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Hooch’s 5th Birthday
May 24, 2019
Birthday breakfast:
Spinach and goat cheese frittata , breakfast sausage, and cantaloupe
Birthday dinner:
Lamb slider with cucumber sauce, sweet potato fries (that I forgot to include in the pic!!), and apricot
Birthday dessert:
“Chocolate” chip peanut butter PUPcakes
Birthday fun:
Ice cream cone
Learning a new game for dock diving season (Speed Retrieve) with our new home made Speed Retrieve land training rig
Hooch was chosen to do a photo shoot for the 2019 Subaru Forester seat cover!
He is currently featured online in the accessory options when building your own Subaru Forester online, as well as in the accessories brochure within the dealerships. Some dealerships also have a window cling that Hooch is featured on!
Did you know that Subaru works with the Southeastern Guide Dogs, a non-profit organization dedicated solely to the task of helping blind men and women achieve independence through the means of a guide dog. Subaru sponsors a number of events that fund the training and development of guide dogs, who will ultimately be paired with people who need them.
During the month of October, through the “Subaru Loves Pets initiative,” Subaru retailers also collect new pet supplies to donate to local animal organizations in the dealership’s communities, and provide shelter supply kits for fur-kids awaiting adoption. They also donate starter kits for new pet-adopting families.
Happy 4th Birthday to Hooch!
May 24, 2018
During his birthday week celebration, Hooch enjoyed:
An agility session, and getting some solo time on the dock for some dock diving fun with his mom!
Hooch also had 2 special birthday meals this week:
His birthday breakfast was an egg, sausage, blueberries and pineapple.
His birthday dinner was Shepherds Pie with sweet potato topping and kiwi.
Hooch also had fun exploring what was in his gift bag and playing with his birthday presents.
The Liver Killers have a VERY exciting announcement!
We “blended” to create a very cool “mixer-ship” with some “partners-in-lime!!”
Hooch is now the official Hooch Pooch for O&O Hooch – the endless mixer! Head over to their Facebook page and give them a “Like!” You can find out where to pick up some Hooch for yourself by clicking HERE. Additionally, you can purchase Hooch online through their website (where you will find some great recipes too)! Stay tuned for more updates about our sponsorship, and more fun posts as The Liver Killers “Hooch-it-up!”
Hoochie’s Mama will be sporting some new bling up on the dock!
Follow the liter and try some of these recipes…
or “Hooch it up,” and create your own concoction!
O&O Hooch is also on Twitter , Instagram , and Snapchat– be sure to visit them!
You may remember that when Hooch was a puppy, he won a contest to have his own greeting card. Well, the greeting card is in print, and it will be ready for purchase after December 26, 2016!
Here is the original photo I took of Hooch in September of 2014. Hooch was 4 months old in this photo, and was still afraid to go in the lake. This sad little puppy face was laying on the dock at our house watching his big sis, Limoncello have fun diving and swimming!
Front of greeting card:
Wagging Tail Portraits has their Wet Nose Greetings in over 90 stores so far, including 10 Whole Foods Markets in the Mid-Atlantic area!
Each year, Wagging Tail Portraits donates a portion of their proceeds to animal rescue groups!
Check out their website for many unique gift ideas featuring YOUR pup!
We were disappointed to have missed the Tidewater DockDogs banquet, especially because we won some great awards!
This was the last of the banquets to wrap up an amazing 2015 dock diving season.
THE LIVER KILLERS 2015 DOCK DIVING SEASON IN REVIEW!
The dock diving season technically ends in mid-October, with the World Championships being held in November. We have officially completed our season, and what a season we had!
TOMMY D’s LIMONCELLO
Brian’s main goal this season was to earn an invitation to the World Championship with Cello in Warrior Division Iron Dog (a combined averaged score of Big Air, Extreme Vertical, and Speed Retrieve). Not only did Brian and Cello achieve this goal, they did so very early in the season at the Wild Card event at Cabela’s in West Virginia during the month of May!
Little did we know that was just the beginning of Cello’s road to Worlds! Brian and Cello went on to earn an invite in Speed Retrieve (also earned at the Wild Card event at Cabela’s in West Virginia)
But that’s not where Cello’s invites ended! She earned an invite for Dueling Dogs, after participating in that discipline for the first time ever at the Mid Atlantic Regionals, held at Shipps Corner Pet Spa in Virginia Beach.
At the end of the season, we found out her rankings from sanctioned facility events also earned her an invite in Extreme Vertical, as well as Big Air!
OVERALL WORLD RANKINGS:
UNITED STATES OVERALL RANKINGS:
Cello ended the season with an injury. While competing at the indoor event at the Pittsburgh Pet Expo in Pittsburgh, PA, Cello slipped on the wet floor, and strained muscles in her neck and front leg. Unfortunately this meant pain meds and lots of rest during the 2 weeks leading up to Worlds. We are hopeful that she will be be back to 100% for the World Championship competition.
Windy Spot’s Homemade Hooch
As a puppy, Hooch wanted NOTHING to do with water of any sort. He slowly began to realize water wasn’t so bad, and cautiously went into our lake and into a baby pool. The weather quickly became what was to be the coldest, snowiest winter we’ve ever had, and access to water became difficult. We took Hooch to some indoor pools, were he felt comfortable jumping in at the water’s edge. However, when he found himself up on a regulation dock, which sits 2 feet above the water, Hooch gave dock diving a second thought. Hooch kicked off his dock diving career in January being very hesitant on the dock. He would run down the dock, get to the edge and “teeter” for a long while – sometimes not jumping and timing-out, and other times projecting himself off the edge of the dock as if he had springs in his back legs, only landing a few feet into the water! He quickly became a crowd favorite with his “Hoochie Hop,” as the crowd waited in anticipation to see if he would POP off the dock…or not! By about April, he was “hopping” out to about 7-8 feet, still hesitating, and still choosing not to jump at times. By May we discovered that with Jenny running down the dock with him, Hooch would hesitate less. This technique got Hooch leaping up to 17 – 18 feet by the beginning of June. By mid June we had switched to the “Place and Send” method, bringing Hooch to the very back of the dock (Thank you Frank Moraff for forcing me to do this!!) With that change came great results. Hooch jumped 21 feet in mid-June, and by the end of June soared 23’8″ and earned his invitation to Worlds at 13 months old ! By July, Hooch jumped his current personal best, 24’2″, and also earned a second invitation to the World Championship for Cadet Division Extreme Vertical. In September, Hooch was nominated for “Most Improved” for the Golden Paw Awards, held at the Gala during The World Championship celebration, and was voted to be one of the finalists for the award.
