspended above the water, and the pooch must soar off the dock and try to grab it or at least knock it down. With each winning air retrieve, the dog qualifies to dive again, but there's a catch: After each successive jump, the bumper gets moved farther away from the dock.
An unexpected champ in Air Retrieve has emerged in the dock diving world. Marbles, a mixed breed, is a winner in NADD's Lap Division, for dogs under 16 inches (40.6 centimeters) tall. Bob Atol, Marbles's human, said he wasn't sure Marbles would be a natural at dock diving (he thought his pup didn't like water all that much). Marbles, on the other paw, took to the sport immediately, fetching one world record after another in Air Retrieve. When this soggy dog isn't making a splash in sports, Marbles loves to chase squirrels!
Diving Dogs Make a Splash
Themes: Competition
A dog splashes its paw in a pool of water.
Poppy the golden retriever is a great swimmer.
Diving into HydroDash
HydroDash is the newest discipline in dock diving, with an emphasis on speedy swimming. In this challenge, the dog jumps off the dock, swims to the far end of the pool, grabs the bumper—it's suspended just above the water's surface—and swims back. The fastest jumper-grabber-swimmer wins!
There's a new dog in town when it comes to HydroDash. Poppy is a fluffy, feisty golden retriever that lives in Indiana with her human, Brooke Lamb-Ossorio. Poppy competes in NADD's Novice Division, but don't let her newbie status fool you. A natural-born swimmer, she's a two-time national champion in HydroDash. In addition to swimming, Poppy loves meeting her fans. This silly prankster is known to steal ballpoint pens to get attention.
So, do you know a canine companion that has what it takes to be a high-flying hound? Like any sport, dock diving takes time, dedication, and practice, but one thing is fur sure: The main event in this competition is fun. Diving dogs show us that anything is paw-sible!
QUESTION 1
1 / 4
This article is primarily about __________.
how to prompt your dog to compete in water sports
what natural athletic abilities most dogs have
an increasingly popular kind of water sport for dogs
a recent distance jumping record set by a dog
The article is primarily about an increasingly popular kind of water sport for dogs known as dock diving.
QUESTION 2
2 / 4
Which best describes the difference between Distance Jumping and Air Retrieve?
Height of jump matters in Distance Jumping, but length of jump matters in Air Retrieve.
Length of jump matters in Distance Jumping, but height of jump matters in Air Retrieve.
Swimming speed matters in Distance Jumping, but running speed matters in Air Retrieve.
Running speed matters in Distance Jumping, but swimming speed matters in Air Retrieve.
The best description of the difference between Distance Jumping and Air Retrieve is that length of jump matters in Distance Jumping, but height of jump matters in Air Retrieve.
QUESTION 3
3 / 4
Read this passage from the article:
There's a new dog in town when it comes to HydroDash…. Poppy competes in NADD's Novice Division, but don't let her newbie status fool you.
Which is the closest antonym for the word novice?
local
expert
amateur
junior
The closest antonym for the word "novice" is "expert."
QUESTION 4
4 / 4
Based on the article, which of these is true about the HydroDash event?
The chief ability required for this event is to leap incredibly high.
Canine competitors in this event primarily need to be fast swimmers.
Records in this event have been held by whippets in recent years.
Marbles the mixed breed is one recent canine champion of this event.