Fetch It Dog Event

Top canine athletes come from around the US – and sometimes the world – to compete at the Purina^® Pro Plan^® Incredible Dog Challenge^®. This exciting dog event showcases their incredible athletic ability in events like Freestyle Flying Disc, Surf Dog, Jack Russell Hurdle Racing, Agility, 30 Weave Up and Back, Diving Dog and Fetch It.

Patience and athletic ability help these dogs go the distance during a dog diving event as they run off a 40-foot stage and try to catch or knock down a bumper which hangs 4 feet above the water.

Diving Dog Basics

The first ever Incredible Dog Challenge dog diving competition was held in 1998, at a small lake close to Purina Farms. Then, in 2011 Fetch It was added to this exciting dog event.

How it Works

It doesn’t matter if you’re talking man or dog, leaping ability is one the purest measures of athletic ability there is. In Fetch It, competing dogs run off the dock and try to retrieve or knock down a bumper that hangs above the water.

The Fetch It event consists of a 40’ x 12’ stage or dock with a swimming pool at the end that measures 46’ x 17’ x 3’6”. A moveable bumper hangs 4’ above the water.

The bumper starts at 18’ feet from the dock and moves one foot farther away each round. Competitors may pass on the 20’ round, but must enter the competition at 21’.

During their turn, the dog gets two jump attempts consecutively at each distance. The dog starts on the dock or platform and takes off running for the pool on his owner’s cue. He dives into the pool, aiming for the suspended bumper that hangs over the pool.

To complete a successful jump, the diving dog must either grab the bumper or otherwise fully dislodge the bumper from its suspended position. If the competitor successfully completes a distance, they return to the line and await the next distance. If the competitors miss at a distance, they receive another chance to complete. If they miss again, they are eliminated from the competition.

How to Win

The Fetch It event at the Incredible Dog Challenge continues round after round, with the bumper moving a foot farther each time until one dog completes a jump that no other dog can match. That dog is named the Fetch It winner!