
Have you got an active dog that needs constant stimulation? Or are you looking for ways to bond with your dog more? If you answer yes to these questions or if you’re just looking for something new to do with your dog, you might want to consider starting a hobby with your dog. In this article I will talk about three competitive hobbies for dogs to get active with.
Agility
Dog agility is a sport where the dog is guided through a track consisting of various jumps and obstacles and both the speed and accuracy are measured during the completion of the track. In dog agility the handler uses voice and body signals to guide the dog, who runs off leash. No treats or toys are used which means that extensive training is needed to learn this sport.
In agility competitions the dog must complete the track in the correct order and the winner of the competition is the fastest dog with the least amount of mistakes. In addition to standard jumps, the track also contains various obstacles, such as the A-frame, seesaw, tunnel and weave poles.
During the performance both time and accuracy faults are recorded. A time fault will occur if the track is completed over the allotted time. Accuracy faults include missed contact, dropped or knocked bars on jumps, refusal to attempt an obstacle and the handler touching the dog. Each obstacle also has specific faults that can be recorded.
Agility training is best started with a dog that is more than one year old to avoid any harm on developing joints. To get started with training, find out about your local agility association as they likely will provide agility training.
What breeds are the best suited for agility? Any dog can definitely give agility a go, however, the most popular agility breeds include for example Border collie, Shetland sheepdog, Jack Russell terrier and Australian shepard. Some unsuccessful breeds include Great Dane (due to their low energy) and Dachshund (for obvious physical reasons). However, if you are very interested in agility, you can definitely give it a go with any breed!
Dog shows
Dog shows could be described as the canine beauty pageants. In dog shows purebred dogs are presented in front of judges and the dogs get judged on how well they meet the breed standards.
The overall idea is to find the best representation of a specific breed. Dog shows play an important role in dog breeding as breeders generally prefer to breed dogs that have done well in dog shows to ensure the puppies will possess desired traits of the breed.
The good news is that dog shows are available for any breed to attend. The only requirements are for the dog to be purebred and not desexed. In a dog show, a dog is presented in a ring by its handler and the dog is judged by judges that are experts of the breed knowing the breed requirements. Dogs are not only judged by their physical attributes, but also by their movement and temperament.
In dog shows multiple awards are presented with the most common being the best of breed and best of show. Best of breed is awarded to the dog that is considered to be the best representation of its breed and best in show is awarded to the best dog of the whole show, with this award being the highest distinction.
So what to do if you want to start showing your dog? This might vary depending on your location, but generally you need to register your dog with the local kennel club. Once you have done this, you can start enrolling your dog to dog shows.
Before participating in a dog show, it is a good idea to attend a few shows without your dog to get an idea of how your dog should be presented in the ring.
Obedience competitions
Obedience training means teaching your dog certain commands such as sit, down, stay and come amongst many others. However, if you have an obedient dog and competitive nature, you might be interested in obedience competitions. These are competitions where the obedience of the dog is tested. Generally obedience competitions consist of multiple levels that become progressively more difficult. New dog handlers will start at the very basic level and once they become experienced, they can move on to the more advanced levels.
In an obedience competition the judge will ask you to guide your dog to perform a set of commands. Importantly, the dog has to be off leash when these commands are performed. At the basic level the commands include for example sit, stand and recall. At the more advanced level new commands are introduced, such as retrieval of an item, jumping over jumps, scent discrimination (the dog has to retrieve a similar item that the owner has touched) and performing commands with no voice (signals only).
Each exercise has a maximum number of points and to pass a level a minimum number of points has to be achieved as stated by the rule book (this can vary country to country). The judges assess both the dog and the handler when allocating points.
So which dog breeds can attend obedience completions? The good news is that these competitions are open for any dog breed. However, the most successful breeds tend to be sheepdogs (e.g. Border collie, Shetland sheepdog), retrievers (e.g. Labrador retriever, Golden retriever) and shepard dogs (e.g. German shepard, Australian shepard).
It is good to remember though that dogs are individuals so breeds that are not generally considered obedient or easy to train can also excel in these competitions.
If you are interested in getting started in obedience competitions (or training to begin with), contact your local kennel club for more information,
Have fun and bond with your dog
Finally, if you decide to get started with a hobby for dogs, it is a good reminder to not take competing too seriously. Dogs are animals that want to please their owners, so even if you have an unsuccessful day, it is still important to praise your dog for doing its best. You should take the competitions as a bonding experience with your dog. Also, if you don’t succeed in one sport, you can always try another one.