Here is my absolute favorite video from this season: It captures Hooch’s progression from being fearful of water, to his 23+ ft jump that earned him his Big Air Invite to the World Championship!
OVERALL WORLD RANKINGS:
UNITED STATES OVERALL RANKINGS:
Brogan’s American Lager
Lager came home with us on August 23, apparently born to be a dock diver, not an Explosives Detection Canine! When the training company who had Lager (known then as Nayt) saw how much he loved the water, they contacted DockDogs in hopes to find a family who were familiar with the breed, had access to water for him to swim, and would promise to get him dock diving. Read the full story on how Lager became a part of our pack by clicking HERE! The first day Lager came home, he was exposed to water, and had no fear of the lake, or jumping off the dock. He had a perfect sit-stay, and seemed like he came to us with the Big Air discipline of dock diving mastered! In less than a week’s time, Lager also picked up on Extreme Vertical, easily grabbing the bumper on our home rig. Lager competed in just 2 national level events, and earned himself an invitation to the World Championships in Big Air!
OVERALL WORLD RANKINGS:
UNITED STATES OVERALL RANKINGS:
GIVING BACK:
The Liver Killers are also happy to report that through their 2015 winnings, an abundance of food, toys, and supplies were donated to the Animal Orphanage of Voorhees, NJ, and over $1,100 was donated to the GSP Rescue of NJ!
OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS THIS SEASON:
WORLDS BLING:
In preparation for The Liver Killers World Championship competition in Dubuque, Iowa in November, we ordered some cool team gear:
Team Shirts and and Hoodies from CustomInk
When Custom Ink found out that The Liver Killers donate all their cash prizes to the GSP Rescue of NJ , they made a donation to the rescue in honor of Cello’s Corner and The Liver Killers! How cool is that?!
Window decals for our vehicles from Vistaprint
Car magnets from Vistaprint
Team banner from Half Price Banners
And of course, “pawtograph” cards – made by our friend, Mandy!
After the season our team has had, it won’t matter to us what happens at Worlds – we are beyond proud of all three of our pups- and overjoyed that we have the opportunity to share this experience as a family!
As we begin to pack for our big adventure, we continue to reflect back on the amazing season these pups had. We will cherish every memory – the highs and lows – the laughter and the tears – the (very) early mornings – the late nights watching EV under the lights – and the comradery shared with friends at events. We are truly blessed to be part of such a great community (humans and animals alike). Never have we met such a large group of the nicest people who not only strive to improve within their own team, but will at the same time stop and help other fellow competitors to enhance their game, and applaud fellow opponents just as enthusiastically as they cheer on their own dog. The patience, advice, support, and guidance we have received from friends, family, fellow competitors, and social media followers is overwhelming, and greatly appreciated. Thank you all for being part of this thrilling escapade with us. We look forward to writing the next chapter of this adventure together!
Blogville Sadie Hawkins Dance PAWty!
Hooch was asked by the beautiful Paisley to the Blogville Sadie Hawkins Dance PAWty!
I have to admit he was super-excited – and what dog wouldn’t be – Hooch’s date was the prettiest gal at the dance!
To read the full story, visit our friends over at Barking From the Bayou and read the details about the dance!
Wondering who the heck Sadie Hawkins is and why she has a dance named after her? Today I Found Out has a great explanation:
Sadie Hawkins’ renown, which evolved into an American folk-holiday in some places, doesn’t really originate from a dance, but rather from a race, as we shall soon see. Sadie was the product of the fertile imagination of cartoonist Al Capp. She was a character in his popular cartoon Lil’ Abner, set in the hillbilly town of Dogpatch, that began its wildly successful 40 year run in 1934.
The way Al tells it, Sadie was the daughter of Hekzebiah Hawkins, one of the town’s first settlers, who had the dubious distinction of being the “homeliest gal in all them hills.” After waiting not-so-patiently for 15 years for a suitor to show up at her door, not a single prospective husband arrived to court her. With each passing year, Sadie became more and more panicky, as did her father, who did not relish the idea of supporting a spinster daughter for the rest of her days.
So, figuring he had nothing to lose, he called all the unmarried men of Dogpatch together and declared it Sadie Hawkins Day. In a reversal of Atalanta’s race in ancient Greek mythology, the race placed Sadie in hot pursuit of the town’s bachelors; the “lucky” chap she managed to catch became her lawful wedded husband. Or, as her Paw explained it, “When ah fires [my gun], all o’ yo’ kin start a-runnin! When ah fires agin—after givin’ yo’ a fair start—Sadie starts a runnin’. Th’ one she ketches’ll be her husbin.” Pure poetry.
The rest of the spinsters in Dogpatch thought the race was an excellent idea, and insisted upon making Sadie Hawkins Day a yearly and mandatory event, much to the horror of the bachelors in town, who apparently had no say in the matter. According to the strip, if a woman caught a man and dragged him, presumably kicking, screaming, and crying for mommy, over the finish line before the sun had set, by law he had to marry her. This had overtones of a caveman clubbing a woman and dragging her back to his cave, and was as close to women’s lib as you’d get at the time in popular entertainment.
This entire Sadie Hawkins Day story line was a plot device concocted by Al Capp for the romance between main characters Abner and Daisy Mae, which had a bit of a Ross and Rachel from “Friends” quality to it. Eventually, Capp put everyone out of their misery and allowed the two characters to finally marry.
The dance didn’t appear in the strip until a bit later. The Sadie Hawkins Dance took place on the evening before the race, and the spinster girls traditionally wore hob-nailed boots to “unintentionally” stomp on the feet of the single men in attendance, which unfortunately (for them) might adversely affect their ability to run the next day during the race.
Sadie Hawkins Day as a popular culture phenomenon was all the rage on college campuses by 1939. According to Lifemagazine, over 200 colleges were celebrating a Sadie Hawkins Day that year, and it was obvious that the tradition was quickly gaining in popularity with the nation’s young people.
The question is – why? One reason could be that as the nation was taking its first strides out of the Great Depression, a down-home low-cost activity like Sadie Hawkins Day was something that all could participate in, without the need to rent a tux or buy a gown as prom or homecoming would entail. There was also the naughty novelty of girls inviting boys for a social outing.
