When Sarah Maleski, from Dayton, Ohio, got her first dog, 9-year-old Australian Shepherd “Freyja,” little did she know what a life-changing influence she would be — the pair’s dock diving endeavors led to Sarah meeting her partner and creating a life revolving around dogs.
When looking ahead to competing at the 2025 Diving Dogs Premier Cup, Maleski hopes they do well. But, most of all, she loves seeing Freyja continuing to have a blast and achieve personal bests, especially those that she shouldn’t statistically be hitting at her age.
Maleski grew up in a country setting, surrounded by dogs, cats, and other critters, so it’s no surprise she wanted to work with animals. Attending the University of Pittsburgh with the goal of becoming a veterinarian was a big change, and she didn’t enjoy living in the city without pets.
The decision to get a dog of her own wasn’t one she took lightly. She did her research to find the right breed and breeder for her lifestyle, and an Australian Shepherd felt like a good fit. “I wanted a dog that could go everywhere with me, had a solid temperament, loved being in the city, but could go into the country and just be a really great partner through life,” she explains.
Freyja was Maleski’s favorite in the litter from the get-go. “She was a very spicy dog — she had a lot of attitude, was pretty independent, and let you know her feelings and opinions on many matters,” she says. The breeder recommended a different puppy, as she was concerned Freyja could be a challenge as a first dog, but Maleski knew she could handle her. It was clearly the right decision, as “she’s been nothing but a crazy joy.”
However, life unexpectedly changed when Maleski’s dad was involved in a traumatic accident. “Everything went on hold for me to take care of family matters, and then the financial aspect of moving into a veterinary school just didn’t feel attainable,” she says.
After graduating, Maleski decided to take a more hands-on role as a vet tech, meaning Freyja was fortunate enough to grow up in the veterinary office. She then moved into a puppy training role in the clinic, and it soon became obvious that dog training was Maleski’s calling. She enjoyed helping owners build strong bonds with their dogs, like she had with Freyja.
“She’s a very stubborn-willed dog, but she’s also very forgiving of how I train — if I mess up my handling or something,” Maleski says. “She might bark at me or give me her opinions on it, but she’ll still go ahead and do it, and I can’t ask for more, especially in my first dog.”
Maleski was keen to try dog sports with Freyja, and they signed up for agility classes. “I found that as a handler, I was not always coordinated in my directions to her, and with her being a herding breed and more strong-willed with her opinions, if I miscued her, usually that came with either barking or nipping at my butt,” she says. “I decided that agility wasn’t where we meshed best for her stress levels and my body.”
While Maleski knew Freyja would excel in obedience trials, she would do it more because she was being asked rather than because she enjoyed it. They also tried AKC Scent Work and Barn Hunt. “She did enjoy them, but I wanted something where we could both have more involvement,” Maleski says.
Freyja loved swimming in the ocean and at the pond at their local dog park — running and jumping off the dock with enthusiasm. This inspired Maleski to take her to a local dock diving event, and the pair took to it immediately.
Shelby Wise Wise K9 Photography
“Dock diving does rely on some skill on the handlers’ part — throwing the toys in the proper locations and things like that,” Maleski says. “I did still feel that it was a nice connection between us, but it also didn’t fully rely on me, like agility does.”
When they started out, Freyja was only jumping around nine feet, but she was loving it. This was when Maleski started attending North American Diving Dogs events with her. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t have the furthest jumping dog, you can be in many different divisions and still be competitive,” she says. “It offers a chance for those that aren’t 30-foot jumping dogs to still have a lot of fun and do well.”
It was at a dock diving event that Maleski met her partner, Matthew Bohn. Their lives now revolve around dogs — they have six of their own and run a dog boarding, daycare, and training facility together.
They also train for and attend Diving Dogs events together, and Maleski says they are each other’s biggest cheerleaders. “We have our own dog diving pool in our backyard, so we can practice whenever we want,” she says. “We can train other people’s dogs, and we offer it as swim practice for some of our daycare dogs that have never been in a pool before, allowing us to get more people into a sport that they didn’t even know existed.”
