2 South Jersey dogs are national dock diving champs

Tuesday, September 1, 2015
VIDEO: 2 NJ dogs are dock-diving champs
It may not be an Olympic event, but the sport of dock diving is getting a lot of attention in Burlington County these days.

MEDFORD LAKES, N.J. (WPVI) -- Most people just walk their dogs. But Jenny and Brian Beadling's dogs go for a flying leap.



The German Short Haired Pointers (GSPs for short) are two of the top dock diving dogs in the country and also rated internationally.



Brian says, "They are fun, happy, energetic dogs who really love competing and playing. And they think of all of this as play, which is really exciting for us."



And Jenny tells us, "They need extreme exercise and what you would think of as your exhaustion point is just their starting point."



The dock at the Beadling's Medford Lakes cabin has become a launching pad as these two pooches practice each day. In competition they are judged on how high, long and fast they can jump.



A room inside the Beadling's house is filled with ribbons and medals.



Hooch is the number one ranked GSP in the country for "big air"; Cello is ranked number one for "iron dogs", the canine equivalent of a triathlon.



Jenny says, "They can run for hours and hours and hours on end. And they will keep going, they're working dogs. They will keep going until you shut them down."



The newest member of the family is Lager, a former bomb sniffing dog for the U.S. government who served in Iraq.



Now Lager regular leaps into the lake with his new companions.



He is clearly adjusting to his new digs.



They are highly trained and these dogs may be world class dock divers, but if you ask me they look like they're just having fun.



Brian explains, "The humans involved take the competition seriously. The dogs just enjoy being out with the owners, jumping in the water. To see them just have fun and love life it's really fun for us as well."



Jenny a special education teacher and Brian a mortgage banker, travel with the dogs to competitions several times a month. The cash prizes Hooch and Limoncello win are turned over to a GSP rescue group.



Jenny says, "The amount of work that goes into it and the enjoyment you see in the dog is the best."

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