Splash Dogs and Carolyn Wonderland!

by winecountrydog

I saw Splash Dogs dock jumping at the 2008 Sonoma County Fair on July 26! This is a cool sport for us dogs. It gives us a chance to show off strength, confidence, speed, and all-around canine athleticism while competing to see who can make the longest jump.

The Splash Dogs' humans set up a 40-foot-long dock and a pool. The dogs stand on the dock, one at a time, waiting until their handler tosses a toy in the direction of the water.


Dogs leap out over the water to try to catch the toy. They're not required to retrieve the toy. Scores are awarded by measuring the jump distance using the Splash Dogs Ruler.

I'm going back to the fair with dog-ma for the August 3 Splash Dog finals. I heard from Ursula Kinley of Crazy K9s that we might get to see a Welsh corgi competing!

If you dogs want to dock jump, here are some tips for getting started:

• Begin by teaching your human to throw you a ball or toy in shallow water.
• Learn how to catch a ball or toy while you're in the water.
• Practice jump height and strength on dry-land hurdles.
• Remind your human to throw the toy in the air to practice your technique.
• Keep the practice and jumping events fun for both of you; don't get growly.
• If you're not getting enough praise and rewards, sit-stay and refuse to jump.

As a dog, I wasn't allowed to go to other fair events. So, after sneaking a peek, I left. Dog-ma stayed to enjoy the performance of Texas rock/blues powerhouse Carolyn Wonderland, who was joined by keyboardist Cole El-Salah and drummer Eldridge Goins.


This is dog-ma's enthusiastic review.

"When Carolyn Wonderland played the fair's 2008 Sonoma County Blues Festival, she rocked seasoned festival goers to a new level of awe. Wonderland's intense delivery had our seated crowd on its feet. Just when we thought we'd seen it all, she set down her guitar, picked up a trumpet and took us to New Orleans.

Wonderland plays lead guitar and sings — and she's a heckuva songwriter. Six tracks on the latest CD Miss Understood are hers.

Progressive Radio once said, "If you put Melissa Etheridge, Chrissie Hynde, and Dick Dale in a blender and hit puree, you'd get a pretty potent mixture called Carolyn Wonderland."

Not good enough. It's like this: If you brought back Janis Joplin, and she could play guitar like Jimmy Page and Alvin Lee, then you'd be getting close to a description. You'd have to throw in some Billie Holiday, Muddy Waters, Aretha, and a handful of other great artists to get closer.

Who's going to believe all this about a petite, red-headed woman from Texas? Bob Dylan, for one. That's why Dylan asked Wonderland to come jam with him in Houston."

You can follow Wonderland's tour schedule and catch up with her in Washington or Oregon this August. She'll also be at Sings Like Hell in Santa Barbara, California. Or you can go to Hell to see her — Hell, Norway, that is.

Paw note: Dog-ma sez to say thanks to Angela Strehli and KRSH superman Bill Bowker.