# Dock diving and itchy skin



## leslie cassian (Jun 3, 2007)

Does dock diving count as working?? 

Just started and I'm having a blast and the dogs are too, but my Mal has been scratching and chewing at himself ever since. I'm not sure if this is a reaction to the chlorinated water or just coincidence. 

Anyone else had an issue with this? Anything I can do about it?


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## Faisal Khan (Apr 16, 2009)

Salt water = no itching. The chemical is still chlorine but way way lesser byproducts.


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## Thomas Barriano (Mar 27, 2006)

leslie cassian said:


> Does dock diving count as working??
> 
> >No
> 
> ...


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

leslie cassian said:


> Does dock diving count as working??
> 
> Just started and I'm having a blast and the dogs are too, but my Mal has been scratching and chewing at himself ever since. I'm not sure if this is a reaction to the chlorinated water or just coincidence.
> 
> Anyone else had an issue with this? Anything I can do about it?


You've rinsed/bathed after each chlorine event? Did that lessen the chewing and scratching?


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Thomas Barriano said:


> quit dock diving and take up a real sport?


Aww Thomas, don't be sore just cause most Dobes suck at dock diving. :razz:  :-D

Leslie, like Connie said, rinse your dog really well with tap water afterwards and bathe if necessary.


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## leslie cassian (Jun 3, 2007)

I really did just start, so I've only been a couple of times. One pool is chlorine, the one closest to me is salt water.

Haven't rinsed or bathed. Maybe I should try that for the mal, the DS isn't scratching.

I do schutzhund as well, Thomas, but dock diving is just for fun. Can't do bitework with my Mal anyway, so need something to keep his tiny little brain from imploding. DD seems to combine enough control/obedience with stupid expulsion of energy on the release to keep him happy. We get to do down/stay/break/bite-it multiple times and no one gets hurt. The DS just gets to be the sassy little shit that she is and have fun. She still hits the helper as hard as ever when I train at the club.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Yes, rinsing to see if that lessened the reaction would be my first step.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

A gal I met at a trial last weekend posted pics on her Facebook page of dogs doing bitework in a pool. Combining protection sport with dock diving? Sweet! Next dock diving trial, I should throw a decoy in the pool. Then again, that may violate the "no live toys" rule. :-k :-\" :-D


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## leslie cassian (Jun 3, 2007)

So maybe use a sleeve as a throw toy? But how do I get that 'pop' for distance?


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## Thomas Barriano (Mar 27, 2006)

Maren Bell Jones said:


> A gal I met at a trial last weekend posted pics on her Facebook page of dogs doing bitework in a pool. Combining protection sport with dock diving? Sweet! Next dock diving trial, I should throw a decoy in the pool. Then again, that may violate the "no live toys" rule. :-k :-\" :-D


Maren,

A couple of weeks ago the Schutzhund club did some bite work in the nearby Platte River. Maybe aqua Schutzhund will be the next craze? ;-)


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## Thomas Barriano (Mar 27, 2006)

leslie cassian said:


> I really did just start, so I've only been a couple of times. One pool is chlorine, the one closest to me is salt water.
> 
> Haven't rinsed or bathed. Maybe I should try that for the mal, the DS isn't scratching.
> 
> I do schutzhund as well, Thomas, but dock diving is just for fun. Can't do bitework with my Mal anyway, so need something to keep his tiny little brain from imploding. DD seems to combine enough control/obedience with stupid expulsion of energy on the release to keep him happy. We get to do down/stay/break/bite-it multiple times and no one gets hurt. The DS just gets to be the sassy little shit that she is and have fun. She still hits the helper as hard as ever when I train at the club.


Just giving you a hard time Leslie. There was a Dock Diving demo at the State Fair that looked like fun. Until I found out the only place in Colorado Springs with a pool wanted WAY too much money to use it. Have fun and don't pay any attention to anything I say ;-)


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## Thomas Barriano (Mar 27, 2006)

Maren Bell Jones said:


> Aww Thomas, don't be sore just cause most Dobes suck at dock diving. :razz:  :-D
> 
> Leslie, like Connie said, rinse your dog really well with tap water afterwards and bathe if necessary.



If I did Dock Diving it would be with the Dutch Shepherd ;-)


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

You should try it! Extreme vertical in particular is addictive...

http://www.rockymountaindockdogs.com/


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

After my dog goes swimmin in a chlorine pool I take him & dunk him in the ocean once or twice to get all that nasty cholorine off.:-o


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## Tammy St. Louis (Feb 17, 2010)

I WOULD ALSO SAY RINSE HIM .. and dock diving is VERY fun!!!


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## Thomas Jones (Feb 4, 2011)

so when I throw a tug in the pond and my dog goes and gets it is that dock diving? Mine jumps off the pier every time we go to the pond. Got a hook in him the other day. dumb sob


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Yeah, that's pretty much the basics. There are several organizations out there, but Dock Dogs which is the one I compete in has big air (long jump), extreme vertical (high jump), and speed retrieve (how fast your dog can sprint to the end, jump, and swim). EV's the most fun. JMHO.


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## Melissa Blazak (Apr 14, 2008)

Where did your dog get the itchy skin? Superdog Central or the pool at Beeton?

Is it the one at Beeton that has the salt water? 

Will you be going to the Dog Days of Scugog? It's fun, but the waves are almost full.

There is also Carrotfest in Bradford, ON on August 20-21 but registrations haven't opened up yet.

My standard poodle and I got into dock diving last year for the fun of it. Something to do since he loves swimming. Mainly we train in field work, and obedience/rally.


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## Faisal Khan (Apr 16, 2009)

I watched dock diving at gundog trials and them bird dogs can launch a looong ways after the rubber ducky! Anyhew, my dogs do not get itchy after swimming in a salt water pool or a freshwater lake, they do get seriously itchy after swimming in a non salt water chlorinated pool and require rinsing. I notice the same thing myself, a salt water chlorine pool leaves me fresh whereas a regular chlorine pool gives me red eyes and a nasty feeling.


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## leslie cassian (Jun 3, 2007)

So, I guess the itchy skin is probably from swimming in chlorinated water. Is this a common reaction? I'll try and rinse him off and hopefully that will help. 

I've been to the pool at Beeton and one in Brantford. The Brantford pool is saltwater.

I really did just start - been out three times only, but it's been a lot of fun so far. I'll probably sign up for Carrotfest.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

leslie cassian said:


> So, I guess the itchy skin is probably from swimming in chlorinated water. Is this a common reaction? I'll try and rinse him off and hopefully that will help.
> 
> I've been to the pool at Beeton and one in Brantford. The Brantford pool is saltwater.



I think (from reading) that it's a fairly common reaction, but even if it was less common, that would be my first experiment; check off the easy-to-fix stuff. 

"Swimmer's itch" http://www.dailypuppy.com/articles/swimmers-itch-on-dogs/811a5ba3-8ba5-eb68-12a9-cba7cb6afc93 would probably be pretty low on the list because you are using treated water and it's caused by parasites in the water.

http://www.poolsspaspatios.com/articles/howtos/keep-pets-safe-around-the-pool


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

i think maybe chlorine causes dogs to itch because it's so drying on the skin, leaves my own skin feeling too tight and itchy sometimes too.


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