Dogs are invited to bring their owners to watch their canine contemporaries jump great distances into water.
The 15th annual Dog Days of Summer in Libertyville, presented by the Libertyville Knights of Columbus Council #3674, will be from 12 to 7 p.m. July 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 6 and 7 in Cook Park and along Church Street near the library in Libertyville.
The star of this event is the Dockdogs National Canine Aquatic Competition for jumping, height and speed retrieval. People can see dogs of all sizes and fur length pull air while shopping for pet-related products, watching a K9 demonstration and attending a pet parade. They can even get their pets blessed.
“We have sponsors and vendors and food in the park and on Church Street, we have our main attraction, which is Dockdogs,” said Dan Love, organizer of the event, former village trustee and Knights of Columbus Council #3674 past council grand knight.
The competing dogs will run down a ramp and leap into a giant tank that holds about 40,000 gallons of water, he said. Distance is measured, height is measured.
“They have different levels of competition, professional all the way down to amateur,” he said.
In 2019, he said, a teenager brought her labrador to the Try Dockdogs event. The pooch went from being afraid of the water Friday to taking third place in the amateur category Sunday, he said.
“Once they learn how to jump, they love it,” he said. “The challenge with dogs is, they have no depth perception. They look at the bottom of the pool, they think it goes off into oblivion and they don’t want to jump.”
It’s free to watch the dogs compete and to attend the vendor fair, pet parade and pet blessing. If someone wants to compete with their dogs, there is a fee.
“Anybody can jump. We have professional jumpers that come and they’ll come from Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa. We even have a guy that comes from Alaska for this event,” he said. “You can bring your dog. You can pay that fee and jump your chihuahua.”
Competing breeds often include whippets, Belgian Malinois, labradors, border collies, German shepherds and mixed breeds.
In addition to the jumping competition, the other activities will be a draw for dog lovers, he said.
“In Cook Park, we have pet-centric vendors and those are vendors that are focused on selling their goods that are pet-related,” he said. Sponsors will have booths set up as well.
“Liberty Subaru is always a sponsor … because the only car that can be driven by a dog is a Subaru,” he said, referencing the car company’s series of commercials of Subarus being driven by canines.
Rescue organizations that have been vetted will also be on hand, he said.
“I don’t max out the park with a lot of vendors because we have dogs and dogs need space,” he said.
A K-9 demonstration will be at noon July 6 with the Lake County Sheriff’s Police.
The pet blessings are at 10 a.m. July 7 in front of the Ansel B. Cook Home and are performed by an assortment of clergy members from local churches. People can pick their clergy of choice and have their pet blessed.
“Dogs are like family,” Love said. “They lend a lot of emotional support to families. You can see why people want to get their pets blessed. I think we even did an iguana last year.”
The pet parade follows at noon with pet owners costuming their pets for a walk around the park so their paws don’t get too hot.
Dos Amigos Mexican restaurant and Smilin’ Dawgs will be selling food.
“It’s a great event. If you like to see smiles and wagging tails, this is the place to go,” he said. “It’s family friendly. Adults and children both really enjoy watching these dogs leap 18 to 20 feet into a pool of water, splash water up — the kids love getting wet — and seeing how far (or how high) these dogs can jump. People enjoy watching these dogs compete. Children and families like walking through the park and getting different pet-centric items. It’s a very low-key, happy time.”
July 5 features three waves of the Big Air long jump competition. The dog runs down a ramp and jumps into the water after the handler throws a toy. According to the Dockdogs website, the distance is judged from the end of the dock to where the tail set of the dog breaks the water’s surface.
Two more waves of Big Air competition are on July 6, followed by an Extreme Vertical competition at 3 p.m. The Extreme Vertical is a high jump competition where the dog jumps up to grab a bumper toy extended out eight feet from the end of the dock over the water. On July 7, the timed Speed Retrieve event is at 12:30 p.m. In that event, a dog leaps into the water and retrieves a toy. The goal is to be the quickest.
The Big Air finals are at 3 p.m. for all levels of competitors.
Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
Libertyville Dog Days of Summer
When: 12-7 p.m. July 5, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. July 6 and 7
Where: Cook Park, along Church Street, Libertyville
Tickets: Free admission; $17-$35 participation fees
Information: 847-961-0206; dockdogs.com