Dock Dogs Northern Stars

Watch the Dock Dogs Video

The Ely Chamber of Commerce will kick off the summer season with a new event, Ely's Pet and Wildlife Expo, featuring DockDogs® June 5-7 in Whiteside Park. Ely will team up with the Dock Dogs Northern Stars, an affiliate club of DockDogs®, to bring the exciting and energetic sport of dock jumping to our back yard. This event will consist of competitions in three disciplines: Big Air, Speed Retrieve, and Extreme Vertical. Big Air features dogs running down a 40 foot dock and jumping into a pool of water after an object, in which they are judged on the length of their jump. Speed Retrieve consists of dogs being clocked to see how fast they can run down the dock, jump into the water, and swim to the end of the pool to retrieve a dead fowl held by a modified extender arm. The final category is Extreme Vertical which is a “high jump” for dogs in that they lunge up to snag a “bumper” suspended in the air.

Ely Event, Ely MN June June 5-7, 2009

This DockDogs® event is open to any dog/handler team who wishes to enter. Please register in one of two ways:

Pre-Register:

In order to ensure office pre-registration placement please:
• Print out the Registration Form
• Complete Registration Form to its entirety and mail a Check payable to DDNS to:

DockDogs Northern Stars
Linda Ruiz, DDNS Administrator
13212 Able Street NE
Blaine, MN 55434

• The cost for Pre-Registration for each discipline is as follows:

o $20 per wave
o Youth Handlers (age 7-15) $10 per wave
o Fun Jump $10 per dog
o Let's Try Dock Dogs $10 per dog (limited to 10 dogs)

• Pre-Registration will close Wednesday June 3rd, 2009 at 5pm.
• Pre-Registrants will be given PRIORITY within the running order for each wave
• Please be sure to arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled wave to sign our waver and receive your competitor's packet.

Register On-Site:

• Please arrive at least one hour prior to the Wave in which you would like to complete to complete the required registration form and waver.
• On-Site registration will be available only as space permits.
• If a Wave fills prior to the close of Pre-Registration period, a waiting list will be started for that wave.
• The cost for On-Site Registration for each discipline is as follows:

o $25 per wave
o Youth Handlers (age 7-15) $15 per wave
o Fun Jump $10
o Let's Try Dock Dogs $10 per dog (limited to 10 dogs)

For any questions regarding registration please contact Linda Ruiz at Linda@dockdogsnorthernstars.com or 763- 754-8612.

PLEASE NOTE: Handlers or handler representative must be present to accept ribbons and awards. We WILL NOT mail these items after an event.

For further information on the sport of dock dogs and our club please visit www.dockdogsnorthernstars.com or
www.dockdogs.com.

Fun Jump vs. Let's Try Dock Dogs

Fun Jump = Open Dock

A Fun Jump is an opportunity available to anyone with a dog to come out and use the dock. Its objective is to give those unfamiliar with the sport a chance to try it out before entering the competition. Additionally, it provides an opportunity for those already familiar with the sport a chance to practice prior to competing. It is especially important to get your dog comfortable with jumping into a clear water pool, versus dark-colored lake water which they are typically familiar with. Fun jump participants will pay a flat fee of $10 per dog. This fee gives them unlimited access, during the allotted time, to practice their dog in: Big Air, Speed Retrieve, and/or Extreme Vertical. Dock Dogs Northern Stars members will be available to give pointers, instructions, recommendations, and answers to any of your questions. A DDNS staff member will be “unofficially” judging these jumps so participants can estimate what division their dog may be competing in. We will have our Big Air Bubbles (rankings) posted from prior competitions during the day, so participants can see where their dog would rank amongst other competitors. This session runs from 3-6pm on Friday June 5th, 2009.

Let's Try Dock Dogs = Instructional Class on the Sport of Dock Jumping

Let's try Dock Dogs is an instructional class available for anyone interested in learning more about the sport, as well as providing an opportunity to experience a jump before entering the competition. We will briefly explain the different divisions of the sport, how each one works, and provide an overview of the rules and regulations. After the class, and with the help of a DDNS instructor, participants will get a chance to try it out. Additional DDNS members will be available to give pointers/suggestions, answer any questions, and to help encourage your dog to jump. Our goal is to get your dog interested by providing a positive, fun, and rewarding experience! Having experienced first hand the thrill of the sport, most participants go on to register for a Big Air Wave Competition immediately following the class. Participants will pay $10 per dog for the class, receive an instructional packet, a Certificate of Completion, and a $5 DDNS voucher (which can be used either towards the purchase of a wave or items at our merchandise tent). This class runs approximately one hour. We have 2 sessions available on Saturday June 6th, 2009: 8:30am & 11:30am. Please arrive at least 30 minutes early to allow time for registration. Class size is limited to 10 dogs.

For more information on the sport of Dock Jumping please see our website at www.dockdogsnorthernstars.com or the national website at www.dockdogs.com.

For any questions please feel free to contact Cyndi Porter, DDNS President at 612-384-9673 or Cyndi@dockdogsnorthernstars.com or your area representative, Andrea Whiting, at 218-749-2677 or andrea@dockdogsnorthernstars.com.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone in Ely.

For pre-registration information, please contact Linda Ruiz at Linda@dockdogsnorthernstars.com.