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A DIVING BOARD — Even the most loving dog owners know that their furry friends can be quite the troublemakers.
I have a family member whose beloved labrador used to eat anything and everything he could get his paws on — including a fly-fishing rod, a down jacket and an entire jar of peanut butter (jar included).
While not as destructive, this pitbull-boxer mix, Simon, had some mischievous habits that had his owner running in circles. That is until he found a new outlet for his energy.
This heartwarming video opens with footage of Simon sneaking into his owner's bathroom and leaving with the toilet bowl brush, of all things.
"He would never do it when I was in the house. It just became his go-to item," his owner, Stephanie, says in the video. "I've hidden it now, but I guarantee if I put that thing back on the floor, he would probably be in there looking for that thing."
Stephanie says that while fostering him, she initially thought it would be easy.
Then, it was "like fireworks."
Simon would climb up on the kitchen and coffee tables, trying to get items from the counter. Stephanie didn't think she'd be able to keep up.
Then, one day, Simon curled up next to Stephanie, rested his head on her lap and let out a deep sigh. At that moment, she knew that Simon had found his home with her.
Still, she needed an activity to expel some of his energy.
Enter, dock diving!
"He took that first jump and that was it. It was go-time from that point on," Stephanie says.
The rules of dock diving are simple: You throw your dog's favorite toy into a pool while they wait on a dock that's about 40 feet long. On your command, they run along the dock, fling themselves off the end, before landing in the water to retrieve their toy.
Basically, extreme fetch.
Stephanie says Simon's record jump is 19 feet, 6 inches.
"Little thing can fly," she says.
Perhaps more importantly, Simon has demonstrated how obedient a mischievous pitbull can become with the proper care.
"He started and engaged in so many conversations about how good these dogs could be. It let people see a different side of these dogs," Stephanie says. "He has taught me so much patience and understanding. He didn't have manners, you know, he didn't know. But he's come so far."
Now, Stephanie has adopted another dog, Mabel, who she says teaches Simon how to be more patient — while he teaches her "the bad habits of the house."
As a kid, I did dog agility courses with my family's German shepherd. When I get a dog of my own, I might just have to take up dock diving.
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