Ultimate Air Dogs

Started in 2005 by former Detroit Tigers Pitcher
Milt Wilcox, & his son Brian, Ultimate Air Dogs has soared to the top simply because of a down to earth attitude, grass-roots background, and ability to make every competitor feel welcome! The philosophy of UAD is all about “family”. This is not a discipline sport in that two handlers are allowed on the dock at a time to help Fido stay in a “sit”. – UAD

This past weekend Tom, Josey, Gambler and I attended an Ultimate Air Dogs event that was being held at the first annual Bark ‘N Brew -Two days of celebrating canines and cold ones. It’s been 3 years since I dock jumped with Gambler. I attended the UKC Premier back in 2013 where Gambler received his UKC Senior Jumper title, his longest jump was 18.3ft. So I thought it would be fun to take Gambler out for a day of fun since he loves to clown around and this would be the spot. Tom practiced pier jumping with Josey earlier in the summer and she loved it so Tom wanted to take Josey to see if they could get a title in dock diving and to just have some fun.  When we first arrived at the park we headed over to the Ultimate Air Dogs tent, met Brian the co-owner of the company and Heather their secretary. Heather checked us in and answered any questions we had. Once that was done the dock was open and Brian helped our dogs learn where the exit ramp was so after a jump they knew where to get out. All new dogs jumping need to do this first off and it’s a good idea for experienced dogs to do it also so their used  to the surrounding and where things are.  First Josey went up the ramp on the outside of the pool then Tom tossed a bumper into the pool, Josey took off and retrieved her bumper. Brian helped call Josey over to the ramp and helped her learn how to climb the ramp to get out. This was done a few times until the dog was confident on getting out. Then they went up on the dock and went to the end and jumped off from there. Jumping into a pool is different than jumping off a pier. Jumping into a pool with clear water the dog can see the bottom and it can scare some dogs so you need to get your dog used to the pool before hauling off and jumping into a pool. Everything is done for the safety of the dog, you don’t want to scare the dog and have it not want to do it as then it wouldn’t have a chance to have any fun. First up was Josey, when it’s your turn you can have two people on the dock if you would like to help, or it can be just you. Everyone dock dives a bit different and it’s all about what works for you and your dog. Tom was up on the dock himself and put Josey in a sit stay he then walked to the end of the dock started making a lot of noise to get Josey going and then released her and threw the bumper for her to retrieve. You get two jumps one right after the other and they will take the furthest jump as your score. 

There are two different methods used at dock jumping events. The first is called the ‘chase.’ Handlers that use this method place their dog in a sit stay where they want the dog to start from on the dock. At Ultimate Air Dog events, you can use this method even if your dog does not have a good sit stay as two handlers are allowed on the dock, and someone can hold the dog. The handler then walks to the end of the dock, releases the dog, and throws the toy as the dog runs toward them. The point is to try to get the dog to launch and chase the toy in the air. This method is a little harder to use, for several reasons. If the handler waits too long to throw the toy, the dog may slow down or even stop in anticipation. If the handler throws too early, the dog may take off too early on the dock, losing valuable extra inches and even feet! It’s very hard to time the throw properly, but once a handler gets it down, it can encourage the dog to launch at a higher angle and help keep them from jumping flat. If the dog has high enough toy drive, it will try to follow the toy in the air. The ultimate goal is to throw the toy right in front of the dog so it seems close enough for them to catch but far enough ahead that the dog really extends and reaches for the toy.

