Clay County is home to a North America Diving Dogs (NADD) champion.
Meet Sanji, a 3-year-old black lab, and his owner Gabby Knauer.
“I’m not too sure how I learned about dock diving. I just happened to stumble across it online and decided to give it a go,” said Gabby about her energetic service dog. “He is a multipurpose service dog and a sport dog for me! He definitely found his calling. He’s a natural!”
DOCK DIVING
Dock diving is a popular event for Labrador Retrievers, one of America’s most popular dog breeds, because they love the water.
NADD provides a structured and inclusive platform for dogs of all breeds, sizes, and skill levels to participate in this thrilling sport to watch the dogs participate in a variety of competitions, including:
Distance Jump: This is the quintessential dock diving event where dogs compete to see how far they can jump from the dock into the pool. It’s a speed, strength, and agility test, with dogs leaping impressive distances to retrieve their favorite toy.
Air Retrieve: In this event, dogs showcase their vertical jumping ability by leaping off the dock to snatch a bumper suspended over the water at varying distances. It’s a thrilling display of athleticism and precision as dogs strive to grab the bumper at the highest point possible.
Hydro Dash: Hydro Dash is a fast-paced race in which dogs retrieve a toy from the 37’ mark in the quickest time possible. It’s an exciting and action-packed event that showcases participating dogs’ speed and agility.
“While Sanji is a service dog, it is important to give working breeds an outlet. Working them not only physically but also mentally,” said Gabby about Sanji’s second time competing. “Service dogs do the work because they want to, but obviously, they are not working 24/7. So giving them other jobs that they enjoy makes for a happy dog!”
During the three-day event, which took place from October 24 to 26, Sanji competed in the open senior division against dogs from all over the United States and Canada.
On day 1, Sanji placed 28th in the open senior division for hydrodash.
On day 2, Sanji placed 15th in the open senior division for air retrieve
On day 3, Sanji competed in the finals for air retrieve
Gabby explained the top 15 dogs were invited from each division to compete, and Sanji excelled beyond his division, placing 22nd in open master air retrieve.
Gabby is beyond proud of Sanji, whom she has had as her service animal since 2021. She graduated from Northview High School with her first service dog, Muffin, who retired early due to the risks and Gabby’s concerns about her safety.
“We run into untrained pets a lot, so having a bigger, more resilient dog means he is safer in case of an altercation with an untrained dog,” said Gabby. “Unfortunately, Sanji has been attacked once, but because he’s much larger, he can bounce back and wasn’t injured badly.”
Gabby’s medical needs have also changed over the years, and she believes a lab is the ultimate dog: “There’s truly nothing they cannot do. Sanji excels as a service dog in multiple sports and soaks up new things like a sponge. He is definitely a one-in-a-million dog, though.”
Gabby says Sanji is a hard worker and gives 110%, “And what’s important is he knows I’m always there to support him.”
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