Dog activities such as Agility, Flyball, DiscDog(competitive frisbee playing), Herding, Tracking, SkiJoring etc, are a great way to get out and exercise with your dog, strengthen your bond, socialize, and just have fun. I think everyone should try to do one of these activities with their dog, it will enrich both your lives.
Agility
(that's my Cowboy)Agility is a timed obstacle course which you guide your dog through, you get points for completing a run with no faults, the dog with the most points wins. Once you've completed a certain number of courses with no faults under the time limit, you earn a title.
Here's an exellent promotional video that explains it better.
What is Agility?
Agility Promo
Agility and what can go wrong
I love this video, it really captures the fun and exitement (has a small blurb about docking laws at the end.)
what to look for in agility classes
You want to try to find a class that teaches contacts (the coloured part of the obstacle that the dog must touch or be disqualified) to the dogs, this part of the training should start right away, as soon as your dog is doing the obstacle, he should be training with contacts.
FlyBall
FlyBall is a relay race, each dog in turn must race across a set of jumps, triger the release for the ball at the end, then carry it back over the jump across the finish line, as soon as the dog passes the finish/start line, the next dog can go. The jump height is based on the size of the smallest dog, so most teams have at least one small dog.
FlyBall turnament
what to look for in flyball classes
You want to find a class that will help you teach your dog the proper turn at the release of the ball. Hitting it dead on can be hard on their shoulders, all four paws should hit the release, it also makes for a sharper faster turn.
Disc Dog
Disc Dog, also known as Frisbee, is a competition where you are given a time limit(I believe about 1min) and you must throw the disc/frisbee for your dog, and your dog must bring it back. However, unlike good old fashion frisbee there are a couple of rules and a scoring system. You must throw the frisbee from behind the designated line, at the time you throw the frisbee, your dog must be behind this line. The further the frisbee is when your dog catches it, the more points you get, the more times he catches it, the more points you get.(so you need to strategize as wether your dog is better off catching lots of close shots, or fewer long shots) as well you get extra points if all four paws leave the ground. (extra points for hight catches)
what to look for in disc dog classes
it's best to train with soft material frisbees, it's easyer on the dog's mouth and teeth to catch.
Dog Sledding
Dog sledding is a race where 6-8 dogs pull you on a sled. But since most people don't (or aren't allowed to own that many) I wont write anything else about it.
SkiJoring
Skijoring is a sport much like dogsledding, you dog wears a harness and long lead and pulls you on cross country skis.
skijoring
training tips:
never say "no" if your dog doesn't succeed, try again.
always be positive and enthusiastic, make it fun.
All dogs should complete basic obediance and be properly socialized before starting any group classes of these activities, there is a lot of working off leash and while you are in an enclosed area, it wastes your and everyone elses time if you are constantly chasing after your dog.
FAQ
Q.How do I find classes in my area?
A.Just try googling the activity you want + your area and do some research, ask your vet, or obediance trainer if they know of any. Go to the Association of Profesional Pet Dog Trainers website and look for trainers in your area.
Q.How much will it cost me
A. Well that depens on class size and duration, but usualy anywhere between 80-200 dollars for a 5-8 class course.
Q.Why does it cost so much?
A. Well it costs money to buy or rent the equipment, plus to rent the space in which the classes are held. And it is time and effort on your trainers part who most likely wants to make a bit of profit.
Links
Canine clubs, associations, general interest, health, pet selection
Canadian Kennel Club
http://www.ckc.c
American Kennel Club
http://www.akc.org
United Kennel Club
http://www.ukcdogs.com
Canadian Association of Professional Pet Dog Trainers
http://www.cappdt.ca
(Americain) Association of Pet Dog Trainers
http://www.apdt.com
This page is not yet finished, please check back regularly
Feel free to ask questions, talk about your fav activity with your dog, sujest more activities or info for this page etc.
