You drive down an unfamiliar road and end up passing an event facility you’ve never heard of. Its parking lot is full of people … and dogs. You can’t see what’s going on in the building, but you can guess that it must be fun for dogs, since the dogs you see going inside seem happy and excited.
You look it up when you get home. You find out that what you drove by was an event for dogs—an activity you’ve never heard of, either! An activity for dogs and their people that sounds very interesting. You read about it online and you think, “Would my dog enjoy it?” You think again and add, “Would I enjoy it, too?”
You might!
I asked friends online to suggest sports and activities for dogs and their humans that novice dog guardians might enjoy. Friends who responded included links to organizations and events to offer you a start on some basic information. Many of the events are shown now on TV, too, so you can watch the competitions.
Could you become a participant with your dog? Will you decide to give it a try?
Nichola Walker (United Kingdom) Scent work. Low-impact, pretty easy to train, and fun for both dog and handler.
Annie Zeck (Washington) Nosework! All dogs love it and the handlers do, too. The National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW) and the American Kennel Club (AKC) both have trials, but the class work is what’s rewarding. A good place to make friends with other dog lovers.
Kim Campbell Thornton (California) Ditto. I’m now training my fourth nose-work dog. It’s fun. The dog is in charge (because they’re the one with the nose), you’re really building on an innate canine skill, and it’s a lovely community.
Shannon Thier (North Carolina) Nose work! K9 Nose Work brought new life and a purpose into my senior dog, Tonka. It literally breathed new confidence into her. We were beginners and earned our NW1 title, Pronounced in all four elements—interior, exterior, vehicles, and containers—in our first trial, and she won the Harry Award (an award given to one rescue dog who showed the most spirit for the sport of nose work) when she was 14 years old. ‘Pronounced’ means, according to the sport’s co-founder, Ron Gaunt, that mutual performance between dog and handler team “stirred the judges’ giblets.” That’s verbatim.
Nothing is better for blossoming seniors than building confidence with what all dogs are already great at—using their noses! Now I use nose-work box games with every single one of my anxious dog clients to give them a job. Dogs gain so much value from having a purpose: confidence, determination, and a will to carry on once they realize they can succeed at something. Once I started teaching it, I had one dog in a class I taught that was scared of so many things that all people had to leave the room for her to play the “find it in a box” game. By her fourth week, everyone in the class could be in the room, including a really nice but imposing police-officer student who was a broad 6’6″. That dog didn’t even startle at anything at all any more once she was on the hunt for a food reward.
NACSW and several other organizations offer links to classes.
Photo by Shannon Thier
Stephanie Nilles (Washington) Sniffspot is a website where pet owners can find safe, private, off-leash places they can rent by the hour for their pups to play in, pairing property owners who have available open spaces with pet people looking to provide their pups with fun new experiences. Our Sniffspot—with parkour obstacles, tire pyramid, lots of toys, pools, photo booth, fun challenges, and places for humans to relax—is fully fenced so your dog can be off-leash in a secure area. It is great for reactive and aggressive dogs. Lock the door behind you and you have it privately for the hour or for however long you choose. Also, there is a half-hour buffer before and after you arrive for safety. Download the Sniffspot app and enjoy!
Anna Abney (South Carolina)The absolute most welcoming and beginner-friendly dog sport community with which I have ever been involved is dryland mushing. Dryland mushing sports are sled sports, but without snow. An Introduction To Dryland Mushing
Canicross is on foot with the dog pulling. For more info on canicross in North America, go to https://nacanicross.com/.
There are also classes for:
▪ Bikejoring: 1–2 to two dogs pulling a bicycle
▪ Scootering: 1–2 dogs pulling a scooter
▪ Rig: 2–6 dogs pulling a 3– or 4–wheeled rig
Canicross is probably the most readily acceptable because all you need is a canicross belt, a bungee line, and a proper pulling harness. You don’t even have to run. Cani-hiking is still a thing so you can train at a walking pace!
My English Shepherd and I compete at an amateur level in canicross and bikejoring. We won two races this year! One was a two-day bikejoring novice class and the other was a canicross 10K. Any breed or mix can compete, intact or altered.
Photo by Anna Abney
Amy Suggars (Ohio) Rally is a great sport for beginners. You teach your dog basic skills (that he should already know to be a good companion) and you compete in a low-pressure, fun atmosphere. You can talk to your dog in the ring! It’s a great way to get your feet/paws wet in a dog sport! Novice Rally doesn’t require any investment in special equipment.
International Dog Parkour Association
https://www.dogparkour.org/
Ashley Whippet Invitational—the original and longest-running disc dog competition series in the world.
https://www.ashleywhippet.com/
Barn Hunt Association
https://www.barnhunt.com/index.html
North America Diving Dogs
https://northamericadivingdogs.com/
Dock Dogs
https://dockdogs.com/
International Dog Sports
https://www.internationaldogsports.com/dockdiving
AKC Diving Dogs
https://www.akc.org/sports/title-recognition-program/dock-diving/
Could one of these sports for dogs and their humans become a fun activity for you and your dog?
