Looking to get started in Tampa

[Lucy-tudeOn4Feet]

Hi all -
just discovered this sport - it would be a natural for my girl (even tho she's 6)
wish I'd discovered it a few years ago.
trying to get started with her in the tampa, fl area,
but it looks like the nearest club is down in Ft. Myers/Naples.
gas is kind of high now to go there, I'm thinking.

couple questions if y'all can help clarify to a newbie?

1. do people join a club to practice weekly, or just once in a while?
2. must you join a club in order to participate in an event?

3. I'm not clear on affiliations - splashdog vs. dockdog, I think I get.
I'm not at all clear on where ultimate air dog fits in.

any suggestions / info would be most appreciated !
any other Tampa/St. Pete dock jumpers out there?
thanks !

[sillylilly]

Hello! I am organizing a dock diving club here in tampa! I have talked to splash dogs and they will assist us in any way. However we face some obstacles. Alligators sharks and dogs don't mix. So I am researching places and cost and getting club info started. I would love to have your help and look forward to this being a great fun adventure. Please call me at 8135412328. the convention center is hosting an event here in oct!

Please keep in contact with me as we get this moving. Any ideas and help will be wonderful! We have the backing of downtown dogs and cheap in hyde park! I'm so excited and hope to meet lucy and you soon!

What do you think!

Johnna

[cmamy03]

Hi, I am over in Clearwater and I am eagerly looking for a group to join with my 1 1/2 year old lab Chloe. She LOVES LOVES LOVES diving and retrieving in the water. I am having such a hard time locating anyone near me who is interested!!! Please let me know how you are coming along with starting a group and if there is anything I can do to help! Thank you!

-Amy

[Rileysmom]

I am over in Lakeland and I am really wanting to get my puppy into splash dogs but with the price of gas it would be really hard to go to South Florida often enough to train him. Anything I could do to help get this club started here in tampa let me know. Thanks.

[cmamy03]

Well, you are the only person that has responded to me in our general area... I never ever in a million years thought it would be so difficult to find people in FLORIDA that were active in this sport! I guess the sharks and gators do pose a bit of a problem! I am willing to even travel a little bit but I haven't found anyone with a place for the pups to practice!!! Please let me know if you hear of anything, and I will let you know as well....

-Amy

[Rileysmom]

Did you talk to the other two people? I will start looking around here for a place. Maybe we could put some flyers up around the local pet shops and veterinarians. I really am serious about this, I plan on going to Ft. Myers this October. My boy really is really looking for a purpose and I think this would be fun for him and me. Talk at you later.

Heather

[Rileysmom]

If anyone is interested, Cypress Gardens is opening their waterpark for dogs and their owners on October 4. It is ten dollars for admission for 1 dog and 1 human, five dollars for each additional. The website to register is Humane Society of Polk County dot org. Look at special events, and then Rusty's pool party.

[Lucy-tudeOn4Feet]

Oh, that Cypress waterpark day would have been a riot - I read the post too late.
We're registered for the Ft. Myers event, I'm getting excited.
Yeah, I think the gators are a big concern.
The only docks I know about are at places where people put in their boats
on the bay, and that sure wouldn't work.
Hope to see some of you in Ft. Myers -

[pinto]

Hi, we are going to Ft. Myers for the first time on 1/3/09 to check it out. We live in Tampa. Are there any updates on starting a dock in Tampa area?
Happy New Year!!!

[Lucy-tudeOn4Feet]

So Pinto - how did it go? what did your pup think - fun?
nothing new up here in Tampa area, I don't think.
I don't know of anywhere to practice here.
There's an event coming up in Punta Gorda April/May.

[MollyBGoode]

There is now a dock and pool in the Tampa Area !!

Anyone interested send me a PM and I can fill you in on the details. We will be going up this weekend and will post some pictures then. It's an awesome 40' dock and 40' pool setup and we are in the process of getting a vertical rig installed this week.

[MollyBGoode]

Pool's up and ready for dogs !!

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z105/martymarge/100_2872.jpg

Here are a few from yesterday:

Roscoe
http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z105/martymarge/100_2881.jpg

Tadpole
http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z105/martymarge/100B2920.jpg

Mi'ja
http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z105/martymarge/100B2901.jpg

Great fun was had by all...people down here love to have a safe place to swim and play with the dogs.

Check it out at:

http://www.courteouscanine.com/

....vertical rig is in the process of being built.

[MollyBGoode]

We now have Super Vertical in Tampa...

Rebel tests it out....

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z105/martymarge/100_3541-1.jpg



http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z105/martymarge/100_3542-1.jpg

[Kruml's Rudy]

Love the setup. Great job! I think there's gonna be some big jumping dogs coming out of Florida.

[Lucy-tudeOn4Feet]

This looks like an awesome setup. Is there any way we can start a club here?
How would something like that work, could we rent the pool for a couple hours on a once or twice a month basis? It would be too expensive if only a couple people show up. Is there any interest from the classes that have taken place in doing this?
Does anyone know how other clubs (that don't have access to private pools) do it?

[MollyBGoode]

Yes....we can set up a club here in Tampa and the pool is available for hourly rental. Prices are resonable and if fewer dogs show up, then we just pay for less time.

We had 26 dogs today !!

There is a lot of interest in having a club that meets or two times a month to jump.

[Lucy-tudeOn4Feet]

We just went up to the new splash pool in Lutz at Courteous Canine. It was awesome. We took part in the class they offer on Saturdays. There were probably 10 dogs signed up.
Some were eager jumpers, most were new, some were not so sure about getting their feet wet, and some were just there to swim, and nuts to the jumping in part! It was lots of fun and a barrel of laughs.

The pool is available to rent out by the hour. Anyone interested in meeting there for joint dock time, please count us in. We travel a lot, but when we're home, we're willing to share the cost with whomever wants to jump with us.

Many thanks to MollyBGoode for advice on jumping. I'm hoping I can get Lucy to jump a little further. She's consistently hits around 15', but DH is pretty sure she did about 17 one jump there!

[Offshorecbr]

The Courteous Canine facility is wonderful, a couple of us Chesapeake folks from Central to South (Miami) FL rented it out for three hours at the beginning of September. The dogs had a blast and the water was gorgeous, I was tempted to join them! We definatly intend on using the facility again.

Two of us happen to be amateur photographers :wink:

My girl enjoying the facility:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3523/3893758415_be27a2e481.jpg

You can see more of the pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/offshorecbr/sets/72157622173695509/

[MollyBGoode]

Glad you all liked the facility !!

If anyone is interested in getting a group together drop me a note. We have a few people renting dock time on a regular basis...but I think it would be fun to get a big group together and jump.

Lucy was a lot of fun...she just needs a little more dock time. Lots of drive in that pup. Hope to see the Chessie invasion again also :D