They dived, they barked, they conquered.
Dogs of all breeds, shapes and sizes competed in a number of tasks Saturday at the North American Diving Dogs (NADD) South Central Regionals competition.
SouthCentral Mobile Dock set up a large pool of water for the competing canines to dive in and race against the clock at the Longview Convention Complex.
The event started with the hydro dash, which saw dogs take turns diving into the water to retrieve a floating toy and return to the dock in the fastest time. A distance jump and air retrieval tasks also were planned later Saturday.
Bri Benton traveled to the event from south of Houston with 10 dogs piled in an RV. She said she has eight more back home.
“It’s what I teach for a living and compete in,” Benton said. “We travel all around Texas mostly throughout the year, and every year we have nationals.”
She said diving and outdoor activities are some of the most fun things to do with her dogs. The sport is a great offering for dogs because it’s hard for them to fail since they’ll get rewarded no matter how they perform, she said.
“It’s a huge confidence booster, and there’s no better way to make a good relationship with your dog than doing sports with them, and dog diving’s one of the best ways,” Benton said.
As for the dogs, they have a blast no matter what, she said with a laugh. They’re also able to have an outlet to get all of their energy out while also making good use of it, Benton said.
Surf, a border collie/whippet mix, received a grand introduction before gracing the dock Saturday, with the announcer telling spectators if they wanted to see the world champion they should head to the dock.
Karen Erz was with Surf, who wore a sparkly blue collar with his name emblazoned on it. The moment she unhooked his leash from his collar, Surf seemed to switch into competition mode. He pointed his nose toward the water and arched his muscles in anticipation for Erz’s call for him to go.
On her command, Surf dived from the dock at least half the length of the pool and shot after the toy. He retrieved the toy and returned to the dock in 12 seconds, the crowd applauding his performance.
Erz said Surf is a two-time national champion and the NADD world champion for the hydro dash. She said he “loves it.”
His 12-second time at the event was just slightly above the world record time, but she added he would still likely be the fastest dog at the event.
“If you name a dog Surf, he better love to swim, right?” she said with a laugh.