During my extensive career of working, training, and competing the equine athlete and recently the canine, I have seen and felt the negative impact of malfunctioning soft tissue areas; even in my own body. Muscle spasms and cramps hindering the flow of free energy, preventing joints from working properly, limiting swinging motions (through the back), balance (with the neck), or powerful kicks (using the hamstrings). All of these result in poor biomechanics which will eventually stress the body, wearing it down.
The benefits of frequent bodywork and massages are scientifically proven, they fundamentally originate from ancient delivered treatment techniques and have developed over centuries based on real time experiences. Being part of the dock diving circuit, which features a very high body impact and reactivity sport and my moral and ethical commitment towards my partner to do whatever necessary to support his soundness has led to my decision to complete a Certified Canine Massage Therapist (CCMT) program.
I found that in Becky Brandenburg’s canine sports massage course. It was just what I was looking for: in-depth details, passion developed through decades of experience and successful treatments across a large variety of clients, and a sophistication as seen by the inclusion of all body areas. It is an intense hands-on course.
When I took Becky’s course, there was a pack of seven rescued dogs with various body shapes and with very different personalities. For me, this set Becky apart from any other options out there. Becky’s teaching style was rational, succinct, and accompanied by many visual study materials that were made available. For my final exam of the course, I worked with her own dog, a 4-year-old flat coat Retriever named Mabel. Becky chose this dog for me and with that she expressed great confidence and trust in my work since that particular dog is quite long haired and has a muscular and skeletal landscape that is not very refined, making the act of locating the exact areas to treat her a truly difficult test. Mabel is also mentally very aware of her treatment, her eyes and breathing patterns easily reflecting the skill level of the therapist. To those who really know me, you know that this is the exact kind of animal with which I love to work!
Needless to say, my session with Mabel was very fluent and natural, filled with positive energy. There are a few ways of assessing a successful treatment, and Mabel exhibited semi-sleeping, quiet eyes, and a calm breathing pattern. All of these create a sense that the dog is totally with me.
Passing Becky’s course requires a lot of determination, feel, and technical skill. The knowledge of both biomechanics and the functionality of muscular and skeletal systems is fundamentally important. Equally essential is the understanding of animal behaviorism, body language, the ability to communicate through hands and body. To be successful as a CCMT boils down to the ability to feel, locate, and treat.
Thank you, Becky Brandenburg and thank you, Mabel for confirming what your mom knew all along!
Keeping it safe, fun, and defining the borderline of tolerance.
One of the most important topics for me working with Bernhardt’s swimming, retrieving toys, and jumping after them from a dock was the water. Early on, I did a lot of online research, interviewed a couple of different veterinarians, asked the North American Diving Dogs (NADD) organization management for advice, and talked to as may dock diving facility operators as possible. So, I have gathered the results of that study to serve as a fundamental guideline for promoting good decisions when swimming a dog.
Before starting, major factors to consider for swimming a dog are: coat, size, age, and overall health and fitness level. Another factor is the eventual use of protective gear. There are customized neoprene wet suits ranging in thicknesses, depending on whether the whole body (including the head) is exposed to water impact and to what depth the dog will go under the water. There can be a severe temperature difference of several degrees between the water’s surface and below the surface. The duration (time in the water) of swim matters as well as the outside temperature and the amount of work the dog has done prior to entering the water, as these factors create a difference in body heat.
As a general margin, most dogs (not all) can tolerate a temperature of 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit (7 to 10 degrees Celsius) with environmental (outside air) temperatures of no lower than 45 degrees Fahrenheit. The gap in temperature between environment and water is very important to keep in mind. A pool that is set outside overnight with tens of thousands of gallons water – or indoors, filled with hydrant water – that has a water temperature in the low 30’s Fahrenheit will not be able to heat up enough for the competition the following day, even if the environmental temperatures reaches 70-degree margins. Jumping in the cold water from warm environmental air feels like exposure to severe ice water.
