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(07/18/19) - He's not your ordinary mid-Michigan dog. Slingshot is a champion at a sport called, "dock diving." Slingshot Brinkman, a Whippet dog, set 12 records in 2018. His best jump was on Labor Day weekend last year, and he landed in the Guinness Book of World Records "He jumped 35 feet, 3 inches, and that is from the end of the dock to where the base of his tail lands in the water," Rachael Brinkman, his owner and trainer, said. Rachael says genetics plays a huge role in Slingshot's success. He structure is built for dock diving, but then there's more. "Consistency and training but also nutrition and exercise and health. We take him to the doggy chiropractor every other week, so there's a lot goes into it," Brinkman said. Rachael and her husband Dan have been professional dog-trainers for 10 years. They say Slingshot is very close to breaking his own record. "I definitely think his record can be broken again. The last couple of weekends, he's dancing right there on the line. Only three inches short the last two weekends in a row, and we're still relatively early in the competition season," Brinkman said. Rachael says her goal is to keep Slingshot improving. To do that, she tries to keep him engaged and entertained. "He doesn't have any idea that he's done something super special. He just goes up there and has fun, so as long as we can keep it a fun game for him, that's probably all he cares about," Brinkman said. Rachael and Dan also own their own business, Einstein Dog Training. They hope they can train other dogs to enjoy success like they have as part of their family. For more information, visit their website in the "Related Links" section.