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DS120: Fly Farther: Dock Diving Skills and Strategies

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DS120: Fly Farther: Dock Diving Skills and Strategies

Course Details

Dock diving is a sport with unlimited opportunities to fine tune your dog’s skills and your own handler strategies! But when you only have a limited amount of time on the dock each week to practice, how do you make the most of that time?

This class gives you a blueprint system to address all of the common issues in dock diving dogs, as well as strategies for correctly introducing new dogs to the pool or advancing more experienced competitors to the next level. If you are new to the sport, need help troubleshooting, or have a dog with a lot of potential that you want to advance smoothly and thoughtfully, for best results in dock diving- you’ll want this class!

Lectures cover common introduction strategies: To the pool, to the dock, to each type of specialty event in dock diving. They will provide troubleshooting plans- both to help you understand what is causing an issue such as early take-offs, hesitations, or slips- and specific plans to solve those. By popular request, this class addresses considerations about over-arousal while waiting or moving TO the dock, or while being held/staying. You’ll also find strategic considerations that can help build your dog’s confidence, power, and jump size. And you’ll learn how to make the best use of practice time at the dock, at the lake, or at home- in order to actually progress your training rather than mindless jump after jump with no real purpose. Preserve your dog’s body and mind -and your pocket book- and make each jump count in a way that is more fun for both of you!  

To make the most of this class, you’ll want access to a dock with good traction once per week during the 6 week class term. A half hour rental slot at your local dock diving pool or a trip to your lake, if the boat dock is safe to jump from, will give you more than enough time to get your dog’s training in with some maintenance training that you can work on between pool visits. Should you have more regular access to a pool  or swimming area during the class, you could certainly make use of those too.

Teaching Approach 

This class offers a hybrid approach- with the bulk of the instructional lectures released all at once at the start of the semester as a basic blueprint guideline. Students will have the option to work through each lesson, which comprises of written instructions and video demonstrations, or get guidance and specialized help with troubleshooting a particular issue- 'handler's choice' style!  Supplemental lectures may be added throughout the term, inspired by students with progressions or problems that require a unique approach. 

Erin LynesInstructor: Erin Lynes

Erin (she/her) is a lifelong dog enthusiast from Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada. Erin is certified as a Karen Pryor Academy Training Partner, a Certified Profesional Canine Fitness Trainer, a Licenced Family Dog Mediator, and as a Cani-Fit Leader, ...(Click here for full bio and to view Erin's upcoming courses)

Syllabus

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0.0 Getting Started in Class

  • Strategic Use of Pool Time 
  • Toy Drive
  • Toy Skills
  • Restraint and Handling
  • Warm Up/Cool Down Routines
  • Reverse Engineering Optimal Arousal

1.0 Swimming and Pool Introductions

  • Swimming Intro- Natural Water Bodies
  • Swimming Intro - Pool
  • Rampwork before Dock Diving
  • Intro to Dock

2.0 Distance (Long Jump) Event Skills

  • One Stride at a Time
  • Precision Starts
  • Weight Shifts and Initial Strides
  • Place and Send
  • Run and Gun
  • Chase and Catch

3.0 Throwing

  • Throw Styles
  • Throw Timing
  • Thrower Positioning

4.0 Speed Events

  • Teaching Mark
  • Backchaining a Fast Return
  • Startline Setup

5.0 Suspended Toy Events

  • Introducing the Rig
  • Transferring to the Dock
  • Striding
  • Plan B
  • Strategic Training

6.0 Fast Fetch

  • First Throw
  • Transitions
  • Putting it Together

7.0 Troubleshooting

  • Stays
  • Scrambling Starts
  • Early Take Offs
  • Hesitations
  • Flat Jumpers - Shaping a Pop
  • Slips and Falls

 

Note: this class is VERY suitable for gold and silver level students with unusual dock diving issues, and additonal lesson plans can be tailored to dogs working at that level. 