Bernhardt has a short hair, no undercoat, and very little fat layers. Similar coat conditions occur in Greyhounds, Whippets, and mixes thereof (Vizslas, Dobermans, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, German Shorthaired Pointers, and so on). These dog breeds actually dominate the diving circuit. They have shown hesitation and begun to refuse entering or swimming in water that is at temperatures around 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 degrees Celsius). Quite the contrary are the thick coat, or double coated, dogs such as Labradors, Newfoundlands, Saint Bernhards, or similar breeds which have shown no problems enduring temperatures in the low 30’s Fahrenheit or even lower. My feeling here is where I will not go in, my dog should not go in either; a 16-degree Celsius margin.
Small dogs (lap class contenders) are not as sturdy, senior dogs are more fragile, and puppies should definitely not get a horrible taste of the wild early on in their precious lives. It should be logical to be aware of any underlying health conditions such as Cushing’s disease, heart conditions, kidney disease, or diabetes as these impact a dog’s ability to regulate their body temperature properly. Hypothermia begins mildly when the dog’s body temperature falls to 90-99 degrees Fahrenheit, moderate hypothermia is measured at 82 – 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and severe hypothermia below 82 degrees Fahrenheit (27.7 Celsius); one should be vigilant looking for signs such as strong shivering or trembling, sleepy or lethargic displays, stiffness, diluted pupils, or lack of coordination. If you must work your dog in colder water, then you should slowly condition the dog prior to the work so as to get them accustomed through a step-by-step procedure over weeks. The length of swim time can be a matter of life and death since prolonged outings can lead to hypothermia, a sudden impact to severe shock and psychological trauma.
I personally use protective gear on Bernhardt when the temperatures are below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. But in the end, I prefer to not swim him in these conditions, period.
Bernhardt’s custom neoprene wetsuit.
Dogs who are toy-driven or playful towards prey are notorious for exceeding their own limits, pushing themselves further and further. The combination of chilling water and outdoor temperatures in the mid 40’s (Fahrenheit) with a breeze on top of that seems destined to impact muscular and tendon functionality, which are about to perform the next high agility move, in a rather negative way. It is imperative to monitor the amounts of jumps, water contact, and swim times during these treacherous conditions with eagle eye precision. The imprinted pattern to jump and chase after their object of desire drives the dog to throw themselves into ice water. Yes, dogs will jump without hesitation based on what they learned but also what they do not yet know. It could be the very last jump of their career, or their lives, and one must absolutely be aware of the possibility and your subsequent role of responsibility.
Some stationary diving facilities do offer constant monitoring of their water through a permanently installed or floating thermostat. This is the absolute right thing to do. Not only is it morally right, but it speaks to the quality of the facility. Almost all mobile docks operated by the main hosting organizers do lack transparency in regards to the water conditions that they offer and leave it up to the customers who have varying amounts of education in making decisions regarding the exposure of their dogs. In my view, it should be made mandatory to establish thermostats at outings. By doing so, data is provided which leads to informed decisions in the best interest of the well-being of the animal. The actual temperature should be publicly disclosed for everybody to see before you pay admission fees, just like at a public swimming pool. Simply put, just sticking your hand or arm into the water is not a one-hundred percent safe procedure in making a decision. Your hands might be cold and the water seems warm, or the surface feels alright but just two feet further down it is almost freezing since the pool sits on asphalt or grass and is not insulated. The water is considered to be too cold once you feel stinging or burning sensations on your skin when exposed.
Water temperature is a critical material fact, not only in the business of dock diving but also for those just wanting to play with their dogs at a pond or the ocean shores. Bernhardt does not know before touching the surface what this will be about me throwing a toy or a stick. He will happily execute the task he loves to do, just to eventually get badly hurt or traumatized. I hold tremendous power over the outcome and in direct result, I also hold power over his physical and mental well-being. Trust once lost is a hard thing to regain, and a life lost is a tragedy.
