Meet Diving Dogs Team ‘Atreyu’ and Dae Grodin

“Atreyu,” the Danish-Swedish Farmdog, has a nickname on the diving dock. His owner, Dae Grodin, calls him the “No Toy Left Behind Dog.” This intense toy drive, coupled with a love of water, sends the little dog soaring after the bumper.

But sometimes Atreyu can get a bit overzealous. Once, he slipped out of his holder’s grasp before Grodin could set up for a throw. Another time, he attempted to leap off the ramp for the bumper instead of jumping from the dock. By whatever means necessary, Atreyu is getting that toy.

“He’s all business on the dock, no doubt,” Grodin says, “but he wants to go!”

Grodin and Atreyu are bringing this energy and enthusiasm to the 2026 AKC Diving Dogs Team Challenge on June 5, 2026, at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The first-of-its-kind team event is part of the AKC Celebrates USA 250 dog sport festival and will be televised on AKC.tv and ESPN2.

A Breed That Ticks All the Boxes

Grodin is the owner of Dog-Abilities in Erlanger, Kentucky, where she teaches group classes in basic obedience, puppy manners, and foundational sports. She also offers private, in-home lessons covering obedience and behavior with their dogs. She’s had several breeds over the years, including Parson Russell Terrier “Fievel,”, her first serious sport and working dog. He competed at the North American Diving Dogs nationals twice.

One day, Grodin came across a Facebook post asking for suggestions for small, sporty, easygoing breeds — criteria that matched what Grodin would want in her next dog. Jennifer Giacchi, who owns dog-sport superstar “Dottie,” commented on the post and recommended the Danish-Swedish Farmdog.

“That kind of piqued my interest, because the things she listed were things that I was looking for — they ticked all my boxes,” Grodin says. She joined the Danish-Swedish Farmdog Club of America Facebook group and began researching breeders. In 2021, she contacted breeder Melody Farquhar-Chang, the first to bring the Danish-Swedish Farmdog to the United States, about an upcoming litter.

“I did specifically ask about if her dogs swam,” Grodin recalls, “because I wanted a water dog.”

The Flying Farmdog

Atreyu (Flora’s Bingo The Story Never Ends FDC CAA FCAT DEX3 DMA ASX HDEA CGCA CGCU TKP ATT FTR) is named after the fearless young warrior in the movie and book “The NeverEnding Story,” and he lives up to it. Even as a young puppy, he showed confidence on the wobble board and other sensory equipment.

“Atreyu is a really fun dog. He’s fun to train, he’s just always ready to go. He’s been very willing to do anything I’ve asked him to do,” Grodin says. “He does have very little fear, which I do overall like. I mean, I do want dogs to have some self-preservation, but he has a lot of good confidence, and he’s very stable.”

Grodin started acclimating Atreyu to water right away by tossing treats into a baby pool and building a sense of value for toys. At about 7 months old, she took Atreyu for his first swimming lesson at an indoor pool to see if he’d enjoy dock diving. The gutsy pup showed no hesitation and went right down the ramp into the water. By his third session, he was leaping off the large dock after the bumper.

“He just really blossomed and just took to it right away,” Grodin says. “I mean, this dog loves the water.”

Watching for Water Intoxication

But Grodin learned early on that Atreyu’s passion for splashing can come with risks. On July 4 in 2022, Atreyu had a fun summer holiday of dock diving, disc-throwing, and cooling off in a play pool. That evening, Grodin noticed Atreyu was drooling, with a glazed, sleepy look on his face. She called her vet, who told her to monitor his vitals and see if it resolved. He was better the next morning, but “peed a river” as soon as he was outside. Grodin suspected water intoxication, which can happen when dogs consume more water than their bodies can process.

At a pool party sometime later, it happened again. Atreyu ingested too much water chasing toys in the pool. But Grodin was prepared — she brought salty chips and electrolytes, and when she noticed him showing similar symptoms, his recovery was much quicker.

“After those two episodes, that was definitely mandatory,” she says. “You have to take a break, you’ve got to rest.”

The SKY(LAM)’s the Limit

Now almost 5 years old, Atreyu competes in Distance, Air Retrieve, and Hydro Dash. He shoots off the dock like a superhero, with a personal best of 22 feet, 6 inches in Distance, 13 feet in Air Retrieve, and 16.117 seconds in Hydro Dash. Atreyu competed in the 2024 AKC Diving Dogs Challenge, and Grodin is excited to return for the team twist on this year’s event. Six dogs are randomly selected for each team — four Open and two Lap — and will compete in a bracket system in pursuit of a team victory. Atreyu and Grodin are part of team SKYLAM (an acronym of the letters of each member dog’s name).

“I think the team aspect is super fun, because you’re cheering for each other,” Grodin says. She would love it if SKYLAM won — “I can’t not say that,” Grodin laughs — but is most looking forward to the camaraderie and spirit that will develop among her teammates.

She hopes that Atreyu will do what he does best — leave no toy behind — and continues to marvel at her little dog’s talent.

“I really had no clue he was going to be as good as he was,” Grodin says. “I kind of lucked out with that.”