Compared to the Roaring ‘20s, the ‘30’s were considerably more sexually repressed. Gone were the flappers, bee-stung lips and bootleg whiskey. The depression brought with it a sober prissiness that made the very idea of a woman openly pursuing a man deeply offensive to many. But an approved activity such as Sadie Hawkins Day – where a lady could state her choice with impunity and not be labeled a Jezebel – while at the same time men could pretend to be horrified while secretly being titillated – that’s a situation where everyone wins!
By 1952, it was reported that Sadie Hawkins Day was celebrated at over 40,000 different locations. In that year, Capp wrote:
It’s become my responsibility [to include Sadie Hawkins Day every year in the strip.] It doesn’t happen on any set day in November; it happens on the day I say it happens. I get tens of thousands of letters from colleges, communities, and church groups, starting around July, asking me what day, so they can make plans.
Eventually, it morphed into an event of an entire day’s duration that fell on the Saturday after November ninth.
For today’s young women, Sadie Hawkins Day doesn’t seem all that relevant anymore. But for a few decades in the middle of the twentieth century, it served as a social bridge between the years when women rarely left the home and the sexual revolution.
The Ocean County Decoy and Gunning Show is one of our favorite competitions to attend. This event was the first DockDogs event in which Brian and Cello competed in 2013, when we met Annie, Matt, and Bailey from The Little GSP! Not only is it very close to our home, but the GSP Rescue of NJ also sets up a table here – and they are one of just many REALLY cool vendors at this large festival. We especially love that we can compete, and still volunteer the pups as donation dogs in between their jumps! This was also an especially thrilling event, because Lager won First Place in Senior Division Big Air finals! Another exciting part of this event, is that a friend and fellow GSP Rescue of NJ volunteer, Jen C. , as well as Jenny’s sister Dana, both jumped Cello… AND got medals!
LIMONCELLO:
Big Air:
21’9″ 22’3″
Finals: 22’5 22’2″ 4th Place Elite
Extreme Vertical:
5’2″ 3rd Place Cadet
Speed Retrieve:
7.972 seconds 5th Place Turbo
**FIRST PLACE WARRIOR IRON DOG!
HOOCH:
Big Air:
23’3″ 20’11” 2nd Place Elite
22’0″ 21’9″
22’2″ 22’5″
Finals: 22′ 7″ 23’4″ Third Place Elite
LAGER:
Big Air:
16′ 19’0″ 2nd Place Senior
18’6″ 18’11” 2nd Place Senior
18’2″ 18’6″ 1st Place Senior
Finals: 19’8″ 19’5″ 1st Place Senior
Extreme Vertical:
5’10” 1st Place Cadet
We were extremely proud of all 3 of our pups! They earned several awesome ribbons and medals!
The Liver Killers were pretty exhausted after performing so well, and slept in a Pointer Pile the whole way home!
We chose to add this event to our list in order to try and secure a DockDogs World Championship invite for Lager.
LIMONCELLO:
Big Air:
22’2″ 21’5″ 1st Place Master
20’6″ 21’4″ 2nd Place Master
20’9″ 20’11” 3rd Place Master
20’0″ 20’4″ 1st Place Master
Finals: 18’11’ 21’7″ 2nd Place Pro
Extreme Vertical:
Cello did not do Extreme Vertical at this event.
Speed Retrieve
8.190 First Place Express
HOOCH:
Big Air:
20’11” 21’5″
22’5″ 22’11”
20’9″ 20’5″
Finals: 20’10” 20’11” 4th Place Pro
Extreme Vertical:
6’2″ 4th Place Top Gun
LAGER:
Big Air:
21’3″ 20’0″
19’2″ 18’9″ Third Place Senior
17’11” 19’0″ First Place Senior
16’0″ 18’9″
13’3″ 18’0″ First Place Senior
Finals: 19’4″ 5th Place Semi Pro
Extreme Vertical:
6’4″ 3rd Place Top Gun !! Amazing!
Lager JUST missed getting an invite to the World Championships at this event – but we were so SO proud of him and his performance!
Lager’s first official dock diving competition!
In less than 2 weeks after Lager joined our pack, we were entering him in his very first official DockDogs competition! Three Rivers DockDogs hosted an event at Cabela’s in Triadelphia, West Virginia.
LIMONCELLO:
Big Air:
21’5″ 21’2″
21’3″ 22’2″
20’4″ 20’7″
19’10” 20’9″
Extreme Vertical:
5’0″
Speed Retrieve:
8.489 Second Place Express
HOOCH:
Hooch was up on the dock when a gust of wind blew a banner off of the side of the pool, freaking him out completely . It was a tough weekend, as Hooch had a difficult time gaining enough confidence on the dock to run and jump at his full speed.
Big Air:
22’7″ 15’9″
21’2″ 22’11”
13’0″ 14’11”
23’0″ 22’3″ Third Place Elite
22’5″ 23’6″ First Place Elite
Extreme Vertical:
5’10’ Second Place Cadet
LAGER:
Big Air:
13′ 4″ and 13′ 11″ First Place Junior (with Brian)
15’7″ and 16’2″ (with Jenny)
16’9″ and 18’2″ Second Place Senior (with Jenny)
17’0″ and 17’5″ (with Jenny)
Extreme Vertical:
This was Lager’s first attempt at EV. Lager missed both times, but was very determined – we had no doubt that he will excel at this in the future!
None of the pups made the finals at this event – first time all season!! There were some HUGE jumping dogs here! We had a great weekend camping with friends, and enjoyed watching Lager have a blast on the dock at his first official event!
The Liver Killers first time on the news!
Nora Muchanic visited us at our home to do a story on the Liver Killers!
See the full story, plus a video of the news segment – click HERE!
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.”
Limoncello and Hooch made the top story on the front page of South Jersey’s newspaper!
The Courier Post sent a reporter and photographer to our home to do a story on The Liver Killers. We had such a great time, and the story and video came out great!
Here’s the video:
And here’s the story:
MEDFORD LAKES – Limoncello — Cello for short — greeted this reporter with a kiss and then turned her laser focus to the turf runway her owners, Brian and Jenny Beadling, built for her and her canine sibling, Hooch.
Cello had a job to do, and she was serious about it.
She had to get that ball.
And she was just waiting for Brian to toss it from the Beadlings’ dock and into Aetna Lake.
