Team Flying Gold

Today’s Black Hills adventure took us to the Cosmos Mystery Area just outside Rapid City. The dogs had a blast watching the squirrels, soaking up attention from fellow visitors, and keeping a close eye on the tennis ball the guide used to demonstrate the area’s many mysteries. That ball may have been part of the tour, but as far as the dogs were concerned, it was the main attraction!

It was another wonderful day exploring the dog-friendly attractions of the Black Hills. We are happy there are still places that welcome four-legged visitors, making it easy for the whole pack to join in the adventure.

We’re home from our first DockDogs event of the 2026 season—the Little Apple Splash Wild Card! It was a great weekend and, as always, one of the best parts was catching up with so many of our DockDogs friends.

The star of Team Flying Gold this weekend was Miss Talladega Nights, “Tally.” She made her Extreme Vertical debut and cleared 4’6” with both Mom and Dad in Extreme Vertical. She capped off the weekend by earning her very first official Iron Dog score!

Reka had a few “discussions” with the bumper at the top of the dock, but she stepped up and jumped every single time. While she didn’t bring home any ribbons, her cuteness helped Ron earn the 2026 Little Apple Splash “That Looked Better in Practice” Award.

As for Gambit, his puppy brain kicked in this weekend and he seemed to forget he was actually at a competition. Instead, he focused on what he does best—loving people and therapy dog practice. Throughout Friday and Saturday, many visitors from local hospitals stopped by the event, and Gambit was there to greet them, sharing plenty of smiles, tail wags, and puppy love.

Not a bad way to kick off the 2026 season! DockDogs® CDFC