The Kansas City Pet ExpoChampionship Dock Dog Diving Event
The Kansas City Pet Expo has been selected to host the 2009 Zone 3 Championships. The event will feature the three disciplines; Big Air Wave, Extreme Vertical and Speed Retrieve.
In Big Air Wave, each team is allotted 90 seconds to get the dog down a 40 foot dock and into the water. The leap is measured using digital video stop-action technology developed by ESPN's MIS Department. The official jump distance is measured from the lateral midpoint of the end of the dock to the point at which the base of the dog's tail breaks the water's surface. In other words, the dog that jumps the farthest takes home the trophy!
In Extreme Vertical, the dogs jump up for a bumper suspended from a pole with an extender arm 8 feet out over the pool. The starting height for the bumper is measured from the surface of the dock to the bottom of the bumper. The starting height is 4'6" for the Cadet division and 5'6" for the Top Gun division. Each team is allowed to use up to 20' of dock for a running start and have 60 seconds to jump in the air and try to remove the bumper from the extender arm. Each team gets two chances to remove the bumper at each height. The bumper is raised in 2" increments until we have a winner.
In Speed Retrieve, the teams are racing against the clock. An object, usually a dead fowl trainer (DFT), is located 58 feet from the 20 foot mark on the dock on an extender arm. The race begins with the dog's front paws in the starting block, a 2 foot wide block painted on the dock. Time begins with the green light or starter's mark and stops when the dog successfully removes the DFT from the apparatus. The dog does not have to retrieve the DFT for a time but is encouraged to do so. Maximum time allowed is ninety seconds. The fastest dog takes home the prize.
Winning teams in each discipline qualify for the Stihl Dogs & Logs World Championships, held in Stillwater, Minnesota July 23rd to 26th. There will be lots of different breeds and sizes of dogs competing and there are sure to be some high flying, big splashing jumps! Dock dogs is the fastest growing dog sport in the country and is packed with fun the whole family can enjoy!
For more information and how to register to compete at this year's event, please visit DockDogsŪ official site by clicking on their logo.
Canine Agility
Agility is the ultimate sport for you and your dog. It is also one of the most exciting canine sports for spectators. In agility, a dog demonstrates its agile nature and versatility by following cues from the handler through a timed obstacle course. The course has jumps, tunnels, weave poles, and other obstacles. Agility strengthens the bond between dog and handler, builds confidence in dogs, provides an outlet for high energy dogs, and is great fun for both dog and handler.
The Dog Obedience Group (D.O.G.) will be putting their dogs through their paces for your enjoyment and to give you an idea how much fun it can be for you and your dog to take up the sport of Agility!
Flyball Tournament
presented by Tractor Supply Co.
Flyball is a relay race with 4 dogs on a team. The course consists of a starting line, 4 hurdles spaced 10 feet apart and a box. The first hurdle is 6 feet from the start line and the box is 15 feet from the last hurdle for a 51 foot overall length. The dogs jump the hurdles and step on a spring loaded box that shoots out a tennis ball. The dog catches the tennis ball and then runs back over the 4 hurdles. When the dog crosses the starting line the next dog goes. The first team to have all 4 dogs run without errors wins the heat. Tournaments are usually organized in either a double elimination or round robin format. Double elimination is usually best of 3 or best of 5. Round robin is usually best 3 out of 5 and the first team to win 3 heats receives 1 point towards their standing in the tournament.
The hurdles' height are dependent on the height of the dogs in the team -- 4" below the shoulder height of the shortest dog. 7" is the minimum height and 14" is the maximum height.
The world record time is 15.023 seconds by Touch N Go A, Las Vegas on September 14, 2008 at Stampede Nothing To It - Hurricane, UT.
For more information and registration information click on this link to the official web page.
Acro-Cats/Rock Cats Show
presented by MetroPet Magazine
The Acro-Cats are returning to the Kansas City Pet Expo. At last year's Pet Expo the "Cats" played to standing room only crowds. There was only one thing to do... and that was bring them back for an encore engagement!!!
These felines are nothing short of amazing as they ride skateboards, ring bells, roll barrels, walk the high wire, climb ropes, push a shopping cart, jump through hoops, and even run a cat-size agility course. And after all of that, they bring out their instruments and rock the place. This is not your mother's cat show!
For more information click on this link to their official web page.
Dog Fashion Show
At the 2008 Pet Expo, the k9 closet took dog fashion shows to another level. They gave us a high energy, out of this world canine fashion show! Who knows what surprises they have in store for us this year. One thing is for sure, you can count on the k9 closet to have some of the freshest and most innovative styles in dog clothing and accessories.
If you want your dog to be in step with what's hot this Spring don't miss the Fashion Show at the Pet Expo!
NOTE: For health and safety reasons the public will not be allowed to bring any animals into the The Kansas City Pet Expo except for animals assisting the disabled.