Bernhardt’s first time in a suit. Looking good and protected!
When commercial interest promotes mass consumption, lowers the quality of the sport, endangers soundness and well-being of animals, and opens the gate for sandbaggers.
One of the large entities that host dock diving events on national levels as well as being an American Kennel Club (AKC) affiliate offers a very unique model to qualify for their annual year-end event featuring the North American dock dog diving championships. One way to get there is through the simple accumulation of thirty jumps within a designated division or fifteen jumps in a special discipline, such as air retrieve or hydro dash. This must be done within a current season and since jumps do not expire, it can also be done through a sequence of seasons. The only performance that actually matters is staying within the margin of the division at which the dog is ranked. Basically all that one has to do is pay for and complete the entries: $840 within a season at minimum for distance jumps or $420 for a special discipline. It does not matter whether you are at the lower end or middle of the pack (of competitors): pay and are on your way. And eventually, you hope for a burst of talent and energy – or knowingly have prepared for such outcome using the title card wisely – to get a final slice… if that even matters.
The business logic of that system is not only very revenue-friendly by creating gigantic fields of the “I’m just glad to be here” folks paying $75 a pop at the year-end finals, it promotes an oversized crowd that is nearly impossible to effectively manage, which then leads to inappropriate conditions promoted by all who are involved. It also caters to limited or non-competitive dogs and the emotional stage of their handlers. The AKC will recognize the very simple fact that someone launched their dog thirty times (and unfortunately, that number can reach into the hundreds) off of a dock and into a pool, so they issue a credential of outstanding performance which can get framed and hung on the wall. These are bragging rights of the engaged human. A dog truly never cares about a title certificate nor does it know what level of venue it is at, whether it has been part of the US Championships, or has qualified or competed at those events. But to the human, it is of superior ideological and emotionally rewarding value. Winning even when losing seems to be all that matters. d
One can see very clearly through the overall company strategy what the real message is. Qualifications are easily available and possible through a “you win and you are in” system. The ranking criteria has a narrow margin for success by limiting entries to one per qualifier where other companies offer four entries but absolutely no title option. Further, the act of allowing only the top ten of the season into the field for the finals channels the vast majority of competitors towards the title route. Now you may ask: why is all of this bad?
SOUNDNESS & WELL-BEING
We will focus is on the main actor: the dog. The starting allowance age of a puppy that is eligible to jump with that organization is six months. Yes, six months to drop off a 2’6″ dock, chasing after an obstacle of desire while being energetic, playful, willing, and seemingly in need of a serious workout. As a reminder, the maturity level of dogs circulates around 12 to 18 months of margin and the larger, heavier breeds can take even more time.
There is no daily limit to entries at the so-called “cluster shows” which enables one to jump four times a day – at least twice plus eventual practice, warmup, and possible “try it” jumps – which at best ends up with an estimated 48 attempts, of which 16 will count towards a title. Most dogs are actively jumping each day of a four-day event. Younger dogs undergo serious repetitive risk exposure to slipping, sliding, and foremost severely challenging body impacts. And at this young age there is still a huge deficit in proper coordination and balance without much in the way of self-preservative judgement. The bones, joints, and soft tissue are still undergoing growth spurts and firming up procedures, mildly strengthening exercise with caution would be the proper way to go.
I have seen a Vizsla at a breed show who was approximately seven months of age jumping sensationally into the twenty-foot range, but not just once or twice. Every break there was between rounds, the owner paid for a “try it” and jumped the dog, over and over again, thrilled by the spectators’ attention without any real training goal in mind. Similarly, there was a case of a young dog with a milder form of hip dysplasia who was very clearly moving three-legged-lame down the dock, the facility operators fully aware of the fact yet not pulling the dog or trying to make the owner aware. Might be bad for business!
