5 Dog Sports
There are many dog sports in which you can participate with your four-legged friend. Worldwide competitions are usually held with certain breeds, but every dog can play sports.
Find out what is most interesting for your pet to have fun with.
Which dog sports are there?
There are very different dog sports : some only train the dog’s body and others only the dog’s mind. But almost all of them require a combination of physical and mental skills.
In such a sport it is of course necessary to train the dog, but the talent of the person is also crucial in order to be able to participate in competitions with the new skills.
There are clubs and teams that help with training, but the dog and handler are on their own during sport.
Any breed and almost any dog can practice dog sports. In the world rankings you will always see the same breeds, such as the Border Collie or the Belgian Malinois. But the physical characteristics of these athletic dogs are not necessary to have fun.
If you want to do a sport with your four-legged friend, it is best to find a local club that can guide you during the first training sessions. We can certainly provide you with material to start with.
1. Agility
Agility is probably one of the most popular dog sports. It is an obstacle course that the dog has to interact with: high jumps, tunnels, seesaws … The aim is to complete the route as quickly as possible and without making mistakes with the obstacles.
The competitions of this sport are divided according to the size of the dogs. Everyone has reasonable obstacles for their size and speed.
The composition of the obstacles and the route are different every time; there are also different levels of difficulty, similar to the leagues in other sports, in which participants progress through their athletic careers.
The great challenge of this sport lies with the human being: you have to train the dog precisely and be able to guide him properly through the parkour without giving confusing signals.
2. Dog frisbee
Dog frisbee is one of the most spectacular sports there is: The unity between human and dog is fascinating: the choreography of throwing and catching the disc in rhythm with the music reaches its climax through pirouettes.
For this special big and flexible disks are used made of silicone. There are many pirouettes dogs can do, and even the choreography is memorized!
The size of the dog does not matter here either. But it should be big enough to catch the disc while jumping and to be able to bring it back.
There are also different levels of difficulty in this competition and the ability to adapt the choreographies to the abilities of each dog and person.
When it comes to the slopes, training is more important than human talent in this exercise.
3. Canicross
This dog sport is very easy to practice, although it requires tremendous physical training from both participants.
It is a race in which dog and human run together: the dog wears a harness that is attached to the human hip with a flexible leash.
Physical preparation for both is essential. Any healthy dog over a year old can take part in the competitions.
Due to the physical demands of this sport, it is important to see a veterinarian regularly who can confirm that you are in good health.
4. Mantrailing
Mantrailing is a sport that uses the dog’s sense of smell to find a person who is hidden. This means that this dog sport simulates the usual conditions of a search for missing people.
Speed is estimated, but in this case the dog’s accuracy is what matters to find the hidden fugitive.
Not only rescue dogs can practice this sport, everyone can participate. In the event of a disaster, however, they can only be used in very special cases.
Mantrailing is a sport and a pleasure: it doesn’t prepare dogs or people for real work.
5. French ring
This could be the most demanding dog sport there is. The French Ring combines the physical strength of dogs with obedience exercises , so training is very important.
In the course of the competition, various exercises must be mastered: jumping over obstacles, climbing palisades, checking in the absence of the guide, retrieving and protecting the owner or looking for malefactors.
This sport requires very demanding training and it takes many competitions over years to be able to reach a good level.
You can spend a lot of fun time with your pet with the various dog sports.
There are many different options to choose from. Make decisions based on your dog’s size, age, and interests. But above all, remember that sport should be a game and not an obligation for both of you.
