Safari-Ari !!!!!!
“Safari” is the Swahili word for “journey” and when I brought home this puppy I had no idea what a journey she would lead me on. Safari – or Ari for short – has been full of energy since day one. To channel that energy I quickly found the world of dog sports and 4 year old Safari-Ari is now currently one of Canada’s top ranked dock diving dogs! I was thrilled to stumble upon Marti this summer and learn about her services, as I realize the more we progress in this sport that my dog is a true athlete and needs special care to be the best she can be at each event. Marti provided massage therapy for Safari-Ari during Woofa-roo and even travelled with us to an event in Bowmanville where Safari-Ari obtained 2 new personal best scores after Marti’s massage! Ontario DockDogs members have now adopted Marti into our family and the team is thrilled she will be travelling with us to Knoxville to the 2017 DockDogs World Championships to care for our dogs during this tournament featuring over 600 of the World’s best canine athletes. I look forward to continuing to work with Marti to make sure my dog can continue to do what she loves for many many years to come.
In 2016 Safari-Ari competed at the DockDog World Championships in Dubuque, Iowa and came in second place in Speed Retrieve (Nitro Division) - a timed event where the dog is placed at the 20 foot mark on the dock and, when the light turns green, is released to grab the toy suspended at the far end of the pool. They also made finals in Dueling Dogs where 2 dogs race side-by-side to retrieve the toy fastest.
This year Safari-Ari and Deloni earned invitations to compete in all four disciplines at the 2017 DockDog World Championships in Knoxville, Tennessee. They are most excited about Speed Retrieve as Safari-Ari is currently the #1 ranked dog in Canada for this game and will be competing on the world stage in the Sonic division which is the very best of the best including the current Guinness World Record holding dog.
Safari-Ari has also been working this season to improve her Big Air (which is essentially “long jump”) and has a personal best score of 24 feet 7 inches. She is ranked #5 in Canada in Big Air. 
The third discipline is Extreme Vertical where the toy is suspended over the pool and is raised up in 2 inch increments. Safari-Ari’s best here is 6’2” which ranks her #6 in Canada.
And finally there is Iron Dog which combines all three games for a score to find the most well rounded competitor. Safari-Ari is also the #1 ranked dog in Canada for Iron Dog.
Deloni and Safari-Ari had an incredible season and were even nominated for a People’s Choice Award for Most Exciting Team – a very high honour in the DockDogs’ community.