Freyja might be 9 years old—often considered past a dog’s sporting prime — but Maleski says that she has really come into her own in the last couple of years, achieving some new personal bests. Her furthest Distance Jump (the classic event where the dogs compete to see how far they can jump into the water from the edge of the dock), which she achieved at 8 years old, is an impressive 18 feet 3 inches.
Last year, she also started competing in the other two disciplines North American Diving Dogs offer—Air Retrieve (snatching a bumper suspended above the water) and Hydro Dash (a timed retrieval). “Not only did she learn two new divisions at 8 years old, she also made it to Nationals, and participated in what they call a ‘Hard Charger’ award, which is essentially like an iron dog, when you do all three disciplines.”
Kali Giesecke Pawz To Pose Photography
Maleski and Bohn keep their dogs on a strict conditioning schedule to keep them healthy, happy, and able to continue enjoying competing as they age. Bohn’s 10-year-old Belgian Malinois, “Kratos,” is also a veteran Diving Dog who continues to finish on the podium.
“We have a warm-up, a cooldown, and dry them off appropriately to ensure those muscles stay as conditioned as they can,” Maleski says. They also feed their dogs a raw diet and attend chiropractic appointments, and Maleski is a certified cold laser therapist for small animals. “I make sure everybody gets one of those sessions, especially our older dogs, after every day of competing.”
While Maleski admits that she always enters a competition hoping they will do well, the primary goal is to have fun and enjoy their partnership. This became even more important after Maleski and Bohn tragically lost their beloved 3-year-old mixed-breed “Survey,” suddenly last year. “He went downhill very fast, and it was heartbreaking for us,” she says. “It really opened my eyes to enjoying literally every second with my animals.”
Maleski now treats every jump as if it could be her last time up there with any of the dogs she is competing with. However, she isn’t expecting Freyja, who always gives 110%, to be retiring from dock diving any time soon. “Statistically, she shouldn’t be achieving these goals and getting these personal bests,” she says. “However, she’s showing lots of these younger dogs that she’s still got it, and she’s such an inspiration to me.”
The post Dock Diving Is a Family Affair With Australian Shepherd ‘Freyja’ appeared first on American Kennel Club.
Read more...
When looking ahead to competing at the 2025 Diving Dogs Premier Cup, Maleski hopes they do well. But, most of all, she loves seeing Freyja continuing to have a blast and achieve personal bests, especially those that she shouldn’t statistically be hitting at her age.
Couldn’t Ask For a Better First Dog
Maleski grew up in a country setting, surrounded by dogs, cats, and other critters, so it’s no surprise she wanted to work with animals. Attending the University of Pittsburgh with the goal of becoming a veterinarian was a big change, and she didn’t enjoy living in the city without pets.
The decision to get a dog of her own wasn’t one she took lightly. She did her research to find the right breed and breeder for her lifestyle, and an Australian Shepherd felt like a good fit. “I wanted a dog that could go everywhere with me, had a solid temperament, loved being in the city, but could go into the country and just be a really great partner through life,” she explains.
Freyja was Maleski’s favorite in the litter from the get-go. “She was a very spicy dog — she had a lot of attitude, was pretty independent, and let you know her feelings and opinions on many matters,” she says. The breeder recommended a different puppy, as she was concerned Freyja could be a challenge as a first dog, but Maleski knew she could handle her. It was clearly the right decision, as “she’s been nothing but a crazy joy.”
However, life unexpectedly changed when Maleski’s dad was involved in a traumatic accident. “Everything went on hold for me to take care of family matters, and then the financial aspect of moving into a veterinary school just didn’t feel attainable,” she says.
After graduating, Maleski decided to take a more hands-on role as a vet tech, meaning Freyja was fortunate enough to grow up in the veterinary office. She then moved into a puppy training role in the clinic, and it soon became obvious that dog training was Maleski’s calling. She enjoyed helping owners build strong bonds with their dogs, like she had with Freyja.
“She’s a very stubborn-willed dog, but she’s also very forgiving of how I train — if I mess up my handling or something,” Maleski says. “She might bark at me or give me her opinions on it, but she’ll still go ahead and do it, and I can’t ask for more, especially in my first dog.”
