WestWind Diving Dogs

14/01/2026

V really like this Alone show on The History Channel. They guy is fishing. She probably wants to go after his cast.

11/01/2026

I wuv this

11/01/2026

We will be doing AR and HD practice training / practice sessions this season along with Paul’s Dock Clinics. We’ve been doing Paul’s Clinic’s for a couple of years now. These are highly recommended. We may try so Sunday ‘after event’ clinics with Paul and see how attendance is for that format.
One thing we will not allow is other outside trainers to train pups on our dock.
As we get closer to the season starting, we will announce all if these learning clinics and sessions. We will definitely have an AR/HD Clinic before the first event so folks can experience the new NADD Bumper before the first event.

06/01/2026

This is just an extra note about our late August event date change to August 20-23rd.
This is due to the original date overlapping the new Regional event date.
I tried updating the original post and I can’t see my updates on the phone. I also did another post showing all of the event dates.
And this post. Hopefully everyone gets the date change one way or the other.
I believe the thank you goes out to Robin for her post on the Regional event date change to late August (not in early September this year).

We’re getting there, with ‘there’ meaning the 2026 Westwind Diving Dog season.like I tell Tara, we must get thru the nasty winter, in order to get to the good summer dock season!

06/01/2026

These are the 2026 NADD event dates.
****note the date change for the last event due to the date change for NE Regionals****

May 21-24, Thursday thru Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. Note that Monday, Memorial Day is not an event day.

All events run from Thursday evening thru Sunday afternoon.

One big change for this season at WestWind is that Thursday, Friday and Saturday will have Air Retrieve (AR) as the Specialty game.
Hydrodash (HD) will only take place on Sunday.
This is due to the demand for AR being much more than it is for HD.
We are going to try this schedule for this season.

June 4-7. This is the WestWind Facility Qualifier event.

July 9-12

July 23-26

August 13-16

August 20-23

We do not have September NADD events because the timing of what the NADD Regional (late August this year)

31/12/2025

Hmmm

A New York attorney is challenging the IRS definition of family, and she is doing it with her dog at her side. Amanda Reynolds has filed a lawsuit against the IRS on behalf of herself and her eight year old Golden Retriever, Finnegan Mary Reynolds, arguing that pets should qualify as dependents for tax purposes. The case seeks recognition of the financial realities faced by pet parents and could open access to certain tax benefits.

Currently, the IRS categorizes pets as property. Reynolds argues that pets meet nearly all dependency standards outlined in the tax code, noting that they earn no income, live full time with their caregivers, and often require more than $5,000 a year in care. She says labeling pets as property ignores their role within families and describes Finnegan as “for all intents and purposes” her daughter.

Reynolds also points out that service animals already receive certain tax considerations. She argues that there is no real financial distinction between caring for a service animal and a companion animal, making the existing rules inconsistent and unfair.

In her lawsuit, Reynolds cites the Equal Protection Clause and the Takings Clause, claiming that denying tax recognition to nonhuman dependents violates principles of fairness under the law. She proposes that pets be treated as “quasi citizens” with limited civil recognition, including eligibility as dependents.

The case has encountered resistance. Judge James M. Wick has paused discovery after the IRS presented arguments suggesting the lawsuit is likely to be dismissed. Despite this, Reynolds remains hopeful, describing the case as a labor of love and saying Finnegan is her child in every way that matters.

No matter the outcome, the lawsuit reflects a growing call for laws to better reflect how people view their pets today. References: Forbes - Lawyer Sues The IRS, Demanding It Recognize Pets As Legal Dependents

30/12/2025

Any ‘singer’s’ out there?

25/12/2025

We just finished a Netflix movie ‘Dog’. It is about a war pup and a retired Army Ranger who end up saving each other. It is a 365 day a year movie, not a XMAS movie. I recommend watching it.

Last night, we took the two pups to a barn hunt training session.
It was a first for each and they had a ball. Kelly did a great job with the training. ‘V’ did very well even while having a more than a few episodes of the ‘zoomies’. She had a blast running around the course and doing the tunnel; all of this being done after she did her rat’s. Memphis’ energy level will never match ‘V’ but he knew what to do and even did multiple ‘combat crawls’ thru a long hay tunnel and did a very good job of ‘rat’ n’ as well.
Thank you to Kelly for the secure set-up and patience with us newbies.

I don’t have pics or video to share though.
This was Memphis’ first foray into something other than the pool. Since he quit jumping this past season, I’ve wanted to find another activity for him to do. He really enjoys this. I say this because of how he has acted ever since. Part of his behavior pointed to being a little tired but the other part of his behavior showed how he enjoyed the activity.

Keep your pup’s active, which most do. I am amazed at how many activities folks do with their pups. Now I understand it a bit more. The ribbons are for us. The experience is for us and the pup.

Have an awesome Christmas everyone and thank you for letting me share and thank you to Tara for encouraging this trying of new things to do with our pups in the off-season. We usually spend the off-season recovering from dock jumping. Doing something other than the the dock enables us to focus on our pup’s 100% of that time during these non- dock jumping events.

Merry Christmas everyone!
Chuck

25/12/2025

From our home to yours, Merry Christmas!!

24/12/2025

This is great progress on pup vocalization

Scientists at the University of Washington successfully translated dog vocalizations using AI analysis of 40,000 hours of recorded barks, whines, and growls from 500 dogs, discovering that canines use sophisticated communication including specific sounds for different emotions, requests, and social interactions. The research revealed dogs have vocabularies exceeding 40 distinct vocalizations with consistent meanings across breeds, along with grammar-like sequencing where sound order changes meaning—essentially proving dogs have functional language.

The team used machine learning to analyze pitch, duration, frequency modulation, and sequential patterns in dog sounds while monitoring behavioral context and physiological markers like heart rate. The AI identified reliable correlations between specific vocalizations and situations—distinct sounds for "I want food," "I'm anxious," "play with me," "stranger approaching," and even complex concepts like "I need to go outside because I'm about to be sick." Different breeds showed dialect variations but maintained core vocabulary universally. Tone and sequence altered meaning, with dogs combining sounds to create complex messages comparable to two-year-old human language complexity.

Imagine truly understanding your dog's needs and emotions instead of guessing. Apps could translate barks in real-time, alerting you when your dog is anxious, sick, or happy. Veterinarians could diagnose issues earlier by understanding pain-specific vocalizations. Working dogs could communicate specific threats or findings to handlers with precision. The psychological benefits are profound—deeper bonds develop when true communication replaces interpretation. Dogs have been trying to talk to us for thousands of years; we're finally learning to listen.

The research team is developing a consumer app launching in 2026 that provides real-time dog-to-English translation using smartphone microphones. Animal behaviorists are already using the findings to improve training and welfare. This fundamentally changes our understanding of animal cognition—if dogs have language, what else are we missing in other species? 🐕

Source: University of Washington Center for Animal Communication, Animal Cognition 2025