The 4-year-old German shorthaired pointer watched, waited, and then, while the bright orange ball with the blue stripe was in the air, ran and flung herself to retrieve it, landing with a splash and a big doggie smile, the ball in her mouth as she paddled ashore.
Cello and Hooch are among the top dock diving dogs not only in the nation, but in the world, as ranked by Dock Dogs, the national group overseeing the sport. The Beadlings’ dogs compete all over the East Coast, traveling year-round to competitions measuring lengths of their jumps and how high they go.
The pointers, bred to be hunting dogs, are a high-energy breed, Brian Beadling said. “They’re in the same line as vizslas and weimeraners.”
That means their owners have to be high-energy, too. “Their vet told us, ‘They have no “off” button,’ ” he said.
Indeed, the Beadlings’ lakefront log cabin they dubbed “Windy Spot” looks as much like a retreat for the dogs as for the couple. There’s the runway which extends a few feet further into the lake, as well as a metal arm that swings out over the water for the dogs to jump and grab toys on their way down.
After buying the 1920s cabin in 2009, the couple worked to restore it and Brian Beadling, who works in the mortgage business, researched the home’s history. He found the home’s original owner had a German shorthaired pointer named Windy Spot, and that was the first the couple had heard about the breed.
Windy Spot — the dog — had won several field awards with a local dog club and so the couple, after more research, decided on the breed. They got Limoncello in 2011 from a Chatsworth farm and named her for Jenny’s grandfather’s special homemade Italian liquor.
Hooch — Beadling calls him the “goofy little brother” — is a year old and was initially reluctant to go into the water. But at 15 weeks, he decided Cello shouldn’t have all the fun and, as Jenny Beadling says, “We haven’t been able to keep him out of the water since.”
Kathy Parkin helps the dogs keep fit by working with them at Pinelands Dog Training Center in Medford. She’s been working with Cello and Hooch for about 10 months, she said.
“The dogs love it,” said Parkin, who’s been a trainer for 12 years. “We work with them to build their core and leg muscles, work on agility exercises, stretching, stability.”
The Beadlings travel two to four times each month with the dogs, loading them into their brand-new GMC Denali (which already has logged 20,000 miles since November). They choose campgrounds and dog-friendly restaurants when they travel, treating Cello and Hooch as full members of the family.
“If they can’t go, we don’t go,” Jenny Beadling said. “But they’re great dogs, very well-behaved.”
The competitions pay $100 for first-place finishes; $50 for second, but Cello is sponsored by Turbo Pup, a meal supplement for dogs.
All cash prizes, she said, go to the dogs: GSP Rescue of New Jersey, a nonprofit dedicated to the breed. Contents of their prize bags, like food, treats and toys, are all donated to the Animal Orphanage in Voorhees.
“They’re great people, too,” Parkin said of the Beadlings.
Phaedra Trethan: (856) 486-2417; ptrethan@gannettnj.com
Here’s the link to the online story and video:
http://www.courierpostonline.com/story/news/local/south-jersey/2015/08/21/south-jersey-dogs-leap-national-dock-diving-ranks/32139705/
Cello and Hooch’s feature in The Bark Magazine!
About The Bark:
“The Bark is the magazine of modern dog culture—it speaks to the serious dog enthusiast. The Bark is the indispensable guide to life with dogs, showing readers how to live smartly and rewardingly with their canine companions. Founded in 1997, as a newsletter to advocate for off-leash dog parks in Berkeley, California, the magazine quickly grew into a glossy, award-winning publication acclaimed for its timely commentary and rich literary offerings. Today, The Bark has a nationwide readership of over 250,000. It is published four times a year, available by subscription and sold at Barnes & Noble, Whole Foods and PetsMart stores.
Claudia Kawczynska and Cameron Woo founded The Bark in their garage, shortly after adopting their first dog, Nellie, and discovering it was illegal to allow their dog to romp untethered at their local park. The couple tapped into Kawczynska’s experience in public policy and Woo’s skills as a graphic designer to craft a publication that addressed the burgeoning issues faced by a new generation of dog owners.
Taking the magazine’s slogan to heart—Dog Is My Co-Pilot—The Bark became the first magazine to tap into the exploding phenomena of dog culture and lifestyle, focusing on the growing bond between individuals and their pet companions. Over the past twenty years, The Bark has chronicled the America’s love affair with dogs, the evolving status of canine pets and their role in society, as well as the incredible rise in services and products. The Bark has become the recognized expert on the social/cultural world of dogs in America, and what they mean to us.
The Bark’s impeccable pedigree includes publishing many of today’s most acclaimed authors including Ann Patchett, Augusten Burroughs, Rick Bass, Amy Hempel, and Pulitzer Prize winning poet Mary Oliver. The magazine features the writing of noted experts in science, animal behavior and health—Dr. Nicholas Dodman, Donald McCaig, Mark Derr, and includes animal behaviorist Patricia McConnell and nutritionist Marion Nestle as regular columnists.
The Bark has been twice honored with an Alternative Press Award for Best Magazine (lifestyle category) recognized for outstanding achievement in independent publishing. The Bark has also been honored with an Award of Merit from The Society of Publication Designers and a Folio Silver Award for Best Enthusiast Magazine. In September, 2003, Crown (Random House) published Dog Is My Co-Pilot: Great Writers on the World’s Oldest Friendship, an anthology from the editors of The Bark. The Bark’s second collection, entitled Howl: A Collection of the Best Contemporary Dog Wit was published in October 2007. DogJoy, a photo book featuring the magazine’s popular “Smiling Dogs” submissions was published in November 2009 by Rodale.”
~from The Bark’s Website
It’s official! Hooch’s Extreme Vertical Invitation came via email today!
He earned this by coming in first place in the Cadet Division Extreme Vertical discipline at the Bark in the Park Wild Card event!
As of now, Hooch is ranked THE #1 German Shorthaired Pointer in the United States with a DockDogs Big Air average of 23′ 7.4″
His current average also ranks him the #2 German Shorthaired Pointer in the World!!
Words cannot describe how proud I am of this boy!
Our last stop on the Shawangunk Wine Trail – – Brimstone Hill Vineyard, located in Pine Bush, NY.
Brimstone Hill has been in operation for 30 years, and has a great list of wines to choose from. We did a wine tasting here.
The vineyard is 13 acres, and the small winery building houses a cozy dog-friendly 2nd-floor tasting room overlooking the vines.
Overall, we had wonderful experiences at each of the wineries we visited on the Shawangunk Wine Trail!