An Alternative to Agility
Maleski was keen to try dog sports with Freyja, and they signed up for agility classes. “I found that as a handler, I was not always coordinated in my directions to her, and with her being a herding breed and more strong-willed with her opinions, if I miscued her, usually that came with either barking or nipping at my butt,” she says. “I decided that agility wasn’t where we meshed best for her stress levels and my body.”
While Maleski knew Freyja would excel in obedience trials, she would do it more because she was being asked rather than because she enjoyed it. They also tried AKC Scent Work and Barn Hunt. “She did enjoy them, but I wanted something where we could both have more involvement,” Maleski says.
Freyja loved swimming in the ocean and at the pond at their local dog park — running and jumping off the dock with enthusiasm. This inspired Maleski to take her to a local dock diving event, and the pair took to it immediately.
Shelby Wise Wise K9 Photography
“Dock diving does rely on some skill on the handlers’ part — throwing the toys in the proper locations and things like that,” Maleski says. “I did still feel that it was a nice connection between us, but it also didn’t fully rely on me, like agility does.”
When they started out, Freyja was only jumping around nine feet, but she was loving it. This was when Maleski started attending North American Diving Dogs events with her. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t have the furthest jumping dog, you can be in many different divisions and still be competitive,” she says. “It offers a chance for those that aren’t 30-foot jumping dogs to still have a lot of fun and do well.”
A Family of Dock Divers
It was at a dock diving event that Maleski met her partner, Matthew Bohn. Their lives now revolve around dogs — they have six of their own and run a dog boarding, daycare, and training facility together.
They also train for and attend Diving Dogs events together, and Maleski says they are each other’s biggest cheerleaders. “We have our own dog diving pool in our backyard, so we can practice whenever we want,” she says. “We can train other people’s dogs, and we offer it as swim practice for some of our daycare dogs that have never been in a pool before, allowing us to get more people into a sport that they didn’t even know existed.”
Their Partnership Is in its Prime
Freyja might be 9 years old—often considered past a dog’s sporting prime — but Maleski says that she has really come into her own in the last couple of years, achieving some new personal bests. Her furthest Distance Jump (the classic event where the dogs compete to see how far they can jump into the water from the edge of the dock), which she achieved at 8 years old, is an impressive 18 feet 3 inches.
Last year, she also started competing in the other two disciplines North American Diving Dogs offer—Air Retrieve (snatching a bumper suspended above the water) and Hydro Dash (a timed retrieval). “Not only did she learn two new divisions at 8 years old, she also made it to Nationals, and participated in what they call a ‘Hard Charger’ award, which is essentially like an iron dog, when you do all three disciplines.”
Kali Giesecke Pawz To Pose Photography
Maleski and Bohn keep their dogs on a strict conditioning schedule to keep them healthy, happy, and able to continue enjoying competing as they age. Bohn’s 10-year-old Belgian Malinois, “Kratos,” is also a veteran Diving Dog who continues to finish on the podium.
“We have a warm-up, a cooldown, and dry them off appropriately to ensure those muscles stay as conditioned as they can,” Maleski says. They also feed their dogs a raw diet and attend chiropractic appointments, and Maleski is a certified cold laser therapist for small animals. “I make sure everybody gets one of those sessions, especially our older dogs, after every day of competing.”
Appreciating Quality Time Together
While Maleski admits that she always enters a competition hoping they will do well, the primary goal is to have fun and enjoy their partnership. This became even more important after Maleski and Bohn tragically lost their beloved 3-year-old mixed-breed “Survey,” suddenly last year. “He went downhill very fast, and it was heartbreaking for us,” she says. “It really opened my eyes to enjoying literally every second with my animals.”
Maleski now treats every jump as if it could be her last time up there with any of the dogs she is competing with. However, she isn’t expecting Freyja, who always gives 110%, to be retiring from dock diving any time soon. “Statistically, she shouldn’t be achieving these goals and getting these personal bests,” she says. “However, she’s showing lots of these younger dogs that she’s still got it, and she’s such an inspiration to me.”
The post Dock Diving Is a Family Affair With Australian Shepherd ‘Freyja’ appeared first on American Kennel Club.
Read more...
