In Bullsbrook, it’s Lisa and Jason Kelly. The duo behind Leaps and Laps has officially brought the high-energy sport of dock diving — and a dedicated space for water-loving pups to play —to the Northern Valleys.
Dock diving is a mix of sprinting, leaping, and swimming, where dogs race down a platform before launching into the water to retrieve a toy. It’s a fun, fast-paced activity that provides both mental and physical stimulation for water-loving dogs, all within a safe and controlled environment.
The idea stemmed from a need identified through Jason’s other business, K9 Solutions Australia, which develops working dogs for military and police agencies.
“These are dogs that you can’t take to a dog beach or the river because they’re working dogs — so where do you take them swimming?” Lisa said. “That’s where we saw an opening. It was something we needed.
“When we brought the property three years ago, it was always with the plan of setting up some sort of swimming environment, and it ended up being a dock diving facility.
“It has kind of snowballed — what we thought would just be a fun little thing has been extremely popular, and we were approached by Australian Dock Dogs to become a sanctioned facility, which means we host competitions at least three times a year.”
At 12.5 metres long, 6.5 metres wide and 1.2 metres deep, the purpose-built pool holds around 100,000 litres of water and was imported from the United States. And keeping it clean for canine swimmers requires a specialised approach.
“One dog is the equivalent of seven to ten people in the pool,” explains Lisa. “We have three filters before it gets to the main filter, just to filter out the hair.
“The pool itself is saltwater, then chlorine, and then it runs through a mineral filter. It also has ozone getting flushed through, which acts as an antibacterial.”
The undercover pool is heated to around 25 degrees in winter — although Lisa admits the temperature isn’t really for the dogs.
“Dogs don’t particularly care, but the humans often have to get in with them,” she laughed.
“So it’s really to make it a bit more comfortable for the humans than the dogs.”
The facility is attracting a diverse mix of four-legged visitors.
“From dogs learning to swim, to super active dogs, to reactive dogs — whether they’re human-reactive or dog-reactive — everyone can come here,” Lisa said. “Because bookings are individual, you’ve got the space to yourself, so it’s safe and controlled.
“We’ve even had people host their dogs’ birthday parties here, and sometimes groups of friends book it for the whole day and just make a day of it.”
Sessions begin with a safety briefing and guidance on introducing dogs to the water. “We always teach them to enter via the ramp, so they know how to get out,” Lisa said.
Of course, not all dogs take the gentle approach. “Some just go mad and get more water out of the pool than in it,” she laughed. “They bomb dive — but they just have a blast.”
For Jason, working with dogs is nothing new. Through K9 Solutions Australia, he has spent years developing dogs for military and police agencies. After serving as a handler and trainer in the military, he eventually found himself moving into management roles, with less time spent working directly with dogs.
“I started to lose contact with the dogs and wasn’t enjoying it anymore, so I left and started building them myself. It just felt like a natural progression,” he said.
“We now have forty dogs out in government agencies keeping people safe — that’s their job. That’s super rewarding.”
But Leaps and Laps – which he said, “Was always going to be Lisa’s thing” — has offered a different perspective. “It’s allowed me to see the other side — the goofball dog, just loving life and diving into the water.
“I never expected to enjoy it as much as I have.”
Despite running sessions seven days a week, Lisa says the smiles — both human and canine — make it all worthwhile.
“Even when I’m tired at the end of a long day, there’s not one regret.”
Follow Leaps and Laps on social media to keep up to date and find the link to book your next session!
