It’s going to be all about the pups at Panther Creek Park on September 21-22. With a canine aquatics competition already scheduled, Daviess County Parks & Recreation has announced three new events that will test dogs’ abilities on land.
The full weekend is being called “Pups in the Park.” Admission to the park is free on both days.
The new events announced by the County are possible through a collaboration with the Owensboro River City Kennel Club and are sanctioned by the American Kennel Club (AKC). The events include:
- Fast CAT® (Coursing Ability Test) – a timed 100-yard dash where dogs run one at a time, chasing a lure.
- AKC Temperament Test (ATT) — a general temperament test that will assess the dog’s reaction to a variety of stimuli.
- AKC Fetch — a test of a dog’s ability to retrieve an object (a bumper or ball).
An event schedule and registration link for the AKC events are available at orckc.com/calendar.
“The addition of the AKC events will provide a huge boost in visitor traffic to the park,” said Jordan Rowe, Director of Parks and Public Information. “Spectators can watch 2 days of competition with dogs of all different backgrounds, sizes, and skill levels.”
Earlier this year, Kentucky DockDogs announced they were bringing their unique aquatics competition — with dogs competing in a long jump, high jump, and speed retrieval — to Panther Creek Park that same weekend.
DockDogs consists of three different sporting disciplines. A release describes them as:
- Big Air is the long jump of canine aquatics. Taking place on a 36’ dock and pool, the competing dog will run and jump into the water after a throw toy is tossed. Distance is judged from the end of the dock to where the tail set breaks the water’s surface.
- Extreme Vertical is the high jump of canine aquatics, where the dog starts at the 20’ mark and pursues a bumper toy extended 8’ from the end of the dock over the water. The starting height for Extreme Vertical is 4’6” and goes up in 2” increments as the competition progresses.
- Speed Retrieve is a timed event. At the far end of the pool, a bumper toy is suspended 2” above the water with a starting indicator light above it. When the light turns green, the handler releases the dog to jump into the pool and pull the toy from the Speed Retrieve bracket.
Additionally, The Iron Dog Challenge was invented to incorporate all three of the competitions. DockDogs compiles the best run in all three disciplines for each team and the team with the overall best score wins.
Local dog owners also have an opportunity to get started in the sport at a “Try It” clinic on September 21 at 11:30 a.m. There is a $15 fee to participate in the clinic.
“This event will allow us to move out to the western area of the state and introduce the community to the sport we love,” Carrie Vosburg, Secretary of Kentucky DockDogs, said previously. “It is our hope to not only provide the area with a great show but to also teach locals about the sport and allow them to try it with their own dogs.”
“Pups in the Park” will also feature local rescue organizations, trainer demonstrations, vendors, food trucks, and kids’ activities.
