They have speed, they have the vertical jump, they have athleticism in every fiber of their body, and they are coming to Holly Springs. No, it’s not a professional basketball team; however it’s a sport that is equally as exciting and entertaining. Coming to Dog Days at the Park on Sept. 26 and 27, Carolina Dock Dogs will be introducing the exciting sport of Dock Dog Diving to residents and their four legged athletes. That’s right, you may have an athlete right there drooling at your feet, and you didn’t even know it!

According to Carolina Dock Dog’s Vice President, Chet Van Fossen, “This is a sport everyone really can get excited about. I promise. It’s the group’s motto – Get Excited! Even if you don’t like dogs, you will leave the event with a smile on your face. It’s really something to see!” Van Fossen, a Holly Springs resident, should know. Not only is he vice president of the club, his yellow lab, Rosie, a master dock diving champion has traveled around the country to participate in several events.

Carolina Dock Dogs will be setting up a regulation pool and scoring meters at Womble Park over the weekend. The pool will be 40 feet by 30 feet and contain three feet of water, and have a 40 foot dock. Anyone with a dog who likes to jump, fetch, and swim is invited to come on out and register to compete. “This is a sport that is accessible to all dogs,” explains Van Fossen, “They don’t need to have any prior experience to participate.”

To enter a competition, dogs must be at least six months old. After filling out the paper work and paying the $25.00 participation fee, dogs will be registered in one of the qualifying events. The categories include: Novice (jumps 1 inch to 9 feet 11 inches); Junior (jumps 10 feet to 14 feet 11 inches); Senior (jumps 15 feet to 19 feet 11 inches); Master (jumps 20 feet to 22 feet 11 inches); Elite Master (jumps 23 feet to 24 feet 11 inches) and Super Elite ( jumps 25 feet plus). Competition on Sat. is from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., with final rounds on Sun. from 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. The top six dogs from each division will move on to Sunday’s championship round. Van Fossen explains, “Dogs need to have five jumps in order to move on to compete in more events on a national level. This is one event that will give owners and dogs a ‘leg’ toward achieving a title.”

In addition to the distance competition, there will also be competitions in vertical jumping and speed retrieval.

What if you are not sure your dog will actually want to jump? On Friday evening around 2:30 p.m. volunteers from Carolina Dock Dogs will be at Womble Park to work with your dog and see if they would be willing to make the jump. Owners will be required to sign a release form, and asked to help out the club with a $5 donation. During the training session dogs will actually take the leap off of the dock. “I have seen labs race down that dock, and then stop dead cold at the end just refusing to jump,” Van Fossen says. “Just because dogs love the water, maybe does not mean they want to take that leap of faith. I’ve also seen a little tiny Boston terrier just take off and shoot out into the water. Coming out to test to see if your dog will do it is a good way to make some assessments and see if you want to sign them up for the competition. They may just be afraid to jump into clear water instead of pond water if that’s what they are used to. We can see if they can overcome that.

Some just fear the dock itself. We can see if they will actually take the plunge with some coaxing and introduction to the pool.”

Van Fossen does warn, “We do not want to see any owners pushing or pulling their dogs into the water. This is not what we are about and we will not tolerate that. It has to be something the dogs have fun with, get excited about, and want to do. It is totally up to the dog and we will disqualify any owner who mistreats their dog.”

Owners are also asked to have their dogs on a leash that is either four feet long, or can be set to four feet. There is zero tolerance for dogs fighting. Owners and their dogs will be asked to leave the venue, no matter which dog started the fight. “This sport is also about socialization of the dogs, and we encourage responsible pet ownership as well as sportsmanship,” says Van Fossen.

Canine athletes from any town or state are invited to compete. Competition from VA, MD, OH, and PA are already signed up. For detailed information on the history of Dock Dogs, competition rules, and even videos of previous events, log onto www.carolinadockdogs.com or www.dockdogs.com . Those interested in participating in the Womble Park event may also contact VanFossen at (919) 632-4041 to have specific questions answered.

“We really want people to come out and see what this, even if you don’t have a dog that is participating. It’s just a lot of fun, and a first for Holly Springs to host such a competition,” Van Fossen comments.