Dock Dogs gets lots of attention in Lincoln on Saturday afternoon
 

[September 01, 2022]   If you like dogs and understand that every dog has its own personality and expresses that personality through body language and even facial expressions, then watching them run and jump into a pool of water while hundreds of people watch becomes all that more interesting.

Saturday afternoon the corner of McLean and Pulaski Streets in downtown Lincoln was jam-packed with people there to watch the 3 p.m. Dock Dogs competition, which was a speed retrieve event.

Picnic tables were set up at the end of the pool for spectators, but most took advantage of the fact that the area on the courthouse lawn adjacent to the pool is raised. Sitting in lawn chairs spectators got an excellent view over the pool and were able to see over those who were standing closer.

The only person who might have had an even better view was a worker on the Logan Count Courthouse roof. At the morning session of the dog competitions, someone was spotted leaning over the scaffolding that surrounds the courthouse dome. He was a worker, who was taking his break and took advantage of this superior height to take in all the sights around the city square.

Dock Dogs returned to Lincoln this year with competitions on Friday afternoon and Saturday from morning until evening. On Saturday, those who love to watch the animals could have spent the day downtown, visiting the large blue pool every two hours for a half hour to 45 minutes of dash and splash fun. Between shows one could veer away and enjoy the Art Fair, live music, lots of food opportunities, antique and vintage cars, or just a time of sitting in the shade and watching everyone else do all those things.

The 3 p.m. competition Saturday afternoon included two classes of retrieving dogs. The first were the less experienced and the second was an advanced competition. Each dog in each class had two chances to dive into the water, jumping into the pool and being measured for the distance of the jump and also the speed in which they were able to grab up the toy their trainer had thrown into the water.

Some were quite efficient and had the toy in their mouth before it even hit the water.

Some were swimmers, who preferred a smaller leap but a faster speed of swimming. Regardless of how the dogs went about it, they all achieved their goal much to the delight of the many people watching the show.

Before the competitions began the emcee explained the rules, pointed out the camera and electronic distance and timing process.

He said that each trainer and dog had their own toy that they brought with them for the competition. There were some rules about the toy. It could not be anything edible, and it could not be anything that was once living.

When the action began, the crowd was loud in their support and praise of each dog, a gesture that the trainers enjoyed greatly.

Dock Dogs is a large competition venue that holds events in a wide variety of locations. As each dog was brought onto the dock the emcee told where the dog and trainer were from and noted if they had competed at other Dock Dog events in the past. He pointed out the winners from other competitions.

All of the dogs and trainers at the Saturday afternoon competition were from out of town proving that this is an event that brings people into our city on Balloons Over 66 Weekend.

[Nila Smith]