December 2024 dog sports, Myakka City, FL.
Photo-Feature Dock and Disc Games at FLK9 Florida K9 Sports Myakka City, FL. December, 2024
Approximately an hour south of Tampa, Florida and tucked behind a blueberry farm sits Florida K9 Sports. This weekend they were hosting both UDD dock diving and UpDog disc dog games.
With a slowly warming day, the dogs and their handlers had near perfect weather for a fun weekend.
Florida K9 Sports
Mobile Dock
RV: Dry camping only.
ADA Porta Potty
“Our goal at Florida K9 Sports is to ensure a safe, fun environment and experience for handler and dog.”
Deep in rural Florida sits the state’s newest Dock Diving venue at Florida K9 Sports. Owner Jay Nichols moved his mobile dock and operations in 2021 from Montana to Myakka City, Florida. The location is several acres tucked in beside a blueberry farm and with sparse woods, provides a flat open field of big skies. Jay’s background in dog handling and training has been mostly with search and rescue and bomb detection dogs. Dock diving has been a great change of pace and opportunity to provide his dogs with additional challenges while having a fun time.
This 5-acre plot is both home and business to Jay and Wendy Nichols and their own dogs. Jay is actively pursuing a solution to offer wheelchair access to the dock, and we will be watching for this exciting development. There is no specific disabled parking, but parking and easy access is plentiful. There are no RV hookups and there is room for “dry” camping on site.
United Dock Diving (UDD)
UDD was created in 2022 and operates from venues across the U.S.A. with a variety of dock diving games. From classic Long Jump to high flying “Hang Time” and the popular “Speed Run”.
“United Dock Diving strives to create an environment that is fair for all competitors…” – UDD
When once the docks were actual docks and the dogs were jumping into ponds, today’s dock diving is typically a forty-foot dock and forty foot long (or larger) pool. This is a truly American sport and has grown from its very rural roots to todays fixed and mobile docks across the country.
UDD rules are to ensure safety for the dogs competing and to allow for fair competition between dogs by size and age – “Micros”, “Minis” for small dogs and “Gold” and Diamond” for older dogs. The age of handlers also have special divisions to encourage “Junior Handlers” aged 5-6, 7-12, and 12-16 years of age. More information available on the UDD website https://www.uniteddockdiving.com/
UpDog
Imagination and cheeky word play are hallmarks of the games available.
Far Out, Four Way Play, Freestyle, Frizgility, FunKey, Seven Up, Spaced Out, Throw N Go, Time Warp go from variants of more common distance games to clever field and hybrids that include elements of both Disc and Agility.
“UpDog is dedicated to expanding the awareness and participation of people and dogs in athletic endeavors.” – UpDog Challenge
To encourage and expand opportunities for all disc dogs and their humans, UpDog Challenge includes many categories that include (not restricted to) Size of Dogs, and level of player in “Achievements”.
The “Achievements” are the league’s unique way to see all participants can see reward and sense of advancements through the wide variety of games. You do not need to participate in all games, and in fact, don’t even need to be that great to feel a sense of satisfaction and rewards. There is nothing that serious in UpDog Challenge. It’s all about having fun with your dog.
“You will have fun (Play), you will earn achievements (Achieve), and you and your dog will learn and grow (Expand)” - UpDog Challenge
Is it safe?
Probably the greatest stigma of Disc Dog among many people, is the question of safety. With the dogs often pushed to extremes in games like Freestyle. This is a reasonable concern and one that all the disc dog organizations have faced. Currently the common restrictions include age requirements for dogs to compete in various games. This is to allow for the dog’s full development physically and avoid permanent injury. Additionally, there is a very strong emphasis on the dog’s health and athletic training to limit any risk of injury. As with any athletes, sprains and bumps along the way cannot be totally prevented, but UpDog Challenge is serious about ensuring that your pups’ chance of any harm is minimized.
- The Right “Discs”!
UpDog Challenge is very flexible with the discs allowed with one caveat; they must be approved for use with dogs. An important (and common) mistake is using potentially dangerous discs with your dog.
Many store-bought discs are too brittle or hard and can splinter and crack causing injury. Bad Azz Dogz STRONGLY encourages you to do your research to ensure your own pup stays safe while playing.
Wrapping up
With the venue being one of the new locations for UpDog, the weekends inclusion of disc games provided a great chance for newcomers to disc dog games to experience them in a fun non-competition environment.
Dock diving is fast growing to be a primary game for the lives of both dogs and humans through opening their doors and sincerely caring that you and your pups have full and active lives.
The folks at Florida K9 Sports are heavily connected to the services and have first-hand shared experiences that makes this a great opportunity to come get wet with your own Bad Azz Dogz.
HERO DOGZ
More information for disabled 1st responder and military veterans.
Do your dog a huge favor and take them somewhere new!
Our core mission here at Bad Azz Dogz is about his simple idea. Helping disabled 1st responders and military veterans with dogs have full active lives!
Jay Nichols has been on the frontline of Search and Rescue dogs for generations. From the mountains and valleys of the northern plains to Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana. get "gets it".
One notable feature about Jay is his raw enthusiasm and boy like joy of meeting new dogs and introducing them to new things and activities. His word is that he will continue to work towards the benefit of all out dogs, but also stay proactive in providing access to support for our disabled 1st responder and military veterans with their dogs.
The facility has ample shade, water and is mostly level ground. The facility has a wheelchair accessible portable restroom.
Like most docks, the "dock" was not wheelchair accessible, and we continue to work with all the dock locations to hopefully remedy this in the future.
- The venues manager is a disabled vet themselves and can relate on a very personal level to your needs. MORE INFO. BELOW
Location and Contact information is at the end of this article.
We hope to see you and your best furry friends out their this year.
If you have further inquires, please contact us at info@badazzdogz.net
PHOTO-FEATURE
Enjoy our very special photo-feature of some Bad Azz Dogz and their humans! SHARE your favorites and please contact us at info@badazzdogz.net if a vet or first responder wanting to learn more.
November 2024 Doggie Olympics https://disc-and-dock-2024.badazzdogz.net/
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More Information:
- Florida K9 Sports
43525 Florida 64
Myakka City, FL 34251
(406) 208-9633
As with all events Bad Azz Dogz features, it is the hope you will consider coming out into our amazing Florida Bad Azz Dogz world of fun and activities near you.
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