Our next-to-last visit at White Cliff Vineyard on the Shawangunk Wine Trail was yet another great experience. 
Whitecliff is an artisanal, family run winery fashioned by the current owners and founders from the ground up, in what was an empty field thirty years ago.
The view of the White Cliffs from the tasting room patio was magnificent!
Arriving at the winery, there was a driveway lined with artistically painted doors – really cool! This driveway leads you right through the heart of the vineyard.
They had a great list of wines to choose from here! The dogs were allowed in the tasting room – but with this view, who wants to sit INside?!
Check out the storm drain!
Currently, White Cliff Vineyard is one of the largest vineyards in the Hudson Valley, with over 20 varieties of grapes planted in their vineyard.
We enjoyed the wine, the dog-friendly atmosphere, and the view at this vineyard!
The wineries along the Shawangunk Wine Trail just keep getting cooler!
Adair Vineyards, located in New Paltz, New York, is housed in a 200+ year old barn, once occupied by cows and horses.
The winery has a stream running by with the Shawangunk Mountains in the background.
The winery also supports several animal related charities including:
The tasting room and gift shop are located in the loft of the barn and the wine making area is below – and dogs are allowed inside!
We decided to do a wine tasting here, as this winery had many interesting wines to choose from! 
The loft of the barn – the tasting room – was really neat!
This winery was truly a unique experience!
Continuing along the Shawangunk Wine Trail, we came across Stoutridge Vineyard. This winery is located in Marlboro, New York, which is about 70 miles north of Manhattan, and located in the Hudson Valley.
Stoutridge Vineyards is built on the historical foundations of vineyards planted in the late 1700’s. The old winery’s foundation wall is all that remains of the historic structure. You can see it in the above picture, as it is now the beautiful front wall for the Stoutridge tasting room patio.
This is a very unique winery!
Many of the wines and spirits at Stoutridge are locally grown, and all are from New York State sourced fruits and grains. The winery is built into a hillside, and the wine cellars are underground. This establishment uses entirely solar generated electricity, and utilizes the heat off of their stills to heat the building in the winter through a radiant system built into the floor. How cool is that?!
Stoutridge is also what’s known as a “gravity winery,” meaning the never use pumps or filters in their wine making. In addition, they do minimal chemical processing to their wines. Stoutridge does not not “fine” their wines with gelatins, tannins or clays, doesn’t add water or sugar, or chemically adjust the acidity of their wines. They also do not add sulfites or sorbates to the wines after they are made. All of this means that the wines are pretty much unprocessed, and in a very natural state. All Stoutridge wines are sold exclusively at the winery, so that they can make their wines using less processing, and retain higher levels of naturally occurring antioxidants in the wines.
We enjoyed a glass of wine on the great tasting room patio with the pups, although the dogs were allowed inside the tasting room at Stoutridge.
After our awesome beer sampling at Rushing Duck Brewery, we continued along the Shawangunk Wine Trail to Benmarl Winery in Marlboro, NY.
The setting is a 37 acre estate that overlooks the historic Hudson River Valley. The grounds were stunning!
This winery had delicious wines, also was very dog friendly. The allowed Cello and Hooch to come inside to the tasting room – this was Hooch’s very first time INside of a winery’s tasting room!
The inside of the winery was really unique as well!
This winery was SO neat! So far, we are very much enjoying the Shawangunk Wine Trail!
We visited some great wineries on our Anniversary Camping Trip. The first winery we stopped at was Palaia Vineyards.
This winery is located along the Shawangunk Wine Trail in Highlandland Mills, NY. The setting is a 200 year old former dairy farm.
The winery and tasting room are located inside the 200 year old barn, which is really cool!
We enjoyed a tasting of their Traminette during our visit.
What a great sign:
This winery offers a menu of light bites and live music every weekend. Definitely worth the stop if you are ever in the Hudson Valley area!
Our first stop during our Anniversary Camping Trip was Orange County Choppers.
Orange County Choppers (better known as “OCC”) is a world-famous custom motorcycle manufacturer located in Newburgh, NY, that has been the center of the hit TV reality series “American Chopper” aired on the Discovery Channel. Founder, Paul Teutul Sr., and his team custom-design and manufacture choppers. OCC bikes are customized, and often built around a theme. Check out some of their cool bikes by clicking HERE.
When we were in Cape Charles Virginia for the Wild Card Event, Hooch was a big hit in Bay Creek!
Hooch made the Bay Creek Golf Newsletter:
View the whole newsletter HERE.
Hooch also made the Bay Creek Real Estate Newsletter!
So proud of this little pup!
From no jump, to the Hoochie Hop… to sailing through the air! … The Evolution of Hooch!
Cello and Hooch competed in a Wild Card event, called “Bark in the Park,” held at Bay Creek, in Cape Charles, VA. What a gorgeous and dog friendly community!!
We bought a new canopy – LOVE it!
CELLO:
Cello had an awesome weekend. What started out as an event to continue practicing, ended up with Cello taking first place in the Semi-Pro finals, and also setting a new Personal Best in Speed Retrieve!
BIG AIR:
17′ 11″ 21′ 00″
20′ 08″ 20′ 03″
21′ 06″ 21″ 06″
21′ 05″ 22′ 05″ FIRST PLACE SEMI-PRO FINALS!
SPEED RETRIEVE:
8.325 7.650 NEW PERSONAL BEST!
HOOCH
We entered Hooch in this competition specifically to see if we could get him an additional invitation to the World Championships in Extreme Vertical. Not only did he win First Place in Cadet EV and achieve an added invitation in Extreme Vertical, he jumped a new Personal Best (and on camera!!) of 24′ 2″ and made the PRO Finals (first time ever!)!!
BIG AIR:
24′ 2″ 22′ 5″
23′ 3″ 23′ 4″
23′ 0″ 22′ 11″
22′ 10″ 22’2″
23′ 6″ 23′ 9″ Fourth Place in Pro Finals – not bad considering it’s his first time!
EXTREME VERTICAL:
Starting Height: 5′ 4″
Ending Height: 5′ 10″ First Place Cadet (and an invitation to compete in the World Championships in Extreme Vertical!)
Limoncello is featured on the American Kennel Club’s online publication, WOOFipedia!
Taken from: http://www.woofipedia.com/articles/meet-the-dog-who-can-fly
Posted By: Liz
Jenny and Brian Beadling had no idea they were raising a prodigy.
