Dog sports & training tips

Dog sports

Some dog sports are suitable for all breeds. They provide obedience training, fun and speed. Read a short description about the sports below.

• Obedience training: the dog obedience is taken to the next level with this sport. The objective is to recognize if the dog has been trained to behave in the home, in public places, and in the presence of other dogs, in a manner that will reflect credit on the sport of obedience at all times and under all conditions.
  
  The handler gets instructions from a judge during the course, and the dog and the handler has to follow those orders strictly and immediately. The dog has to keep a close contact to the instructor at all time. All the commands from the handler to the dog, have to be small and unnoticeable. All the basic training commands are used - sit, down, stay, heel and come.
  
  There are also variations of the obedience training, where the dog not only heels the handler, also retrieves and fetches objects from command. Rally obedience is a bit more fast-paced than the basic obedience. In rally obedience there are signs during the course, which instruct the pair what to do.  Unlike traditional obedience, the handlers are allowed to encourage their dogs during the course in Rally obedience. This sport is suitable for all dogs, but it requires plenty of time and effort.
• Agility: is a dog sport in which the handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy. The dog is off leash with no food or toys as incentives, and the handler isn't allowed to touch the dog or the obstacles. The handler can use voice, movement, and various body signals to guide the dog through the course. Various agility obstacles include ramps, tunnels, jump hurdles, wave poles, pause tables etc. Agility requires exceptional training of the animal and coordination skills from the handler.
• Sled dog sports: originates from norther and arctic areas, where the dogs have been used in transporting people and goods. Nowadays sledge dogs can compete in pulling for example bikes (bikejoring), sleds, toboggans, skiers, or in one category, the handler is running with the dogs attached to him. Often the very traditional dog breeds are used in sled racing, like Malamutes, Huskies and Samoyeds, but also other mid-sized or large breeds, like Poodles, Pointers, large Terriers and Retrievers can be used. Many times mixed breed-dogs make good sports dogs.
• Musical canine freestyle ("Dog dancing"): is a mixture of obedience, tricks, dancing and sometimes high speed. The dog is heeling the trainer, when the trainer is moving along the music. Pivot turning, moving diagonally, backwards and forwards are parts of the routine. The dog also can perform various tricks, such as jump (even over the trainer's arm or back), spin, bow or roll over.

If you do not feel like competing

The most basic training tips are:

• How to teach the dog to sit: Place the dog in front of you, and pull your hand with the treat over the dog's head. The dog should follow your hand with its nose. When your hand is a bit behind the dogs head, the dog should sit down. Reward by praising the dog while you give the treats. 
• How to teach the dog to stay: When your dog knows how to sit still and patiently, you can teach him to stay. Move gradually away from you dog, whilst asking him to stay. Always reward your dog for staying put, even if it is just for a few seconds.

Easy and fun activities with your furry friend

Which hand – an easy nose work game

One of the first games you can teach your dog is the which hand game; it’s the simplest method to get your dog used to using his nose rather than eyes. Use a piece of food or a small toy and place in inside one of your closed fists. Present your dog with both hands and ask him “which hand?” Praise him when he lightly nudges, puts his nose on your hand, or paws at the correct hand – whichever behavior you prefer.

If your dog chooses the wrong hand open them up to show him where the treat is. Do not give him the treat just close them and try again. When he gets it right give him a lot of praise and give the treat. Eventually, with simple games like this your dog will begin to start using his natural talent, his nose, rather than relying on visuals.

Hide and seek

Even though dogs have a sense of smell 1000 times greater than ours they tend to use their eyes a lot. Nose work games helps them focus on smells. To teach your dog to use his nose instead of visuals you’ll want to start with an object that’s really smelly. Treats work well here. Have your dog in his stay position. Place the treat around the corner and just slightly hidden so he’s not just spotting it with his eyes. Your dog might get a little frustrated at first if he is not able to find the treat immediately.

You can then encourage and praise him when he is close, you can even point it out to him if he is having trouble. You are aiming to make it fun and exciting for him, make sure to praise him when he finds it. You could make it easier on the dog by dragging the object on the floor or making ‘scent pads’ so it is easier to track with the nose. As your dog becomes more adept at sniffing things out you can up the challenge. You can place objects on chairs, under rugs, on the couch, window sills, or anywhere where they are not going to see it right away.

Search for tidbits

This exercise is suitable for you who has your own garden or similar and want to give your dog a small challenge. Go out into the garden without the dog and throw and spread the tidbits on the lawn. Then let your dog out and exhort him to search, the dog will be working hard with his nose to find every little tidbit. Without much effort, you have given the dog a task which it will take very seriously.