Captain Jack (Salty Paws Beach Patrol) is a water safety awareness dog on the infamous Jersey Shore. Over 100 million people visit the Jersey Shore each year and most of them are there for one thing: the beaches. Captain Jack’s human, Brick Beach Ocean Rescue Deputy Chief Robert Brown, has been a lifeguard there for 20 years and his top priority is keeping beachgoers safe.
As an honorary member of the Ocean Rescue team, K9 Captain Jack is trained for open-water rescue and can help out if needed. He is also currently working on becoming a certified therapy dog, making him phenomenal at his primary job, which is to educate people on water safety. Of course, Captain enjoys plenty of beach strolls and lifeguard stand hangs, too! Rob and his wife, Renee, answered all of our questions about Captain Jack and his swell job.
Tell us a bit about Captain Jack and what his official title is.
Captain Jack is an almost two year old Newfoundland with a Landseer coat. His official title is “Water Safety Awareness K9.”
Where did his amazing name come from?
Captain Jack got his name due to a lineage of Ocean-themed dog names we have had in the past. Captain is our fourth amazing pup; his older brothers are Riptide, a 10-year-old Dalmatian, and Reef, a 3-year-old long-haired Dalmatian. We had a Great Dane named Tsunami who, unfortunately, crossed the rainbow bridge before we had Captain Jack. The water-themed names started because of my job as an ocean lifeguard. The beach and water are a huge part of our lives.
How did Captain Jack get the gig?
Captain Jack’s job came about very quickly after we welcomed him into our home. As we were researching the Newfoundland breed, we realized they are known for their abilities in the water and have been used for water rescues in the past. As we researched further, we found the American Academy of Canine Water Rescue and we reached out to them about Captain Jack. We took two trips into New England - one to Massachusetts and another to Maine - and learned their training techniques, [then] began to train Captain Jack locally. Through this training, my job as a lifeguard with Brick Beach Ocean Rescue in the summer, and my profession as a physical education teacher during the school year, the idea sparked to create this position for Captain Jack. [We want to] use his skills and my knowledge to bring water safety awareness to our local community.
For sure, that’s a great idea. What's in his job description?
Although he trains for rescues and can perform them if needed, Captain Jack is not officially part of any rescue teams. Where we live, there is access to open water such as the ocean, bays, lagoons, and rivers, as well as many backyard pools and hot tubs. [We hope that] Captain Jack’s skills will capture students’ and the general public's attention and allow meaningful conversation on water safety in our community.
Has Captain Jack rescued anyone?
Captain Jack has not rescued anyone yet. Hopefully, he will never have to because people will stay safe when they are near or in the water. If the situation were to arise however, I feel very confident in both his ability and mine to safely help someone.
Why is Captain Jack the perfect dog for this job?
Captain Jack is perfect for this job for two reasons -
Number one, he is a phenomenal swimmer and absolutely loves being in the water. He has a natural drive to be in the water. On top of this love for the water, the Newfoundland is built for the water. He swims using a modified breaststroke to gain strong power in the water, he has a double coat that helps keep him afloat, as well as warm in cold water. He also has a very strong tail that helps him navigate in the water. His jowls are large and allow him to hold onto something while he is swimming and let any water pass right out of his mouth.
The second reason he is great for this job is his temperament. Newfoundland dogs are known to be “nanny” dogs. They are great with children and loving, caring animals. Part of teaching water safety is being around people and children. Captain Jack’s approachability makes opening conversations with people who we meet easy. He loves to take photos with everyone, and his training to be a therapy dog allows him to go to areas like schools, where we can help teach water safety.
Oh! Please tell us more about his training as both a therapy dog and a water safety awareness K9.
We are currently in the middle of his therapy dog certification class. In this training, Captain Jack is exposed to multiple stimuli, from other animals to people and objects. His ability to be well behaved, follow instructions, and just be the huge loving dog that he is gives us no doubt that come therapy dog test time later this summer, he will pass with flying colors.
As far as his water training, that consists of multiple areas. We use most of the similar skills he uses on land, but in the water. He trains to swim to certain areas, stay floating in the water using his lifejacket, stand on surfboards, and has even been on the rescue board [that’s attached to] lifeguard jet skis. Captain Jack trains to swim out to a person in distress with the help of another rescuer and once they are secure, Captain will bring everyone back to shore.
Will Captain Jack eventually be tested and certified?
Yes, Captain will be tested to be a therapy dog later this summer summer or early fall.
Tell us a little bit about how Captain Jack is working with the local community off the beach.
Being a therapy dog will allow Captain Jack to go to schools and different areas to spread awareness. We are in the process of working directly with Brick Township Public Schools and the Ocean County Sheriff's Office. On top of this, Captain Jack has been invited to backyard pool parties to help bring some fun as well as a quick lesson on staying safe in the water.
What motivates Captain Jack?
Captain always loves a good snack. Food is a huge motivator for some things, and he currently is a big fan of chicken jerky strips. But as for water training, food is not always easy to use while in the water. Luckily, Captain Jack is also very toy-motivated and he loves his floating bumpers. He loves to chase them into the water and bring them back. It is very similar to police K9 [dogs] who find scents and get rewarded with a toy. Captain knows that if he sees the bumper in the water, something fun will happen.
What does/will his day-to-day look like as a lifeguard?
When Captain is at the beach, he always starts by training in the water. He will swim and go about his routine of retrievals, bringing both the bumper and practice victims back to shore. Following this, Captain Jack mostly walks around the beach with me and his presence creates a very welcoming environment and brings many questions from the people we meet. These questions help spur conversations about water safety. We created water safety cards with Captain Jack’s water safety tips that we hand out, as well as a small reminder of simple tips to stay safe near water.
Do you have a lot of experience training dogs besides Jack?
Both me and my wife, Renee, have had dogs our entire lives and have spent a lot of time learning how to work the dogs. Once we decided to pursue this for Captain Jack, we went and met with people who have done this before and took their advice and began to train Captain Jack.
Can any dog be a lifeguard?
The most popular breeds are Newfoundlands, Golden Retrievers and Labradors. The dogs should weigh at least 66 pounds. These dogs should be strong swimmers and enjoy the water. And they should be calm, easygoing, and not easily panicked
What does Jack like to do when he's not on duty?
When Captain is off-duty, he loves to play with his two older brothers, Riptide and Reef. You can catch all three of them having their own private doggy pool party in our backyard. It is actually a challenge for us to keep Captain out of our pool. Captain also loves boat rides. We dock our boat [and] he will jump on and off all day, retrieving his bumper and pulling his friends and family around on their rafts.
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Follow Captain Jack - @saltypawsbeachpatrol - to see him hard at work on the beach!
Do you have a hard-working dog that would love to have a Weekly Woof written about them? Let us know! Send us an email info@wilderdog.com.