The other method is called the ‘place and send.’ In this method, the handler walks the dog to the end of the dock, throws the toy out into the pool, and lets the dog mark it. The handler walks the dog back to the beginning of the dock, makes sure the dog is focused on the toy, then releases the dog. A larger toy that sits high in the water works better for this method, so the dog can see the toy as its running down the dock. With a smaller toy, if the dog can’t see it, they may slow down or even stop in order to locate the toy placement. The ‘place and send’ method works well for dogs that jump off of speed, or even flyball dogs as they are used to going after a non-moving target. However, there is no way to control the launch angle, and you may lose height off the dog’s jump. If the dog does not have a natural ‘pop’ off the end of the dock, it will probably jump flat. It is a good method for those that do not have very good throwing abilities, as it does not require as much accuracy and coordination. – Ukc

Ultimate Air Dogs Divisions

• NOVICE: up to 9’11”
• JUNIOR:10’5 -14’11”
• SENIOR:15’5 -17’5”
• SENIOR!ELITE:17’6” -19’11”
• MASTER: 20’- 22’5”
• MASTER ELITE: 22’6” – 24’
• ULTIMATE: 24’1” -over

Your dog has to jump with in the divisions 5 times in order to receive a title in that division. Josey was consistent on all four splashes until the last splash she decided she wanted to go just a wee bit farther and jumped 10.7″ so that made her go into the next division so no title for her this weekend. She was so close to getting her Novice title. The jumps are held for the UAD calendar year then they board is wiped clean and you need to start all over for your five jumps towards a title. There was a big “awe” when the jump distance was announced but all in all it was a fun day for Tom and Josey!

The jumps were rotated with Josey going first then Gman taking his turn. There is a running order for the splashes so you hang out until it is your turn. Brian did a great job announcing the dogs that were up saying a little bio about them while on the dock he then would talk about UAD the rules, the divisions, the methods, the pool and would get the crowd going by telling them if they needed to get cooled off they could come up to the side of the pool and enjoy the water splash after the dog jumped. Once the dogs learn where they need to go to get out of the pool they come out of the pool and run along side the dock and then back up the stairs to get back on top of the dock to do their second jump. They dogs are pumped up and do this all by themselves most of the time so you just stay on the dock and call your dog to you. They dogs are oblivious to the surrounding and the other dogs hanging out at the dock, they want to jump so they are tuned in on that and nothing else matters.Gamblers bio was he was the brown clown and he showed it here by taking over the dock after he was done and trying to get in on Josey’s dock time.

A couple other events you can do at UAD:

“Catch-It” is a new twist on”Splash”, invented by our founder Milt Wilcox, and only at Ultimate Air Dogs!!! It runs the same way as a Splash, where two jumps for each dog are judged by distance. However, the dog MUST catch the object thrown for the jump to count. And, as opposed to Splashes, where only the best jump is the score, both jumps will count IF and ONLY IF the object is caught (not handed off) on each jump. Then, the jump distances are added together for the score. Not only is it an added challenge for the dog to catch the throw object while in mid-air, it also requires added thought and strategy from the handler.

“Fetch-It” is a sport developed by Bill Richardson & Milt Wilcox, where a bumper is suspended 4ft off the water, and starting at a minimum distance of 10ft out, the dog must knock the bumper out of it’s hold within two trys in order to move to the next level. The bumper is moved out at 1ft increments and the dog that knocks the bumper off at the furthest distance wins. It is not only a sport of endurance and skill. It also helps your dog to jump farther in our regular Splashes as it trains his or her muscle memory… and it is only found at Ultimate Air Dogs!!! – UAD

DIVISIONAL FINALS – Ultimate Air Dogs in the home of the Divisional Finals. We created these as a way to celebrate the smaller jumping dogs! We believe that the Novice Jumpers are just as special as the Ultimate Jumpers! Our primary focus is on each dog being the best that he or she can be, while just having a plain old, good time!

Here’s how the Divisional Finals work. At the end of the last Splash of the weekend, the Event Secretary will compile the scores, taking each dog’s one best jump of the entire event. If your dog competed in one or all of the Splashes, still only their best jump counts towards qualifying. Then, the Top 5 Dogs from each of the Divisions will be invited to participate in a Finals at no cost to them. – UAD

Thank Ultimate Air Dogs for coming to WI and giving us a fun filled weekend!