Southwest Florida’s Bo establishes himself as premier dock diver
It was certainly a great 2014 for Southwest Florida’s favorite dock dog.
Bo, a 3-year-old Walker coon hound/Doberman mix, spent much the year breaking and rebreaking world records in numerous events, establishing himself as one of the premier dock divers in the world.
In November, at the world championships in Debuque, Iowa, Bo won the world championships in extreme vertical with a world record at eight feet, eight inches, and Iron Dog the doggie equivalent to a triathlon, defending that crown.
At the Eukanuba National Championships in Orlando last month, Bo set three world records, according to Crystal McClaran, of Cape Coral, Bo’s owner, bringing the total number of records broken to 15, many of which were just improvements on his own records set over the last three years.
Bo set a new record in air retrieve. Actually, he obliterated it. In the relatively new event where dogs try to hit the target further out in the water, Bo achieved a length of 26 feet, breaking the previous mark by three feet.
“I can’t believe it. I never thought he could do this. The furthest speed retrieve was 23 feet and he did 26 feet,” McClaran said. “It’s been around for three years. We just hadn’t done it until now.”
Bo started the year by breaking the extreme vertical record at Gumbofest on Jan. 26 with a jump of 8 feet, 6 inches, a record he failed to break on a British television show the previous September.
He later tried to extend the mark to 8 feet 8 inches, but failed.
McClaran has also started her own dog training facility on 4832 Candia Street in Cape Coral, which includes boarding and daycare. Private and group dock diving lessons available.
2015 promises even more potential records at Bo’s home pool, with a qualifier at GumboFest and a big Southeast Regional Championship happening in March at the Dock Dog Aquatic Center at the Shell Factory.
The top dogs in each event will advance to the world championship in November.
“That event should have people coming from Texas, Virginia, Kentucky, and all over. It’s so big they’re bringing in a second pool,” McClaran said. “It will have dueling dogs, which is like drag racing, where the object is to get the toy first. Bo will be in it.”