Becoming involved in further training provides fun and satisfaction for both your and your dog while strengthening your bond. There are many sports you can take part in and competitions you can enter with your dog.
(Check out Hiring a Good Dog Trainer)
Dog Shows
There are a number of different activities to choose from but before yous tart make sure to register with the appropriate governing body and familiarize yourself with the rules. Many people choose to first enter their dogs in a breed show. However it is easy to get put off if your dog doesn’t do as well as you think he should. You can improve your chances of success by finding a good ringcraft training class run by experienced breeders and handlers from the show world. In many parts of the world there are also companion dog shows, which tend to be smaller and less daunting shows for beginners.
The joy of winning with your dog is an experience you will remember and cherish for many years to come.
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An alternative to breed showing are less competitive, pet-friendly obedience competitions. Dogs are required to perform a series of obedience tasks such as walking on a loose lead and going to their bed. These competitions are usually structured by levels of increasing difficulty and dogs are judged on their ability to complete tasks including heelwork, stays, retrieve, and recall. Dogs who earn a gold award are recognized as being very obedient.
When looking for a local obedience club to train with, be sure to find one that uses only positive training methods.
Agility
An increasingly popular alternative to standard obedience competitions is canine agility. Dogs learn to negotiate a range of obstacles and winning requires a high level of training skill as well as speed. Dogs never seem to tire of jumping over hurdles or through hoops, running through tunnels, weaving through poles, and balancing along the seesaws. Success depends on the amount of practice you are prepared to put in with your dog with many competitors owning their agility equipment or attending a training cub several times a week.
Canine agility is not recommended for young puppies as their growing bones and joints can be damaged by jumping. Dogs need to be at least 18 months of age to be allowed to compete.
Variations
As dog sports have become more popular in recent years, several variations on obedience and agility training have appeared. Rally obedience or Rally-O with its informal feel and variety of freestyle exercise is emerging as a favorite sport. Unlike traditional obedience competitions, handlers follow a predetermined route as opposed to following the judge’s orders and they are allowed to encourage their dogs.
Yet another alternative is freestyle and heelwork to music – otherwise known as “dancing with your dog.” With practice the routines can look extremely impressive with jumps, twists and turns, and even walking on two legs. However, in essence these are obedience moves taught one at a time and put together to fit a music track. There are many beginner courses available at training clubs to get you started.
Dancing with your Dog
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An increasingly popular to agility is flyball, which involves teams of dogs racing each other and jumping over hurdles to press the flyball box. This action release a ball, which the dogs must then return to the start. Flyball suits toy-oriented, social, and energetic dogs who enjoy retrieving. For those dogs not suited to working as part of a team, there are disc sports such as Frisbee-catching. Dogs earn marks for catching the Frisbee over increasing distances and even earn extra points for style.
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