If you have any questions about these dog hobbies or if you would like to share your experience, please comment below.
Wishing lots fun and active times and many happy barks and & walks!
Lotta
Wow! Having a hobby that one shares with one’s dog will help to improve the relationship and bond better with time. This is really great to see here and I would love yo get my dog active with one of these especially the dog agility. It would help to make them stronger and more active. Thank you so much for this
Dog agility is such a fun sport so it’s worth trying out if you’re interested! Even if you get involved in these hobbies, it doesn’t mean you have to compete in them, you can do them just as hobbies as well. Especially if you have a highly active dog, having an active hobby is such a great way to burn off some energy and of course bond at the same time.
Having dogs engage in competitive hobbies would help improve them and also have something to look out for. Thank you so much for sharing this out here. Just like humans, dogs have emotions and feelings too and when they get to have something to look out for, it would build their enthusiasm and interest better. Hence, getting them into such would increase their fondness with us.
Hi Julianne, that’s totally right, dogs enjoy the feeling of “doing something” and more so if they can please us humans at the same time. That’s why starting a hobby with your dog is such a great bonding experience for you and your dog. Thanks for stopping by at my site and leaving a comment 🙂
Hi,
Thanks for this nice article. I’ve also a dog, his name Marphy. In my spare time I used play with him and try to train new things like now he understand my wait command and I really feel proud of it. I heard about Obedience training but didn’t go through it. But after reading your article I feel to train up my mraphy for several competitions, I wish he would love these compettitions. I got a strong knowledge from your article! useful article!
HI Irin, I’m glad you found this article useful 🙂 it’s a great feeling when you can train your dog something new, isn’t it. And dogs really enjoy it too if they can please us. So definitely give obedience training a go, you should be able to find more information about training and competitions from your local kennel club.
These are some really fun activities which one can engage their pets in. My pet is just 5months old with me and she is very hyper active when engaged in some outdoor activities. Although she tends to get shy around some other dogs, but i feel she can go for the beauty pageant. She is of the komondor breed and i will love to register her for such competition soon. I don’t know how good she can deal with long distance travels though because that have been a challenge fore us.
Hi Benson, if you’re interested in giving dog shows a go, definitely do it! There’s no harm in trying. Since your dog is not good with long distance travels, you can start by taking her to local shows. Overtime she might get more relaxed in the car. My article on car safety will also provide some tips on how to help your dog relax in the car https://barksandwalks.com/traveling-on-the-road-car-safety-for-dogs hopefully this will help 🙂
I’m always looking for a way to bond with my dog more. I have a cavalier king Charles spaniel, full of energy, and she loves agility! We do not compete, because it’s something I don’t feel comfortable doing. For me having a hobby I share with my dog is the biggest reward there can be.
Prior to reading your post, I have not heard about obedience competitions yet. I will check with my local kennel club to see if I just wasn’t aware of them or we don’t have them at all.
What is favorite activity you do with your cutie? Mine is when I hide her favorite toy somewhere in the house and she has to find it – I think she enjoys the most activities where she can use her nose.
As you say: many happy barks & walks,
Katja
Hi Katja, Cavalier King Charles spaniels are smart dogs so your dog would likely enjoy obedience competitions as they provide good mental stimulation. So definitely check with your local kennel club whether these competitions are organised in your area!
My dog is also very smart and very food orientated so I like to teach him new tricks. He’s good at learning new tricks as long as there are tasty treats involved haha.
Hi, my question is about the hobby of competitive dog fighting and.. just kidding! I own a Siberian Husky and let me tell you what, that dog does whatever the hell it wants to lol. I know Huskies are very pack oriented dogs so I need to establish dominance as the pack Alpha but I’m not exactly sure how to do that. I’m assuming this would fall under dog obedience training? Or what would it be? What about competitive dog tricks like jumping through hoops or walking on two feet? Thanks for any advice you can offer me.
I’m glad you’re kidding about the dog fighting question, that’s not a sport you’d want to get involved in! Regarding your Husky, life can be tricky with these dogs because of their pack mentality and because of this, they’re also very different to other dog breeds. As you mentioned, to establish yourself as the pack leader, obedience training is required. It’s important to remain confident and consistent when training Huskies, but not to use any kind of aggressive training methods. If you’re unsure about how to get started, contact your local dog training clubs for assistance. Regarding dog trick competitions, the easiest way to get started is to google specific competitions in your area as these might vary area to area. Your local kennel club should be able to help you out with this too. If you’re interested in doing tricks with your dog, basic obedience training is also required. Hope this helps!