Dog Sports: 2020 NADD Regionals information

The 2020 NADD Regionals will be a little different this year.

Like everything else in 2020, dog sports have been affected by the pandemic. This includes the 2020 NADD Regionals of dock diving, which will also double as the 2020 National Championship (originally scheduled as a companion event of the AKC National Championship dog show in Orlando in December).

The cool thing about dock diving is that all breeds and mixed-breeds can compete, so viewers may see everything from French Bulldogs to Great Danes, along with the typical super-jock athletic types like various Retrievers.

Nine 2020 NADD Regionals sites will take place over the month of October, all at outdoor mobile docks to prevent any homefield advantage for dogs competing at their local facility.

The division breakdowns are as follows:

• North East Regionals are open to competitors from Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, and will run October 2-4 in Willamantic, Connecticut.
• Great Lakes Regionals are open to competitors from Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio, and will run October 2-4 in Maumee, Ohio.
• North West Regionals are open to competitors from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington State and Wyoming, as well as Northern California and Northern Nevada. They will run October 2-4 in Auburn, Washington.
• North Central Regionals are open to competitors from Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. They will run from October 9-11 in Rock Falls, Illinois at the Southtown K9s facility.
• Canadian Regionals are open to all Canadian competitors regardless of province, and will be run October 9-11 in Blackfalds, Alberta at the Prairie Dog Sports facility.
• South Central Regionals are open to competitors from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas, and will be held October October 23-25 in Brookshire, Texas at the Houston Dive Dogs facility.
• South West Regionals are open to competitors from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah, as well as Southern California and Southern Nevada. They will be held October 23-25 in Tonapah, Arizona at the Tanopaws facility.
• Gulf Coast Regionals are open to competitors from Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi, and will be run October 23-25 in Cairo, Georgia at the 24K Diving Dogs facility.
• Atlantic Coast Regionals are open to competitors from North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, and will be run October 30-November 1 in Stormy Point, North Carolina.

Dogs were assigned to their regional based on owner’s ZIP code, and will run either Friday, Saturday or Sunday depending on the first letter of their owner’s last name (A-H on Friday, I-R on Saturday, S-Z on Sunday).

To qualify for the 2020 NADD Regionals, in the Open, Lap and Veteran classes, a dog must have made at least 10 jumps during the 2020 season. In Air Retrieve, a dog must have made at least five jumps during the 2020 season, and the same rules apply to Hydro Dash.

Each dog will take part in all three splashes in Distance events during the 2020 NADD Regionals, with the average of those three jumps taken for the final rankings. If they exceed their class, there will not be a penalty (as usually they would be moved up to the next class). If dogs are tied in the final rankings, the first and second tiebreakers will be farthest Regionals jump and then second-best Regionals jump, and then if that still doesn’t settle things, the third tiebreak is higher recent average through that event, and then a fourth and final tiebreak goes to the dog with the higher season average.

Air Retrieve will have one splash per day during the 2020 NADD Regionals, and each dog will start at a minimum of two feet below their average. There will be a one-foot cap extension for each division, but if a dog exceeds that cap, then they will have to move up. If dogs are tied in the final rankings, then the least number of misses at the 2020 NADD Regionals will be the first tiebreaker, then the second tiebreak is farther distance for a completed catch. A third tiebreaker is the highest recent average from the 2020 season, and then a fourth and final tiebreak is a higher season average.

For the Hydro Dash, there will also be one splash per day at the 2020 NADD Regionals, and if dogs are tied in the final rankings, then the first tiebreak is the second-fastest splash from the weekend, the second tiebreak a higher recent average during Regionals, and then a third of higher 2020 season average.

The top three finishers in the Novice, Junior, Senior, Master, Elite and Premier divisions in Open Distance will receive awards, as will the top three in Open and Lap Air Retrieve, Open and Lap Hydro Dash, and Novice, Junior, Senior, Master and Elite Divisions in Lap Distance and Veteran Distance.

Once all the 2020 NADD Regionals data is collected, the highest finishers in each division and discipline will will the 2020 NADD National Championship.

While it is not currently known exactly which events will be broadcast, two of the remaining events will be shown via AKC.TV, which is pretty exciting.

Good luck to all the competitors taking part in the 2020 NADD Regionals!