HARRISBURG, Pa. — There are many attractions at the Great American Outdoor Show, including ones for animal lovers.
Dogs from across the East Coast participate in the Dockdog's competitions. Many trainers work for this very moment, including the big air competition- one of the highlights of the show.
"There are a lot of places that have short docks, state parks are a great place to go and jump off the boat moorings," said Travis Reish, from Etters. "That is how you progress and go forward and you work on steps and tools to go forward."
The goal is simple... run hard, jump far and swim fast.
The big air event is a competitive yet fun way to show what these trainers and their pets have worked on all year long. Coming together for this very moment.
"Once you get involved in it, everybody is a friend," said York County resident Bryan John. "You get ideas from everybody, new things come out and you say I can use that or check it out and try it or whatever."
Some trainers came from far and wide to show off, and these pups mean business it’s by any means necessary to have some fun in the water and with their favorite toys.
"It's not just here at the Great American Outdoor Show," said DockDogs event manager Thomas Platts. "It's all across the country dogs compete everywhere in this sport."
It's a high-intensity event. The dogs gain a burst of energy from the crowd's cheers and- when the leaps come- it's fun for all.
"The dogs drive off the energy, so, the louder the crowd, the bigger the dogs normally jump," said Reish. "MJ is pulling me up the stairs because she wants to get in that pool and you couldn’t ask for something better from a dog like that."
The final day of the dog competitions is February 7.