WASHINGTON — Local volunteers and Dock Dogs supporters worked through the morning yesterday to piece together arguably the most attractive and exhilarating spectacle at this year’s Summer Festival, Dock Dogs.

With the first jump scheduled for 9 a.m., dogs of all breeds and sizes will compete alongside their trainers in three events: the big air, the extreme vertical and the speed retrieve. While differing in objective, each event will require the dogs to jump off an 8-by-40-foot long elevated dock and into a 20-by-8-foot pool.

Neil Woolard, Dock Dogs chairman for the Summer Festival, says over 70 dogs have preregistered and over 100 are expected to compete.

“There are no bleachers, so come out and bring your lawn chairs,” Woolard said. “Or, just stand up next to the pool are cheer them on because dogs love praise more than people do.”

Professional Dock Dog registrants from as far as Ohio will be competing in this weekend’s competition in hopes of gaining points to qualify for the southern regional. For those pups that have never competed in something like this before, semi-pro and amateur categories are also available.

Dock Dogs will be an ongoing exhibition running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and Saturday. The championships will take place Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The event is one of five nationally affiliated events on tour and is sponsored locally by the City of Washington, Lee Chevrolet, N.C. Ducks Unlimited, Ed and Rucker Talley, Engraver’s World and Rutledge Mini-Storage.