Their German Shorthaired Pointer, Limoncello, never took to the sport her breed is known for—hunting—because she had a fear of guns. But she still had that GSP high drive, which she’d exert by jumping off the dock of the family’s lake house to retrieve toys they’d thrown in the water. “We began to notice at a very young age, she would jump off the dock just for fun—even with no toy being thrown for her,” Jenny Beadling says. So when the family saw a “dock diving” event for dogs at a local festival, they thought, “why not?”
And so, a star was born.
Limoncello (or Cello for short) came in second place in that first event and in the year and a half that followed, she’s become one of the highest-ranked dock-diving GSPs in the world.
Cello competes as an “Iron Dog,” meaning that she participates in all three dock-diving events, including Big Air (long jump), Extreme Vertical (high jump), and Speed Retrieve (timed retrieving). And this November, she’ll be one of the dogs representing the USA at the DockDogs World Championship in Dubuque, Iowa. She’s also inspired her little brother, Hooch, to try out the sport.
And like any pro athlete, Cello has earned endorsement deals. TurboPup selected Cello to be the ambassador for their human-grade meal-replacement bars for active dogs on the go. Her social media accounts have attracted tens of thousands of followers, and she’s been featured in multiple publications.
“With her vibrant personality, extreme speed, and stunning build, she is a crowd favorite,” says Beadling.
But she’s not in it for the fame and fortune. The Beadlings donate all the cash awards won by Cello and Hooch to the German Shorthaired Pointer Rescue of NJ, and all of their food and toy prizes go to a local animal-welfare organization.
BringFido.com has a list of their top 10 dog friendly beaches in New Jersey. I decided to take Hooch for a ride and try one out – so off we went to the Longport Dog Beach!
Hooch was ready to go on his first-ever solo adventure!
We found it! This beach is located at the base of the Ocean Drive Bridge, on the Longport side, across from the fishing pier.
Walking on the path leading to the beach:
Along this path we saw the sweetest thing: A tribute to a dog who once loved to play on this same beach. A basket of toys were left in memory of Scruffy, so that other dogs could enjoy the beach as much as Scruffy did.
The beach was a pretty good size, with many families enjoying time with their dogs off-lead both on the beach, and in the water.
Hooch is not ready to be off-lead, so he enjoyed running in the water on his leash. Even though he was on-lead, he still somehow managed to steal a tennis ball from a Jack Russell Terrier!
Hooch LOVED playing in the waves:
We were both soaked, exhausted, and full of sand after this trip!
My sandy co-pilot on the way home:
Looking forward to the next summer adventure!
Hope everyone enjoyed their 4th of July celebrations! Cello and Hooch had on their Independence BLING!
Cello:
Hooch:
This event was more of a practice for Cello since she had already earned her invitation to the DockDogs World Championships. Cello did get to try a new DockDogs event, called Dueling Dogs – it was lots of fun!
For Hooch, this was a chance to shine, and earn an invitation. Hooch not only earned himself an invite, he scored several new personal bests, and jumped right out of his division with one of the longest jumps of the weekend!
We camped at Holiday Trav-L-Park during this event.
CELLO:
BIG AIR:
19’5″ 18’7″
20’6″ 19’10”
SPEED RETRIEVE:
8.822 seconds 8.701 seconds
DUELING DOGS:
HOOCH:
BIG AIR:
22’0″ 23’2″ NEW PERSONAL BESTS (and on camera!!)
23’8″ 20’3″ NEW PERSONAL BESTS (and on camera!!)
22’6″ 23’2″ FIRST PLACE SENIOR FINALS, AND AN INVITATION TO THE DOCKDOGS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS !!!!!!!!!!
This venue was new for Hooch, but this was our second year competing in Codorus Blast with Cello. For this event, we camped at Merry Meadows Recreation Farm.
In this event, the dogs jump in to a lake instead of a pool.
Brian did some announcing this weekend:
CELLO:
Brian felt as though Cello was getting a bit burned out, so he decided to rest her this weekend, with the exception of Speed Retrieve.
SPEED RETRIEVE:
8.344 seconds
HOOCH:
Hooch earned new personal bests again this weekend! He also earned himself a spot in the Masters Finals for the very first time!
BIG AIR:
17’1″ 15’8″
17’0″ 18’6″
20’1″ 19’9″ NEW PERSONAL BEST
21’0″ 19’10” NEW PERSONAL BEST
16’9″ 16’6″ 6th Place Masters Finals (First time in Masters Finals!!)
Hooch also got his very first Super Fly Suit!
EXTREME VERTICAL:
It was pouring rain during Extreme Vertical…but Hooch managed to grab the bumper at 6’0″ , earning himself a new personal best!
Starting height: 5’4″
End Height: 6’0″ NEW PERSONAL BEST!
Even though there were storms off-and-on throughout the weekend, it was great fun! We look forward to attending this venue next year!
While Cello and Hooch were competing in their dock diving event at Codours State Park, we camped at Merry Meadows Recreation Farm.
Our campsite (site A1) was very private and wooded.
Here are some pictures from around the campground:
This campground was very unique. The list of amenities goes on forever!
For Cello and Hooch’s dock diving event in Zoar, OH, we camped at the Canton/East Sparta KOA in East Sparta, Ohio.
We could not have been happier with our site (Site 77)
Our site had a level, concrete pad, and nice landscaping. The site also had a fire pit, and two wooden benches at the fire pit.
We even had our own “nest” style chair, , patio set, and grill!
The concrete slab had imprints of different plants – pretty cool!
This campground had lots to offer:
We very much enjoyed our stay here!
Limoncello and Hooch participated in the Celebrate Fairfax dock diving competition during the first weekend in June. We camped nearby at Lake Fairfax Park.
CELLO:
During this competition, Cello was just participating as continued practice for her World Championship competition in Dubuque, Iowa this November. Here are her results:
BIG AIR:
20’8″ 19’9″
21’8 22’2″
19’3″ 20’10”
EV:
5’2″
SPEED RETRIEVE:
8.206 8.728
HOOCH:
Hooch was participating in hopes to increase his national Big Air average, and to try out Extreme Vertical for the very first time. Hooch surprised us all, and came in FIRST PLACE in Extreme Vertical in the Cadet Division!!!
BIG AIR:
13’6 13’3″
15’6″ 17’10”
15’7 18’3″ * NEW PERSONAL BEST!
16’10” 18’11” *NEW PERSONAL BEST!
