BigAir Dock Dogs for Boxers?

austin02 · #1 01-20-2004, 11:14 AM

Hi,

I found a link from a training website about the sport of BigAir, where the dogs run off a dock that is about 2 feet from the water and jump to catch an object. It's the newest craze in dog sports on ESPN, I've heard.

Anway, there's a local BigAir Dock Dog group here in San Diego that owners and their pets can join for free to build confidence and have fun! Well, I keep hearing how because a Boxer has the deep barrell chest, it doesn't make for a very good swimmer.

Do any of yours swim and swim easily with no problem AND do they like it? I've seen people teaching their Boxers to swim on the website, how do you do it?

Austin loves to fetch and go about neck deep in the water as long as he can feel the bottom (we're usually at the beach). I spoke with the main coordinator for the DockDogs and he said his rescue HOGAN, a pro in the sport and has been featured everywhere, was a puller and jumper on the leash, and it made him an excellent DockDog!

What do you all think about Boxers doing this?

jnlflip · #2 01-20-2004, 11:23 AM

Sounds cool! Roxie loves to swim. She dove right in the first time and realized there was no bottom. She started flailing her arms and I freaked out. But doggie paddling comes natural in dogs, so she figured it out before I could even get to her. She is a little freaked out if she goes out too far and can't see someone, but if she swims to someone she'll go out very far. I bet my Roxie would love that. That would be so funny to see a boxer flying in the air and splashing in the water!!

**Jan** · #3 01-20-2004, 11:36 AM

Some boxer swim just fine. I would get Austin a life jacket and see if you can get him to swim with it on.

austin02 · #4 01-20-2004, 11:46 AM

I just did a search on swimming and found plenty of good responses! Thanks! I'm hoping to get Austin involved in some sport since he loves fetching and is very confident. Hopefully he will take on to swimming!

matilda8255 · #5 01-20-2004, 11:53 AM

I have see labs do that before. They always look so happy when they jump off that dock. If Austin likes the water I say go for it. I bet he would have a blast. As far as I know boxers have no swimming issues.

Stephanie

BooBoo & Riley · #6 01-20-2004, 12:03 PM

My two loves to swim, but have never like to dive into the water. We have to go to the pond where there is a gradual slope into the water.

But as soon as summer comes around, I'll have to see if I can coax them into some water leaping.

Jaime&Louie · #7 01-20-2004, 12:31 PM

See mine's different. He only had exposure to rivers as a pup, so he doesn't mind wading in the river at all, he likes it actually. But deep water..... he sinks. I mean, he can sort of stay a float, but he's so muscular, and he's not used to dog paddling that the first time that he was "thrown" off the boat (my stupid ex boyfriend thought that would be funny) he started sinking. I dove in and he just about drowned me from panic. I got him back on the boat, but he sure didn't like the deep water. Now it freaks him out to be near anything but a river.
This summer I'm going to buy him a life jacket and see if I can't get him over his phobia.

But if yours doesn't mind the deep water, I'd say go for it! I've seen the dock diving thing on ESPN, and it looks like the dogs love it!

Good luck!

blurble33 · #8 01-20-2004, 02:27 PM

my girls have only been to the river too. one person asked me: how does that dog swim with out a tail?? i said well she is not swimming her feet are at the bottom, she has never gone into the deep waters

but i thought that was a great question!!

ranjacw · #9 01-20-2004, 02:40 PM

Two things your dog needs in order to be a dock jumper. First, your dog must be a good swimmer. Mostly your dog has to have an incrediblely high ball or toy drive. The dogs must be so crazy to get the toy you throw for them that they will do ANYTHING - including launch off a dock and end up in the water to get the ball and return it to you so you will throw it again. I say if they are having some "do it for fun" practices and your dog can swim and loves his toys to "go for it". Anything you do with your dog that is fun for you both builds great bonds of friendship between the two of you.

jackie

BooBoo & Riley · #10 01-20-2004, 03:18 PM

can't find any classes or trainers in the San Francisco bay area... oh well, BooBoo loves catching frisbees that he might have a chance to enjoy Big Air...