#LearnToDockDive

When Mommy & Daddy originally enrolled me in swimming lessons, they never imagined I would turn into the high flying #SuperB that I am today. They have put together a trip down memory lane, showing how I went from a pup who knew nothing about water, to a pup who soars through the air, splashes down, goes under water and emerges triumphant and on a mission to rescue his ball!

First, I had to learn that swimming is fun! Daddy went out into the middle of the pool and, with the guidance of my teacher and encouragement from Mommy, I would swim to him and then swim back.

There was a nice big ramp that I was able to use to enter and exit the water.

At next week's class, Daddy didn’t have to get in the pool, just my teacher. I’d swim out to her and then swim back to the ramp.

Mommy wondered...if she threw a toy in the pool, would I’d go after it? So we tried it at home. Our pool has a large step that’s perfect for me to stand on. I got on the step, Mommy threw the ball and in I went!

So, of course, Mommy brought my ball to my next class. I didn’t even hesitate...as soon as she threw that ball, I was jumping into the pool!

Unfortunately, my ball was a little hard for me to grab in the water, and I would swallow a lot of water in the process. So, Mommy searched for another toy that would be easier for me to grab and that I found interesting. She found this silly Halloween toy.

The next step was to have me jump off the side of the pool, instead of the step that was in the pool. As you can see, it wasn’t much of a jump, more of a fall!

Then Mom put me on top of a small storage bin. You can see how excited I am to go get my toy!

Of course, she had to go and get a bigger bin!

Obviously, Mommy thinks I’m some kind of daredevil, because the next thing she did was put the bin on top of the lounge chair!!

Believe it or not, all of that happened over a one week time period. Mommy’s whole goal was to make me feel comfortable with the height of the dock. So, when we went back to dock diving class, I could go off the dock instead of the ramp. I guess all of our hard work paid off! I jumped off the dock!

Next, I had to learn how to wait, run and then jump. That’s the only way to get real distance and air! Look at my leap...I’m no longer just falling into the pool!

All this practice led up to my very first competition. Even with all the noise, all the dogs and all the chaos, my first competition jump was a success! I jumped 4 feet 3 inches!

What a way to end my first season of dock diving!

And, so began my collection of ribbons!

It was a long break between the fall and spring season, as we waited for the pool to warm back up. To boost my confidence, we did a little home practice before heading back to the dock...which meant breaking out the lounge chair and the storage bin!

Obviously, my confidence did not need a boost! I was so excited to be back on the dock, I jumped before Daddy had even thrown the toy!!

We wasted no time getting me signed up for my first public appearance. It was way different than I was used to. Tons of people watching, a portable dock and pool, and it was indoors...which makes the water look very different. I may have been hesitating on the edge, but I jumped...and even scored some 5 foot jumps!

You’ll also notice that my toy changed! Mommy & Daddy found a way to make my favorite little ball...the one I started with way, way back at the beginning of this journey...into something I could grab! This ball is perfect!

Mommy & Daddy found that I had tons of confidence and speed when I practiced at home, but when I got to the dock, I was hesitating on the edge. They had one of my dock diving friends build me my very own personal dock for the house. They thought learning to run and jump off a dock at home would make the transition to the real dock easier.

I guess they knew what they were doing! No hesitation on the end of the dock...watch me fly!

And, with that #SuperB was born!

I started traveling to competitions, conquering new and different docks, and just extending my jumps each time! 6 Feet 9 Inches!

I earned an invite to the Ultimate Air Games at Purina Farms in Missouri. Unfortunately, the event is held at the end of October, so the water was a little chilly for my liking! Mommy bought me a wetsuit hoping that would help, but this little body was just not made to jump in cold water!

Luckily, over the next few days of competition, the sun came out and warmed up the water a teeny bit! I wasn’t setting any records, but I was jumping.

I even brought home a couple of trophies! It was a very successful dock diving season!

This year, we were a little slow to start. It seemed like the pool water took forever to warm up. I didn’t even get a practice session in before my first class. But, as you’ll see, I wasn’t the one who needed the practice...Daddy was!

This year, I know what I’m doing, so there’s not a lot to work on. Instead, I’ve just been having fun! It seems to be working, because I keep setting new personal bests. My current is 8 feet 6 inches!

There’s just nothing quite like the feeling of soaring through the air!