EXTREME VERTICAL:
5’8″ * FIRST PLACE CADET DIVISION!
SPEED RETRIEVE
60 seconds 9.814 seconds *NEW PERSONAL BEST!
We had a great weekend with friends, and are SO very proud of our little Hooch-man!
On the weekend of Hooch’s first birthday, The Liver Killers competed in a dock diving competition in Triadelphia, WV. This competition was held at Cabela’s. This was a very special event that we will never forget, because Limoncello won First Place in Warrior Iron Dog, and earned her invitation to the DockDogs World Championship!
We camped out in Cabela’s parking lot for this event, which was very convenient for our times in between jumps.
Limoncello competed as an Iron Dog. Here are her results:
BIG AIR
21’3″ 22’3″
22’3″ 21’10’
21’10” 21’3″
EXTREME VERTICAL
5’0
SPEED RETRIEVE
8.206 8.728
IRON DOG
Total Points: 2739.11
HOOCH
Hooch did very well this weekend, but wound up with a limp after his last jump. We noticed this as we were lining up for Speed Retrieve. Thank goodness Dr. Yurko of K.E.Y. Animal Hospital was there to evaluate Hooch.
It seemed Hooch had a strained muscle, so we scratched him from the rest of the competition. Here are his results from his Big Air waves:
BIG AIR
14’7″ 15’9″
15’0 13’0
9’6″ 15’9″
14’6″ 15’3″
Overall, this was a SUPER fun (and apparently an exhausting) event!
Happy Birthday to our little man, Hooch! Hooch turned 1 year old on May 24, 2015.
Where did the time go?! It seems like just yesterday this little guy stole my heart and joined our family! We cannot be happier with this pooch, as he has the sweetest temperament, and a heart of gold. Not a day has gone by since we brought him home that we haven’t laughed out loud – Hooch is truly one-of-a-kind !
Hooch’s first birthday fell on a weekend when we were in West Virginia at a dock diving event, but we didn’t let that stop us from celebrating! I baked a cake and cupcakes to bring along to share with Hooch’s dock diving buddies. Hooch and Cello watched carefully over the oven as the birthday treats baked.
Hooch had himself a mock-choc bone-shaped birthday cake, and peanut buttter/banana PUPcakes. Both treats had a cream cheese icing also!
(I noticed after the picture was taken I had placed the “1” backwards!!…oops!)
Hooch had an abundance of birthday toys waiting for him in our camper when he woke up:
The announcer at the dock diving event even wished Hooch a happy birthday!
Happy First Birthday, Hooch…we love you!
Our little (or NOT so little!) Hooch turned 11 months old on April 24!
He weighs 57 pounds now!
Hooch has been absolutely loving the water this Spring! He has been diving off of our dock at home!
Hooch has also been doing very well at his dock diving competitions!
In fact, on his 11 month birthday, Hooch competed in the Family Fun Day dock diving event, and earned 2 First Place medals, and 2 Second Place medals! Way to go, Hooch!
Happy 11 months, Hooch!
While camping at Eagles Peak Campground, we decided to do a local hike.
We ended up at Nolde Forest State Park – a gorgeous sate park with more than 665 acres of beautiful woodlands.
What a beautiful place to hike! This area was acquired by Jacob Nolde in the early 1900s. As the story goes, a single white pine grew in a meadow. Inspired by this tree, Jacob Nolde hired an Austrian forester to create a coniferous forest. As the trees grew, they formed a this magnificent forest!
There was a pretty stream running through most of our hike.
Cello and Hooch were excited to be on this adventure!
Throughout the hike, there were many unique stone bridges and lined walkways.
This was Hooch’s first Pennsylvania hike – and first hike in the warmer weather. He was getting tired quickly, and began to stop in the shady areas for a breather!
At one point, in usual Hooch fashion, he decided he was “DONE!” 
Belly rubs, anyone?
At the end of the hike, we were rewarded with the beauty of an early 1920’s mansion. In 1926, Hans Nolde, a son of Jacob, began work on the Tudor-style mansion that sits on the property. Today, visitors can tour the grounds as well as the inside of this mansion.
The garden area of the mansion was incredible!
Pennsylvania purchased the property in the late 1960s , and in 1970, Nolde Forest was established as the first environmental education center operated by the Bureau of State Parks. Now operated by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and Bureau of State Parks, the park provides a wide variety of programs for students, teachers, and adult groups. Teaching stations offer places for students to work, and benches for those who wish to sit and enjoy nature.
This Easter we camped with friends at one of our favorite campgrounds – Frontier Town Campground, in Berlin, MD.
We LOVED our campsite here! 
We first discovered Frontier Town Campground when we attended a dock diving competition held right in the campground! We camped here for the dock diving competition as well.
Here is the view from our site:
The water views around the campground are gorgeous!
This was Hooch’s first-ever Easter! It was exciting to make his basket for the first time!
Cello’s Easter basket:
Easter morning – the Easter Bunny has arrived to the 5th Wheel with toys and treats!
Cello and Hooch had a great time opening their Easter baskets with the help of their Pop!
After Cello and Hooch opened their Easter baskets, they had an Easter egg hunt in the 5th Wheel! …see if you can find all the “hidden” eggs! 
Yay! Hooch found his first bacon-filled Easter egg!
After each egg is found, the pup who found the egg gets the bacon inside of the egg – Hooch thought this was LOTS of fun, and waited patiently for his bacon reward! 
Hooch enjoyed all his Easter treats and toys – and, of course, stole Cello’s bunny toy!
Overall, we had a great trip, and Hooch enjoyed his first-ever Easter!
On March 24, Hooch turned 10 months old… how did he get so big so fast?!?!
Hooch is now taller than his sister, Cello, and weighs 50 pounds. He continues to love the water and dock diving, although he still will not jump off our dock at home, and still hesitates to jump at competitions. Hooch has picked up a stronger toy-drive, and enjoys chasing a tennis or soccer ball, and chewing on sticks. He is the happiest, puppy we know, and he makes us laugh every day, as he is such a goof-ball! Happy 10 months, buddy – we love you!
Cello and Hooch stayed at Staybridge Suites in Harrisburg, PA for their indoor dock diving event, Winter Meltdown.
This hotel was very conveniently located right outside of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex, where Winter Meltdown was being held.
This hotel offers several favorable amenities, including:
The room was clean, and the people were friendly. Our room had a king size bed, sitting area, and a full kitchen. Cello and Hooch made themselves right at home!
