Fun Things To Do With Your Dog
Reasons to think about participating in dog activities:
Whether you want to just have fun things to do with your dog, or you are interested in more formal competition, there are many benefits for both you and your dog by training and working together.
Here are a few of those reasons:
- It will greatly enhance the relationship between you and your dog
- It will improve the communication between you and your dog
- Your dog’s behavior will improve
- A trained dog is a safer dog
- It will provide you with a whole new social network
- There is nothing more gratifying than seeing your dog’s mind engage, watching him or her “learn how to learn”, and giving them the chance to problem solve and grow in confidence
Remember, you don’t have to start with a puppy or young dog, and you don’t have to be interested in titles and competition. Here are just some of the wide variety of opportunities to explore:
Agility: is a growing dog sport in the United States, with over 1 million entries to the AKC’s program each year. Dogs race against a clock as they navigate an obstacle course with strong concentration and speed. Whether you just want to have fun exercising with your dog, or want to go further and enter an Agility competition, get ready for a fast-paced, rewarding experience that will get you and your dog in the best shape of your lives!
https://www.akc.org/sports/agility/
Barn Hunt: is based on the traditional roles many dogs performed in ridding farms, barns, crop storage areas, and homes of destructive vermin. The rats used to test the dogs’ skills are beloved family pets, and are kept perfectly safe at all times. They view the exercises, as do the dogs, as a wonderful game. Barn Hunt is open to any dog of any breed or mix who wishes to play the game and can fit through an 18" wide by bale-height tall tunnel.
https://www.akc.org/sports/title-recognition-program/barn-hunt/
Canine Good Citizen (CGC): The AKC CGC program provides a perfect framework for training your dog to become a polite member of society. Based on you and your dog’s training needs, you have multiple options to get started. You can teach your dog the 10 CGC skills yourself, work with a CGC trainer, or attend a CGC training class where the test is given at the end of graduation.
https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/canine-good-citizen/
Dock Diving: is a fun, exciting but easy to do sport with simple rules: You throw your dog’s favorite toy into a pool while he waits on a dock about 40 feet long. On your command, he runs along the dock, flings himself off the end of it, lands in the water and grabs his toy. The goal? To have the longest jump possible, which could be as short as two feet for beginners, but could be as much as 30 feet for those more experienced!
https://www.akc.org/sports/title-recognition-program/dock-diving/
Farm Dog: Open to all breeds of dogs, this test involves the dog performing a series of 12 exercises that are typical for a farm environment such as being in close proximity to livestock (which are always penned to avoid any altercations); jumping and staying on hay/straw bales; walking on unusual terrain; and jumping over logs. There is no herding involved. Instead, the goal is to assess his or her aptitude as a working farm dog by exhibiting self-control, confidence, and trust in the dog’s handler.
https://www.akc.org/sports/herding/farm-dog-certified-test/
Fast CAT: Sure, you think your dog is fast. But have you ever wondered how fast? Well, you no longer have to wonder how fast your dog can run. Fast CAT® – which stands for Coursing Ability Test – is a timed 100-yard dash where dogs run, one at a time, chasing a lure. It’s over before you know it — and it’s exhilarating to watch your dog run at top speed, ears back, eyes focused, legs strong. All dogs can participate in Fast CAT, whether purebred or mixed breed. Although it is a relatively new sport, its popularity has spread like wildfire. No wonder. It provides a terrific opportunity to participate in one of the few events where all that is needed to compete is a dog’s natural instincts.
https://www.akc.org/sports/coursing/fast-cat/
Fetch: – Does your dog love to retrieve? Then the AKC Fetch titles may be fun for you. AKC Fetch is open to all breeds and provides opportunities for both physical and mental exercise. While some dogs are natural retrievers, AKC Fetch, especially at the advanced levels, will involve teaching new skills. AKC Fetch is a pass-fail noncompetitive test with four levels of titles (Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, and Retriever) that assess the dog’s ability to retrieve.
Obedience: is one of the oldest sporting events, and it’s open to all dogs. From walking on- and off-leash to retrieving and jumping, or demonstrating your dog’s ability to stay, Obedience trials feature dogs that are well-behaved at home, in public places, and in the presence of other dogs. It is essential that the obedience dog demonstrates willingness and enjoyment while it is working with the handler. Whether or not you want to compete, every dog owner should consider some form of obedience training. It’s the best way to establish good communication skills between you and your dog – and to make sure that your dog is the most well-behaved one in your neighborhood!
https://www.akc.org/sports/obedience/
Rally®: is one of the newer, and very fast growing, dog sports. Whether you just train for fun or decide to compete, Rally develops better teamwork between you and your dog. Just as importantly, it will sharpen your dog’s obedience skills and behavior – at home and in public. Rally is much less formal than traditional obedience. While touching isn’t allowed, you can use verbal commands, clap your hands, pat your legs and use hand signals to praise and encourage your dog.
https://www.akc.org/sports/rally/
Scent Work: or nose work, is a sport that mimics how working detection dogs locate a scent and communicate that information to their handler. Real-life detection dogs are trained to search for a variety of things – drugs, explosives, human remains, currency, other contraband, living humans (such as for Search and Rescue), and much more. Scent Work allows dogs to use their natural ability to smell and turns it into a fun game that any dog can play.
https://www.akc.org/sports/akc-scent-work/
Surfing Dog: In the Surfing Dog event, dogs work with their handlers to catch and ride waves in the ocean, aiming to earn points based on every wave they ride. Each surfing dog is required to wear a life jacket and use a foam or fiberglass surf board.
https://www.purina.com/articles/dog/incredible-dog-challenge/dog-surf-competition-training
Therapy Dog: Therapy Dog is a program which recognizes the therapy work skills performed by dogs through accepted organizations. Therapy work involves volunteers who schedule visits to various facilities and locations such as nursing homes, classrooms, libraries, assisted living centers, hospices, funeral homes, schools, shelters, and even courtrooms. Therapy Dogs and their owners work together as a team to improve the lives of other people. A dog can provide a valuable sense of reassurance, joy, or calmness to people experiencing stressful, lonely or depressing situations or general times in their life. [NOTE: Therapy Dogs are NOT service dogs. Service dogs are specifically trained to perform a task or tasks to assist a person with a specific disability or impairment.]
https://www.akc.org/sports/title-recognition-program/therapy-dog-program/
Tracking: Tracking Tests allow dogs to demonstrate their natural ability to recognize and follow human scent. This vigorous outdoor activity is great for canine athletes and their handlers.
https://www.akc.org/sports/tracking/
Treibball: aka "Urban Herding", this is a new, fast growing sport where dogs push balls (appropriate to their size) into a net. While herding dogs love this activity, so do dogs of all kinds. It's a positive, force-free sport that requires little more than the oversized ball. You and your dog can have great fun in your own backyard, or you can compete. In competition dogs run one at a time, against the clock, not against other dogs. It builds great focus, problem-solving skills, and impulse control, and provides your dog with exciting enrichment and exercise.
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/sports/treibball-this-sport-isnt-just-for-herding-breeds/
Trick Dog: Do you and your dog love to be the life of the party by showing off his arsenal of tricks? Then he might be perfectly primed to earn AKC Trick Dog titles! There are five AKC Trick Titles you and your dog can earn.
https://www.akc.org/sports/trick-dog/
Water Work: (just for PWDs):