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Austintown dog wins dock diving championship
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Neighbors | Submitted.Timber (right), a German Shorthair Pointer from Austintown, made a leap into the water during the Dock Dogs National Championship on Oct. 8 in Killington, Vermont. The 8 year old dog brought home a first place prize in the veteran category.
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Neighbors | Submitted.Timber proudly showed off his first place ribbon from the Dock Dogs National Championship while at home in Austintown.
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Neighbors | Submitted.Timber, a German Shorthair Pointer who lives with Leslie and Mark DiRienzo in Austintown, recently won first place at the Dock Dogs National Championship.
By SARAH FOOR
In early October, an 8-year-old German Shorthair Pointer named Timber made a leap into history by placing first in the veteran category of the National Dock Diving Championship in Killington, Vt.
Timber’s owners, Austintown natives Leslie and Mark DiRienzo, have always supported their pup in whatever adventures he finds. After adopting him from a litter of puppies from their veterinarian pal Robert Reynolds, Timber became a hunting dog for many years with the DiRienzos.
“I would run with Timber in the fields and when I would throw a retrieval toy in the lake to help him cool down, I noticed he seemed to jump further with each retrieve. After seeing dock diving on television, I had him try and he was really a natural. He was winning competitions as soon as he began,” explained Leslie DiRienzo.
The DiRienzos support Timber and his passion for dock diving by selling barbecue sauces and jerky under the name “Drunkin Moose Picklin’ Company.”
After months of training with Timber, the DiRienzos headed to Vermont for the National Dock Diving Championship on Oct. 9.
At the competition, Timber completed the longest jump in the first round. After getting a bit excited by the roar of the crowd during his second jump, he failed to beat the distance of his first try. Luckily, no other dogs managed to topple his record either, and Timber became the veteran champion of the competition.
“We’re so proud of Timber and his accomplishments and we’re proud to have him in our family,” Leslie DiRienzo said of her pup’s accomplishments.
Timber always seems to be striving to better himself and made his best jump this summer at 24 feet, 9 inches in Millsboro, Pa.
“He’ll definitely be defending his title at the dock diving championship next year,” promised Leslie DiRienzo.