TEAM VēRUS
Team Splash Happy
What Is Splash Happy?
If you have ever attended a K9 Dock Diving competition and watched the line of dogs behind the dock waiting for their turn, you know. Pups who are under normal circumstances are sane and listen to their owners get so worked up and impatient to get up on the dock, they become absolute nut jobs; toys have been shredded, fingers have been broken, and nearly everyone gets barked at and jumped on. That, my friends, is Splash Happy.
Team Splash Happy is an active K9 team that participates in several sports, but primarily Dock Diving. Since 2011 we have traveled throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and as far away as Boston or Dubuque, Iowa to compete in K9 aquatics. There is a 40ft dock that leads to a 40 ft pool, and we compete for distance, height and speed in three seperate categories. Overall the team has received over 45 invites to Dock Diving Championship events from DockDogs, North American Diving Dogs (NADD) and Super Retriever Series (SRS). We go out of our way to be stewards of the sport, teaching new teams not only how to dive, but also how to manage events, as well as the importance of good nutrition, conditioning and raising a balanced K9 athlete.
Team Members
Kahlua-Kahlua was the founding member of Team Splash Happy and the first step into the K9 Sports world with Jeff. She was always happiest around the dock and loved trying everything. Kahlua left us in 2022 and is sorely missed, but remembered and cherished everyday
Salem-This mini Dutch Shepard is a rescue who literally lived for months on the streets of Virginia Beach until being rescued by Animal Control, and then a rescue. She came into the team as a super-shy dog lacking confidence in 2011 , and is now a friendly, fun-loving, little spitfire. Though pound-for-pound she was the best athlete on the team,she concentrates on having fun and looking cute. She caught the toy and wowed the crowd with spins, high-fives and jumping into her handler's arms on the dock. She is thought to have been born in July 2010. Salem still travels with team to events and loves hanging by the pool, but is retired from competition.
Cleavland-Cleavland led the country for years as one of the biggest jumping Rottweilers that played the game. He had distance jumps over 20ft, Vertical jumps over 7ft, and was a decently fast swimmer for his size - a big ole Rotty with a tail. Cleavland left us in 2020 as a very happy and content senior boy.
Nerlens-Another rescue from American Belgian Malinois Rescue (ABMR), he is a Dutch Shepherd/Belgian Malinois cross born 1/1/11. He's the athlete of the team, having finished several seasons in the top 25 distance jumping dogs in the world, including one top 11 finish. Nerlens is the 2016 Super Retriever Series Crown Champion in distance, with his personal best of 28'10" sealing the deal. Nerlens went on to compete in finals at the Dockdogs World Championship in veteran (dogs 8-10) and Legend (dogs 10-12) and is currently the #1 ranked Hero (dogs 12+) in the World. He is consistently event champion at local fun events and regional qualifiers as well. Despite his fierce muscled frame, he's very shy, but when he opens up to you, displays a very goofy personality.
Joule- Joule was born in 2020, an import from France, and is a Dutch Shepherd. In her first full season of jumping in 2022 earned an invite to the Dockdogs World Championship. She’s still learning the various games to play on the dock and has the most vibrant smile you’ve ever seen on a dog. She loves life, and everyone in it. She’s also a quite accomplished Barn Hunt competitor.
Lita Ford- The newest member of the team is Lita Ford, a Belgian Malinois born in 2021. Lita is the newest to the dock, but has found her passion for it, already doubling her scores from her first event in March of 2023. We are excited to see her grow, as there is undeniable athleticism. Lita was a stray in NC that found her way into the rescue K9 Justice League, and into the Splash Happy home.
The human side of Team Splash Happy consists primarily of Jeff Wheeler. Jeff founded the team in 2011 when he realized that the addiction of K9 sports had hit and was going to be taking this show on the road more and more frequently. The name Splash Happy is a play on slap happy, because when you're on the the dock and hanging with your friends at events, you can't help but get a giddy smile at how much fun you are having. Jeff goes out of his way to invite new people to the sport, was instrumental in growing the sport of K9 dock diving in Hampton Roads, Virginia and has helped dozens of teams reach their potential.
