Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Czarnecki
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 10/26/2022
Dock Diving Dynamo Headed to Nationals (2022)
Denise Czarnecki kneels with her dock diving dig, Tessa, just ahead of the North American Diving Dogs National Championship in Springfield, MO, having never dreamed her small German Shepherd from a small town would get this far. Edward DuBois/Clark County Press
By Edward DuBois
Except for a few breaks for some scratches behind her ears, Tessa was either staring at her little red ball she’d be retrieving during her national dock diving competition, or loudly begging for someone to throw it.
Due to Tessa’s fixation on the ball ahead of the big event, she was unable to answer any questions. Speaking for her was her owner, Denise Czarnecki of rural Neillsville.
Tessa, a 4-year-old German shepherd, is one of only around 130 dock diving shepherds nationwide, and Tessa’s average jump of 19’11 comes very close to the division’s current leader at 24’. Her very first jump measured over 19 feet, showing a natural talent for the sport.
“Just getting to nationals is just phenomenal,” Czarnecki said. “I’m just so proud of her.”
In dock diving, a dog runs the length of a 40-foot dock above a pool and leaps out into the water. The dogs are motivated to leap after a favorite ball or toy is thrown into the water. The owner tries to throw the ball or toy just out of reach so the dog will achieve the longest jump possible. Dock jumps are measured to the inch, from the base of the dog’s tail to the dock.
Tessa dives for North American Diving Dogs (NADD), the only dock diving organization recognized by the American Kennel Club. She has been to regional-level competitions three times but never nationals, with her last event resulting in her eligibility for nationals after placing in the top 25%. Another factor in her nationals invite was Tessa tied for first place in her division, based on the size of the dog and her average jump length. Tessa’s average jump length puts her in the “Senior” division.
“They compete almost against themselves,” Czarnecki said, referring to the canines. “You, of course, want to win the division, you know? You just always want your dog to do well.”
Dock diving is a social competition, with owners rooting other dogs on, too. Teams will sometimes consist of more than just the owner and their dog, but also a holder: Someone will hold an excited dog at the end of the dock while the owner throws the item the dog is diving after. Some dogs do not need holders, and some owners do not have someone to come with them to the event to act as one. So, the owners cooperate, switching off holding each other’s dogs.
Czarnecki explained that very few dogs naturally want to make the jump off the dock, an inclination that is required for the sport. A dog cannot be trained to defy whatever self-preservation instinct they have to make the jump; it’s something the dog has to naturally want to do. If the dog does not play fetch, it will not make a good dock diver.
Training consists of repetitive practice on the closest docks, which are in Plymouth, WI and Mankato, MN. However, the results speak for themselves. Czarnecki wanted to get as much practice in as she could until the event. With the window until nationals narrowing by the day, the time Tessa has left to jump is critical.
“They’re not allowed any practice once they get to nationals,” Czarnecki explained.
Once they go to the event, whatever practice Tessa has gotten is it, save for a single practice jump before her first “splash,” the name of a dog’s round, consisting of two jumps each splash, each dog allowed only two splashes per event, days apart.
Czarnecki expects nationals to be extremely crowded. Just in Tessa’s division, there will be around 160 dogs from not just the U.S. but also Canada, not to mention their kennels, owners, holders and vendors.
As she is approaching 5 years old, this will be Tessa’s last competitive event. Outside of dock diving, Tessa has several certifications to accompany all her contest ribbons, like in obedience—not surprising, considering German shepherds are a popular breed to serve beside police and military forces.
Tessa’s final competition will be the NADD National Championship at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, Springfield, MO, Oct. 26 to 29.
