MEET ALEX
Welcome! My name is Alex Gerding. Over my lifetime, I have become an accomplished animal trainer and teacher as well as a show competitor, holding a German master’s certificate in equine business & equine science (Pferdewirtschaftsmeister). My experiences and passions in the field of working with animals and their beloved people include: biomechanics; behaviorism on a scientific level; psychological aspects and impacts around showing and competing; problem solving and positive solutions to repair the seemingly impossible; analysis and studies of performances; trick training; physical fitness and soundness; and the well-being of the animal as a whole. In addition to working with animals, I also work as a freelance writer.
When I first met Bernhardt, I did not have much of a history working specifically with dogs. However, my education and previous experience seemed easily applicable – some, indeed, worked instantly. On other levels based on the evolutionary differences of the two animals – the dog, a predator; versus the horse, the prey – there had to be some adjustments made which ended up not being too difficult. My initial desire was enabling a healthy rehabilitation for the then-weak puppy so as to make him an overall happy, playful fellow as well as get him out of his obvious mental fatigue and depression. To Bernhardt at this time, a ball or toy was more of an alien from another world than something for play. My eventual goal was to design a workout scenario that would form a well rounded, fit, and happy animal. It was then that we were introduced to the sport of dock dog diving.
Swimming, jumping, training, traveling, and competing with Bernhardt has been a life-changing experience that I never would have imagined nor ever want to miss. During our journey, we have seen, learned, and tried a lot. We both hope that sharing this incredible experience will be inspiring, educational, and helpful in so many ways, especially to anyone that enjoys animal sports and the discipline of dock dog diving!
MEET BERNHARDT
Bernhardt was found along the side of a road outside of Dallas, Texas in February 2018 and brought to a horse farm by one of the borders. He was an estimated six months old, weighing 28 pounds and showing every single bone through his skin that had lots of bald spots and oozing open sores due to a disease called mange. His toenails were so long that he could only stumble. His back was cringed and curled in a deformed shape.
When I initially saw him sitting in a crate in the barn aisle about to get his first warm bath, my head just spun and my first thoughts were:
“That little dog’s body was almost broken and still his eyes were merciful, his demeanor was full of forgiveness. He never argued, made no noise, and was still looking friendly at humans – even eager to meet somebody. To me, he was an angel with invisible wings, sent to earth to teach the true meaning of Christianity.“
During his first night by himself – in a new and unknown place, inside a crate with just a thick towel – he never made a single noise.
First morning after arrival. 
Food in small portions but many times a day. 
A head – that’s all there was.
Bernhardt’s genetic test showed him to be: 75% American Staffordshire Terrier, 12.5% Labrador, and 12.5 % Great Pyrenees. As some people would say, he looks like a Pitbull; one of the most stigmatized, and often wrongly assessed, breeds there is. His personality is full of play and friendliness while also being a combination of bold, timid, alert, and very observant. He can be very funny but also melancholic. He loves hunting and using his nose. His bright yellow eyes are a girl magnet. However, there is respect wherever he goes and often he does require a sixth sense in a handler who has skill with a solid maneuvering plan. Bernhardt is a hard worker who, once rolling, seems to never run out of energy because he has lot of power! His average Fast CAT speed was clocked between 26 and 27 miles per hour.
As of October 2020, Bernhardt holds the DockDogs junior and senior distance jump titles, the senior speed retrieve title and has earned two consecutive invites to their world championships (distance (2019), speed retrieve (2020)). With the North American Dock Dogs (NADD) he holds a junior, senior, and masters title in distance (personal best of 21 feet and 6 inches). Also with the NADD, he holds a senior advanced title in air retrieve (personal best of 18 feet) and a senior title in the hydro dash (18.784s best swim time). He has been a participant at the NADD/AKC National Championships in 2019 in distance, finishing in the top 20 percent of a 300+ field of dogs; an even greater feat considering that this was after he had fully recovered from an injury that occurred earlier that year. On October 25, 2020, Bernhardt placed sixth at the DockDogs World Championships in the speed retrieve (express senior division), making him a finalist.
At the end of the 2020 NADD season, Bernhardt ranked first place in the nation within the distance/senior, breaking a tie to lead a field of over 1,200 dogs. In the hydro-dash, he ranked sixth nationwide in the senior division, and had qualified for every national finalist division. He was the on-paper favorite to get a national top three placing in at least in one of his three disciplines going into the competition. However, there were required changes in the setup at the NADD championships due to the COVID-19 pandemic which involved poor weather-related conditions; water temperatures were unacceptable and forced a full withdrawal from the completion in order to protect Bernhardt’s well-being.
Bernhardt is a very special dog. He is lucky and protected by unknown forces. His path is purely based on him and faith; his final destiny and purpose not yet known. He has gone through a stunning transformation, developing from having almost no interest in toys or play and limping due to stiff biomechanics (which made me think about the tremendous rehabilitation values of just swimming, without even knowing whether he even could do it) into an athlete. Early on, I kept wondering whether he could even just jump up to the backseat of a car and that I might be lifting him a lot in our future – there definitely was at first.
Bernhardt has made me a much better, more observant, and detailed animal trainer than I ever was, and has taught me how to say something when I see it. And most importantly, to look much more at the world through the eyes of the animal. One of his missions was to get me to start writing; most notably, his story. His story illustrates how we accomplished our triumphs, the formation of the bond between us through all the the hurdles, challenges, soundness, and fitness issues we had to solve, the tricks we used, where and how we trained and worked. This story also includes the variety of judgmental issues we have encountered, purely based on prejudice and the interesting approaches of outside trainers, the many ways there are to learn the variety of disciplines, how to cope with competing… the list goes on and on. This website is meant to not only bring his sport of dock dog diving closer to the public, but also make it more transparent. Another mission of this website is to provide a library of educational material. You have access to the reflections from a lifetime of experiences, expertise, and philosophies of a true horseman, animal behaviorist, and expert in the field of training.
There is one thing is certain: Bernhardt sure does love the water but he hates the rain – and so be it. Enjoy!