"My mother-in-law has a swimming pool and he was jumping in it. I noticed he was jumping pretty far," said the dog's owner, David Drake. "I had seen dogs jumping for distance on TV and decided we should try it."

Drake, of Clinton, researched dock-jumping dogs and found the closest competition was at the Nevada State Fair in Reno. They made the drive and Salix finished 10th in his first event. That was three years ago.

Today, Salix is among top competitors in the growing sport of dock jumping. And for only the second time, he'll get a chance to perform in front of the hometown crowd during the 2008 International Sportsmen's Expo, which opens Thursday and runs through Sunday at the South Towne Center in Sandy.

The Splash Dogs water-jumping contest is open to all species and all levels of competitors, with three qualifying waves held Thursday-Saturday and one on Sunday before the finals. The top three finishers from the Pro Finals will advance to the Best of the West Finals.

Drake, who is forming a Utah club of dock-jumping dogs and their handlers, encourages people to bring their dogs to the show.

"The first thing we will do is make sure the dogs know how to get in and out of the water. We will give people some tips and they can see if their dog has what it takes," Drake said. "It is always a lot of fun."

Drake has taken an active role with Splash Dogs, the group running the competition at International Sportmen's shows across the West this year. Drake will be the announcer at the Splash Dogs events at the Salt Lake show, so his wife, Christy, will manage Salix.

ISE show organizer John Kirk says Splash Dogs has been a part of the expo in other cities for five years and that it has always been popular with visitors.

"We are excited to add them to Salt Lake," Kirk said. "The trick was to find the exposition space to house the large splash pool and jumping dock. While [dock jumping] has roots in hunting, it reaches out to a wide audience. It's for everybody, which is something that distinguishes ISE from other shows."

Drake uses Salix for hunting. He uses dock jumping to keep the dog active and says the training is as much for the handler as it is for the canine.

"The real trick is throwing the dummy just right to get the maximum leap. The dog always gives 100 percent. If your dog isn't going as far as he can every time it is your fault," Drake said. "There's a motivation for the dog to catch it in the air; he will only expend as much energy as needed. It is against the laws of physics, but dogs will fly harder and stretch longer, while in the air, if they think they can catch the dummy."

Contact David Drake by e-mail at davyd213@hotmail.com for information about a Utah dog dock-jumping club. Visit www.splashdogs.com for information about competing in (and qualifying times for) the competition at the Salt Lake International Sportsmen's Expo.

BRETT PRETTYMAN can be contacted at brettp@sltrib.com or 801-257-8902.