Once one title is accumulated, the dog will eventually be moved on to the next discipline, collecting more jumps as they go. Even the hall of fame nomination and criteria revolves around, you guessed it, the number of jumps leading to excellent title VIII. Compressed risk exposure for any animal through a human who is chasing merits over collecting jumps at an obsessive pace without any real true performance value will lead to a higher amount of serious injuries. This practice of using up animals at very young age estranges the handler from reality. Poorly conditioned and physically unfit dogs of any age undergo the “collector item” mentality of their owners can and will be severely damaged quickly.
QUALITY OF THE SPORT
National championships feature the very best of the country. They are the ultimate reflection and most transparent outing that the interested public gets to see. It is not the whole football league who buys their way to the Superbowl. There is a selective process in place supporting the quality of competition and also the conditions under which they are being held. The only way to get to finals must be as a direct qualifier, a seasonal final standing, or a win at an event final. Boring huge fields with rather limited looking jumps are a turn-off and nobody truly wants to sit and wait for decades to come, to see their favorite team on a livestream. Huge numbers of participants with only two docks available (2019 finals in Orlando, for example) leads to a stressful 90 seconds of dog practice, getting lost while not being able to find the pool exit, and distressed animal behaviors on display for the world to see. The handling of a rather sensitive animal, one that requires proper warm ups and decent practice time to get used to the environment, or the animal just needing to get off the ramp to simply being able to know where the “emergency” exit is becomes at times an impossible mission. Less is truly more when it comes to proper advertising for a great sport.
SANDBAGGING
Some handlers will no longer pay any attention to the physical, emotional, and actual real-time performance level of their dog. They get to the championship competitions with an, at times, zero percent competitive animal. But then there are more tricky owners going this route that truly happened; they qualified their dog, who all year has been around the seventy jumps level with an average distance of roughly 18 feet and never able to excel above that distance, then suddenly is at finals and finds their dog is being very competitive with top (distance) scores within the upper marks of 19 feet. It is very possible to work with positional placing or toy placement to control and manipulate actual length scores and keep the (score) number in the middle of the pack. The large number of outings would create the impression that this is truly the best that the dog can do. It is interesting, however, that in this particular case when the exhibition happens at a national qualifier or the championships, there is always some form of a notable almost miraculous outburst and increase performance quality which catapults the team into serious contender levels. Might it be that the dog knows about the prestige it is about to receive, such as winning? Also, in a much longer time frame, this particular handler might even end up becoming a hall of famer, completing up to some 500 jumps or better in that same division and going to nationals every year until the end of days using titles.
The title qualification modus lacks transparency. After all, it truly puts the well-being of some animals in real jeopardy and opens the door for questionable show strategies. Additionally, from an American Kennel Club (AKC) recognition standpoint, the true value of the certificate is on the very low end of selectively accrediting individual dogs for rather outstanding accomplishments. It basically states that the particular animal was able to jump tens of dozens of hundreds of times from a dock in a pool without any comparison of true performance that is based on credible, valuable standards. Just imagine getting a title for Fido jumping in your backyard pond every day retrieving his beloved stick, taking 30 short video clips and then off you go to nationals with the mindset of being an excellent water jumper. Those practices do not support a productive process trying to improve the quality of training, shows, breeding, or whatever other accompanying intention. For this reason, this topic must be seriously revisited not only to create a better concept but to also maintain superior integrity when it comes to agility performances.
US Championships, medals, ribbons, and titles are something very special, something that underscores performances of value and one should get there demonstrating masterful art and skill. As of today, a triple contender in water sports gets zero titles despite being a fully finished or well-rounded dog doing all disciplines. Throwing classical principles totally over board, creating mass consumption incentives at dramatic discounts where the true sport no longer matters cannot be the new mission statement for a nationally and internationally recognized organization like the AKC; particularly not when the profit is made through animal performances. There are much better ways of creating revenue, but they require in-depth thoughts that are distant from plain commercial interest. Class matters here: don’t forget the dogs!
