Some of the top ranked dogs in the sport of dock diving will once again compete September 30 – October 2 at the Lake Lanier Pet Fest in Gainesville, Georgia. Dixie Dock Dogs, a non-profit organization benefitting various canine charities, hosted their first competition in this area last year, and it was a huge success.
Bill Akin of Watkinsville and president of Dixie Dock Dogs is very excited about the club having this competition again this year. “We were so well received last year with lots of excitement from the people of the Lake Lanier area. We have had quite a few inquiries over this last year asking when we were going to have another dock diving event here.”
Covering the entire state of Georgia, Dixie Dock Dogs is affiliated with the national organization DockDogs USA. The competition will again be held at Laurel Park on Old Cleveland Highway in Gainesville. It will feature dogs jumping great lengths to splash down into a pool of water.
According to Akin, a regulation 40′ dock and 40′ x 12′ pool of water will be brought onto the park property. Dogs from all over the country will come to compete in the three sporting disciplines of DockDogs: Big Air, which measures the length of their jump, Extreme Vertical, which measures the height, and Speed Retrieve, which measures their speed.
“It’s an awesome sport,” said Nancy Akin, Dixie Dock Dogs publicity chair, “and, due to its popularity last year, we are expecting the Waves to fill up quickly. Online preregistration is highly recommended. You can find the preregistration link at www.DixieDockDogs.com.”
The Akins report they are expecting over 100 dogs to compete in the 3-day event. Dock diving is a sport for any breed or any size dog, and everyone in this area is encouraged to bring your dogs out to give it a try. Dixie Dock Dogs will have Practice Coaches available to show people new to the sport dock diving strategies and give tips for getting started in the sport.
For more information about the Dixie Dock Dogs event at the Lake Lanier Pet Fest, please visit DixieDockDogs.com. You can also contact Nancy Akin at 706-540-9395 or Bill Akin at 706-540-6539.