It’s hard to believe that it was last year (for this same dock diving event) that Cello stayed in a hotel for the very first time!
Next year we will definitely book a room in this hotel for the 2016 Winter Meltdown!
Cello and Hooch’s third dock diving event of the 2015 season was hosted by Keystone DockDogs.
This event, “Winter Meltdown,” was held at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, PA.
Cello
Cello had been going through a little bit of a slump, but during this event, she really seemed to be starting to get back on track! We were very proud of her!
Big Air Results:
22’6″ 22′
22’3″ 21’10”
23’3″ 21’9″ 2nd Place Elite Division
21’3″ 21’5″
Extreme Vertical Results:
5’2″ 3rd Place Cadet Divsion
Speed Retrieve Results:
17.128 10.968
Big Air Finals:
22’2″ 17’5″ 3rd Place Elite Division
Iron Dog Points: 2511.83 3rd Place Warrior Division
Hooch
Hooch is still a bit nervous to run and jump off the dock, but he loves to get the crowd going with his “Hoochie Hop” off the end of the dock!
Big Air Results:
8’7″ 8’1″ 3rd Place Novice Division
7’9″ 8’6″ 2nd Place Novice Division
7’10” 7’3″ 2nd Place Novice Division
8’1″ 8’2″
7’8″ 7’4″ 3rd Place Novice Division
Big Air FInals:
8’4″ 8’1″ 3rd Place Novice Division
Hooch had a BLAST!
Hooch turned 9 months old on February 24th. He’s getting so big! He is now officially taller than his sister, Cello!
Over the past month, Hooch has earned his first 1st Place ribbon in dock diving, qualified for Finals for the first time – AND came in 2nd Place in the Novice Finals! Way to go, Hooch!
Hooch LOVES playing in the snow! And thank goodness, because we’ve had LOTS of it over the past month! 
One of Hooch’s favorite things is playing ball in the snow!
Happy 9 Months, Hoochie!
Cello and Hooch made the cover photo for the GSP Rescue of NJ!
Cello and Hooch are also featured on several videos of the rescue’s YouTube page! Check it out HERE !
What a fun and exciting Valentines Day weekend we had!
We took a 5.5 hour drive down to Hampton, Virginia, for Cello and Hooch to participate in the World of Pets Expo dock diving competition,”Lover’s Leap,” hosted by Tidewater DockDogs.
In celebration of Valentine’s Day, there was a Pawentine’s Box decorating contest.
Before we left, I built our Pawentine’s Box. Here are the pictures after I built the box with foam board and a hot glue gun:
Here is the final product:
There were many other great Pawentine’s Boxes in the contest as well:
We made Pawentine cards to place in the other boxes:
Hooch and Cello received lots of really cute Pawentines in our box!
The dog treats above were homemade by our friend, Mandy. Check out her Face Book page – her cookies are AMAZING!
We won the contest!
Although Cello has not been performing up to her last season’s standards, she had a great weekend! Cello competed as an Iron Dog, and participated in all three events: Big Air, Extreme Vertical, and Speed Retrieve.
In Big Air, Cello’s longest jump of the weekend was 21’11.” She made the Elite Finals, and placed Third.
In Extreme Vertical, She reached a height of 5’4,” and placed Third overall in the Cadet Division.
Cello set a new Personal Best in Speed Retrieve at 8.788 seconds:
…AND Cello placed FIRST in Iron Dog in the Warrior Division! Way to go, Cello!
Hooch also had a BIG weekend! He placed in every Big Air wave he jumped in, and earned his first First Place ribbon!
In just his second event ever, Hooch even made Novice Finals – and placed Second!
Hooch was once again, a crowd-pleaser, with his last-minute “pop” off the dock:
Hooch’s best jump of the weekend was 8’10”
While we were there, someone recognized Cello from our Instagram account — our friends, Cyndee and Lola – – How cool is THAT?!?!
This was a SUPER-fun event, and the best Valentine’s Day weekend ever!
Cello and Hooch hope everyone had a great Valentine’s Day!
Cello and Hooch stayed at the Residence Inn Baltimore Hunt Valley, Maryland for their first dock diving event of 2015.
This has been the third hotel we’ve stayed in since we’ve started practicing indoors for Hooch’s sake, and this is the third time we have gotten assigned to room 125 (which is also Brian’s extension at work – crazy, huh?!?!
It was such a great experience, as we had never stayed in a hotel that had a full kitchen, and provided kitchen necessities like plates, glasses, wine bottle opener, pots/pans, and had an eating area. Since it was freezing, and were weren’t going to be doing any sight-seeing, we very much enjoyed having these “extras.”
The hotel room was cleaner than clean!
The hotel offered grocery shopping free of charge, had all local take out menus on hand, and offered an included breakfast that was just as good as home-cookin’!
The staff could not have been more helpful during our stay.
We met several other people, all with four-legged children.
The sink area was separate from the main bathroom area, which made it nice while trying to get ready.
Cello and Hooch were very comfortable!
Overall, this was one of the best hotel experiences we have had, and would highly recommend staying here!
World of Pets Expo, hosted by Chesapeake DockDogs, was Hooch’s dock diving debut!
As you know from previous posts, Hooch has practiced his dock diving at both Canine Spa and Mountain Trail Training Center. However, both facilities have docks that are only a few inches off of the water. Hooch had never jumped in from a height of an official DockDogs dock (2 feet). To make sure he was comfortable with this, as soon as we arrived to the Maryland State Fairgrounds, we took Hooch up on the dock for a practice run. As soon as I unleashed Hooch, he ran down the dock stairs into the crowd, and all around the pool (TWICE!!) The third time, he ran and dove in with no problem – so I thought I had this down pat, no problem. I was highly mistaken!
Hooch’s first official recorded dive was amazing! Although we had practiced nothing but the “chase method” (where the dog is placed in a stay or wait position at the starting point on the dock. The handler proceeds to the end of the dock, then releases the dog. The chase object is thrown at just the right moment to keep the toy in front of the dog’s nose all the way into the water. Thus, the dog is chasing the object! The advantage of this method is that the handler can control and optimize the launch angle to increase distance – it avoids the flat jump that is likely with the place and send method). After Hooch had run off the dock during practice, I let it get the best of me, and decided to last-minute change to the “Place and Send” method (the dog walks with the handler to the end of the dock and is held back while the handler tosses the toy. The d
