DockDogs - London International Food Festival - Jun 26-27, 2009

Our second event of the DockDogs season was the London International Food Festival. Lenny & I headed to London Fri night to be ready for our first jump on Sat morning. The DockDogs competition was held in beautiful Victoria Park. This is a huge park in downtown London, with many, many large mature trees . . . very, very nice location. There was shade over the pool for a portion of the day . . . it was just lovely. There was a good turnout of spectators, in spite of the weather . . . . yes, it rained on & off for most of the weekend. The sun did, however, come out on Sun for Finals.

Lenny finished the weekend taking 3rd place in Pro Finals with a 20' 5" jump. His BA results for the weekend were:
19' 5", 18' 5", 19' 3", 20' 5", 19' 3", 17' 8", 20' 2", 22', 20' 9", and 20'

Speed Retrieve: 7.215 secs and 7.105 secs for 3rd place

Extreme Vertical: successfully grabbed 5' 8" for 2nd place Cadet. I am thrilled with Lenny's EV effort as we have really been struggling with this discipline. I know he has a 6' + grab in him - we just have to find it!!

Lenny grabbing 5' 8" in EV !

Big Air leap!

Lenny launching off the dock in BA!

3rd Place Pro Finals !

Lenny's ribbons from the weekend in London

(1st, 2nd & 4th photos by Deb Hitchins Photography)

Clay's Bark in the Park 2009 - DockDogs

Our first event of the 2009 DockDogs season!! Clay's Bark in the Park in North Lawrence, OH was a blast! There were over 600 teams entered for the weekend, two pools and lots of sunshine & fun!! Lenny & I didn't make it into the Finals on Sun, but we sure had a great time.
There were some HUGE jumps over the weekend, with the winning jump in BA coming in at a whopping 27' 7" from Dart & Pam Karr . . .Dart makes it look so darn easy!! There were 4 jumps over the weekend of 27' + . . . . . . a team needed over a 24' jump to make it into Finals!!
Jordan & Sean McCarthy swept Speed Retrieve again with an amazing 4.968 seconds!! This team also had a BA qualifying jump of 26'11"! Ares & Jeff Wells won EV with an incredible 7' 2" grab!

It was quite a trip down . . . it seemed to take forever to get out of Buffalo! First, we went to the wrong restaurant to meet Karen & Mark. Finally made it to the right one, had lunch, then I just had to take some pics of this hotel that we saw on the way to the second restaurant . . .it was amazing.

Welcome to Ohio!

We drove in & out of rain, sometimes very heavy, most of the way down

Finally made it to Clay's Park!

A very beautiful, huge camping park

Getting ready for EV

Ready . . . . . Get it, get it, get it!!!

Karen, Bond, & Mark

had this caricature done at the park

Our new club . . . . Canada's 2nd Affiliate DockDogs club

Lenny trying on some bathing suits

Mark & Bond waiting in line for practice in the pool

Roo's first time on the dock!!! She didn't go off this time but she will!

This was the set-up for Clay's Park . . . . lots & lots of room!

The kids checking out their crates with new crate covers made by Auntie Vickie

Jett going for the DFT in Speed Retrieve

This little guy LOVED getting his toy & his little tail would wag the whole time he was in the water . . . .just like a little rudder!

This golf cart was the best thing for the weekend

Chic & Roo relaxing between waves

This is EV!!

What's a park without a campfire with good friends & bevvies?

On the way down to Ohio, we found this dog park just across the border into Buffalo. We stopped on the way down and on the way back home. We met these guys in the park during our stop on the way home. These staffies were adorable (no Breed Specific Legislation there) and this Great Dane was soooooo handsome!

Also on our way home, we stopped in Niagra-on-the-Lake for supper and found this neat little restaurant that had the most charming patio out back - it was lovely! This place had great food too! I wanted to take this bird sculpture home!

Clay's Bark in the Park was a really great time. I would definitely plan to go back next year!

Putting the Water in at the Cottage - May 16/09

Cathie & the kids on the beach

Chic

Miss Roo . . .she's a water baby!!

Thank God for tall people & chest waders!!!

The water going in for the season

After the Bath

Had to give Lenny a bath last night b/c he spent a bit of time in a swampy, mucky part of the woods on our walk . . . .he was filthy . . . .caked on mud almost everywhere!! After I bathed him, I went downstairs on the computer for awhile & when I was ready to go up to bed, I went to put him out for his last whiz before bed . . . .and there he was on the couch (his couch in the recroom) . . . . looking as comfortable as could be!!! Not really sure just how he got under the afghan, but it wasn't bothering him in the least!

Lenny Has Another Cousin!

Meet Lenny's other cousin, who lives with us . .. .she is a border collie named Roo! She is a cutie-pututie!!!

Roo's 6 month birthday was on Sunday, May 3!! She had a great birthday day - she went to visit sheep in the morning, then we went to the woods to run & swim in the pond & creeks, and then . .. we went to swim at the therapy pool . . . .we had very, very tired puppies in the van on the way home but, oh what a fun day was had by all!!!

Tara, Coco, and Roo - first-timers at the pool have to wear their life jackets!!

Roo & Coco (we were looking after Coco for the weekend)

Roo & Coco having fun at the therapy pool!

Lenny getting a workout on the underwater treadmill!

Tired, happy puppies!!!