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The sun was beating down on the
square as Dock Dogs kicked off their first wave of competition at
1:00 p.m. on Friday. Several competitors and observers, including a
few groups of school children, gathered to watch the dogs dive off
the dock. The dog trainers and owners used a dog toy to coax the
dogs into jumping into the water. Some dogs were fearless
competitors, like Hydra, the black lab, who jumped in and enjoyed
swimming around the pool. After her trainer got her out of the water
the first time, Hydra ran back and jumped in the pool with the toy
in her mouth, showing off her skills and enjoying a cool swim. Some
folks even seemed to enjoy the occasional splash as the dogs hit the
water and it poured over the sides for a refreshing moment.
The only poodle in the competition
was Jojo. Jojo is a black-and-grey poodle with ribbons in her hair,
and it seemed as if she was afraid to get her hair wet. Jojo ran to
the edge of the platform after her trainer threw the ball in the
water and stopped just short of jumping. She could see the ball
floating in the water, but she was very hesitant to jump in even
with the afternoon’s heat. Jojo timed out and tried again later.
Dock Dogs Wave #2
The crowd at the corner of Pulaski and McLean was a little thinner
at the 3:00 p.m. wave of Dock Dogs, but the competition was still
hot. Several dogs from the first round competed alongside a few new
faces. The sun, heat, and humidity continued to beat down on the
square, but the pups were catching air as they dove into the pool,
competing for the farthest jump. Downtown Henry, a golden doodle,
was one of the top contenders, along with Doug and Doc. Hydra made
another appearance, splashing around after her drive. Some of the
dogs even jumped in a little preemptively, but those jumps did not
count as the toy had not been thrown into the water.
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Dock Dogs Wave #3
At 5:00, wave three of the Dock Dogs got underway with many
spectators gathered at the picnic tables, around the pool, and
on the courthouse lawn. Children gathered around the pool to get
a close look at the dogs and a splash as they landed in the
water. The announcers said the competing dogs were from as far
away as South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Indiana, and Wisconsin,
with only a couple from Illinois. He also explained that to
compete in the Dock Dogs competitions, the dogs must be six
months of age and their trainer or owner must be over the age of
7 with parental consent.
By the time her turn came around in
the third wave, Jojo was becoming more comfortable with the idea of
launching into the water, but still needed some encouragement from
the crowd, which chanted Jojo, Jojo, Jojo. Other dogs like Routy
Riffraff and Moses sailed through the air, captured the toy in their
mouths, and splashed into the water. They took another hour-long
break and then geared up for the 7:00 p.m. Extreme Vertical
challenge, where the dogs were expected to jump 9 feet into the air.
2026 Balloons Over 66 Dock Dogs photo slideshow part 1
2026 Balloons Over 66 Dock Dogs photo slideshow part 2
2026 Balloons Over 66 Dock Dogs photo slideshow part 3
2026 Balloons Over 66 Dock Dogs photo slideshow part 4
2026 Balloons Over 66 Dock Dogs photo slideshow part 5
2026 Balloons Over 66 Dock Dogs photo slideshow part 6
2026 Balloons Over 66 Dock Dogs video playlist
[Joli Boerma Crane] |
