Pups make a splash during big air competition at Libertyville’s Dog Days of Summer

The fur was flying Sunday as canine athletes from across the country got big air while making a splash in Libertyville.

The dogs, who came from as far away as Alaska, competed over three days in the DockDogs National Canine Aquatic Competition, the highlight of Libertyville’s Dog Days of Summer event that closed its three-day run Sunday.

Several thousand people and countless dogs visited the 16th annual festival, hosted by Knights of Columbus Council #3674. A majority of proceeds from the event go to the St. Joseph Food Pantry.

Sunday’s DockDogs Big Air competition featured dogs jumping for distance into a pool filled with 30,000 gallons of water.

CJ Fremouw has worked with DockDogs since 2005. She said Libertyville, which has been a competition site for 16 years, is the longest-standing event on their worldwide schedule. They hold over 300 events a year.

She said a fun fact about dogs is that they can’t really tell clear water from any other surface, which means they have to trust their owner and really want that toy that is tossed into the pool.

“They think they’re jumping into a void, so if they love that toy they’ll trust you enough to jump off that dock,” she said. “And then once they realize it’s water, they love it.”

Other competitions over the weekend included a high jump and speed retrieve competition, akin to “doggy drag race,” Fremouw said.

The Dog Days festival also featured nearly 40 vendors, a food court, a K9 demonstration, adoption opportunities, pet yoga, a pet blessing and a pet parade.

“This is always one of the most fun events of the summer,” said John DeReu, one of the organizers from the Knights of Columbus. “Everybody who comes leaves with a smile on their face.”