 

Prerequisites & Supplies

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This class is best suited for dogs who have already been introduced to swimming, and have a strong interest in retrieving toys. Previous experience at a dock diving pool specifically is not required. Dogs already training and competing in dock diving will find a lot of value in this class with troubleshooting lectures designed to fill in foundation skill holes, and improve individual skills for better jumps. 

 

  • Access to a Dock- to make the most of this class, you'll want to be able to access a dock that is safe for your dog to jump from at least once per week (half an hour-a longer time slot is not better unless you're sharing time with other dogs). This could be a competition dock diving pool, a boat launch, or canine swimming facility. Pool/dock do not need to be competition length- we can adjust for that- but we do need appropriate traction that will not be slippery when wet. You may be able to bring portable turf or matting to a local lake dock to make it usable if no other options are convenient. 
  • Floating toys that your dog enjoys retrieving. For distance events, use whatever toy your dog prefers and is easy to throw. I recommend checking your competition leagues to ensure you are also training with any toys that are mandatory for specialty events. Depending on the league, this may include:
    • Dokken Double String Foam Bumper
    • Nerf Competition Stick
    • Atlas Air Retrieve Bumper
  • Some exercise will make use of a couple of pool noodles placed over a firm rod (pool net handle, etc) 

Sample Lecture

More

Introducing the Rig (AR/Vertical).... Go to the ramp!

 

The ramp is the ideal place to introduce our dog to grabbing the suspended toy off of the rig because it eliminates the 'edge' and makes focusing on the toy that much easier.

You'll need some hand-held version of a rig for this- it's as easy as tying a couple of strings to a pool net handle, add a couple of dollar store clothespins, and you're all set. 

The video below shows how I grow this skill on the ramp.  It often helps the dog realize that their toy is available if, for the first few times, you dip the toy into the water- then they can follow it visually as your helper raises it up. 

  • First fairly low but off the water- out far enough that the dog can't reach it if they stand on the ramp
  • gradually raise height
  • then add a little further distance from the ramp with the added height. 
  • Before moving to the dock, eliminate the toy dip

 

 

We are looking for the dog to launch confidently for the toy.   This can take just a few repetitions for some dogs...  and several sessions for other dogs. They are not ready to progress to the dock if they are inching up to the rig and trying to reach for it before jumping or if there are any sorts of hesitations prior to grabbing it. The benchmark of launching confidently is not worth rushing, it is a true indicator of readiness before moving to the dock for our next steps. 

 

Testimonials & Reviews

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A sampling of what prior students have said about this class ...

This course contains a wonderful A-Z library of videos and lectures about many, many aspects of dock diving and how to build the required skills. Erin provides prompt and individualized feedback for Golds that help the student focus on the lectures that are most beneficial for their current needs. This 6-week course helped build my understanding about how to approach a training session to build up my and my dog's skills for bigger jumps. Highly recommend.           


Erin is a great instructor! She was very good at meeting all the gold students where they were with their dogs and her lectures were very thorough.   


This dock diving class was just what I needed. I had no previous experience with dock diving other than going to the pool and tossing a toy. Erin has an eagle eye for identifying problems in a dogs jumping. She provided awesome detailed feedback with specific suggestions for helping us achieve our goals- jumping fun with safety. Erin provided us with new skills to continue long after class ended.   


The class is really at your own pace and Erin is there to help you wherever you are on your dock diving journey. Her feedback is wonderful!


Erin Lynes lectures were extremely helpful in understanding the content of this course. I think the best part was being a part of the forums, in which we could ask individual questions or questions for the group as a whole. Erin was extremely encouraging and thoughtful with her feedback. Great class--I would definitely consider going Gold next time around!


The class worked out well. The leactures were easy to read and understand, and from there I was able adjust my own training, and start to see what I needed to do better from a handler point of view. The instructor was able to show specific parts that I needed to pay attention to, as well as provided good feedback overall. Super enjoyed this class and getting better with my training

Registration

Next session starts: June 1, 2025
Registration starts: May 22, 2025
Registration ends: June 15, 2025

Registration opens at 10:30am Pacific Time. 

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Tuition $ 260.00 $ 130.00 $ 65.00
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