Your sport of choice?

[TheRedQueen]

What got you into your sport of choice...why that one, why not another type of dog sport? What else have you tried, but don't care for?

I love flyball because the dogs get to be crazy and run fast and catch balls, and bark...all stuff they love to do. I love it because I can use treats, toys or other things IN the ring. I love it because I go to each tournament with my friends and their dogs...I love the team sport aspect of flyball. I love it because I can be crazy along with my dogs. I love it because any dog can play and be competitive. My basset used to play, and she earned points and ribbons, along with the super fast border collies and others.

I train casually in agility (I teach a "for fun" agility class), but I own equipment that I don't use at home even...I just don't find it that much fun. It's okay...but not my favorite. I've competed in agility...with my basset, which was fun because she was unusual for the sport.

I've competed a few times in disc dog...and really liked it, but there isn't a club near me now...and I'm not good enough to do it without help. We play for fun though.

I've tried rabbit hunting (with my basset...fun at the time), sheep herding (too expensive, and my "herding dogs" don't like to herd), tracking (boring to me), obedience (Boring with a capital B), rally (fun, but not enough to pay for classes...I used to go free to class).

I like to dabble in stuff...but I haven't found anything I like as much as flyball!

Anyone else?

[pitbullmamaliz]

I loved flyball, but it was just too much stimulation for Inara. I had originally chosen it because she's crazy fast and I knew if she could do it that she'd be a great addition to a team. Alack and alas though, not an option for us.

So we moved to agility because, once again, she's fast and agile (not always graceful, but she is agile). The place I went to didn't really teach you how to train the dogs at the beginner level, it was more - this is the obstacle, go play. So Inara is now terrified of the teeter-totter. She was amazingly good at everything else though, but once again we had to stop as the next level class was off-leash and she can't be off-leash. I'd really like to start up with it again though as she's anxious and I think the agility may increase her confidence a bit.

We have a weight pull harness and occasionally I'll break it out and have her drag some light weight, but she doesn't seem excited to do it.

So flyball was my first choice, but because it was a no go we've dabbled in other things.

[BigDogBuford]

The only thing I've really ever tried is tracking and Buford was crazy good at it.....he's got the Super Sniffer!

I bet Zena would be great at fly ball but it don't know of any good clubs around here and trainers I don't know/trust kinda freak me out.

[pocketpit]

I've competed in obedience, agility, weight pull, flyball, and French Ring. By far my favorite is French Ring with agility coming in second. I would still do flyball if there was a club near me that practiced on a day I didn't work but have to say that ranks lower than the other two sports because there is less teamwork between handler and dog IMO. I also enjoy the variety of different courses or order of scenarios that FR and agility offer. My least favorite sport was obedience. We've dabbled a bit in dock dogs but don't have dogs that dig is that much and I think I'd love disc dog stuff but I suck at throwing.

[juniper8204]

I've only done obedience, agility and touched on weight pulling a little. My favorite was agility by far. I was wanting Mindy to do therapy, but she's wound so tight, I quickly turned to something that could keep up with her. She took to it like a duck to water...seemed she already knew exactly what the obstacles were there for; all she needed was for me to point which way to go.

My trainer didn't make obedience graduation a prerequisite for agility, but I think she should have. There was this HUGE lab "puppy" (like maybe a year old) that would drag his owners across the pasture to come and say "hi" to Mindy...good thing Mindy likes male dogs and it takes her a while to get snarky with other dogs.

[call2arms]

Err... do couching and jogging count as sports?

I'd LOVE to do agility with the 4-legged hellion, and I'm sure she'd loooove it, but like with Inara, not sure the off-leash part is a good idea.

[maberi]

I'm still looking for our sport of choice but I love doing disc with Kayden and enjoy tracking with Earl

Flyball is a lot of fun but the tournaments are SOOOOO long and no matter how good Kayden is with other dogs, it always leaves me a bit unnerved to have so many nutty, crazy dogs running around off leash like that So many of those people have their dogs running around off leash even when they aren't running. Kayden is a mush around other dogs but if a dog pushes him he certainly will push back.

Obedience is soooo boring but I've worked so much with Earl in that area I feel like I need to start titling him in things. It seems like such a waste not to. I'm considering doing some Schutzhund obedience with Earl this year. I think it would be fun to show up with a long goofy Lab at a trial.

I'd still love to try dock diving, lure coursing and bite sports one day if I can find somewhere to train.

[TheRedQueen]

Oooh...thanks for reminding me, Matt...I do ADORE lure-coursing, and Sawyer and Xander will kill to chase the lure...but since we can only play at it, it's just a hobby.

[maberi]

Oooh...thanks for reminding me, Matt...I do ADORE lure-coursing, and Sawyer and Xander will kill to chase the lure...but since we can only play at it, it's just a hobby.

Where in the world can you find places where you can try lure coursing? I think Earl and Kayden would love it

[TheRedQueen]

Often they'll let other breeds play at it after they're done racing on Saturdays...I have a friend with whippets...and they let their non-sighthounds play after the competition is over on Saturday.

We also have a place nearby (30 min) that lets you come play at different sports for a fee...dock diving (though last I saw, they had to fix the dock), sheep herding, lure-coursing (in a fenced field), and agility.

[furever_pit]

I really enjoy doing Schutzhund with Dylan, that is definitely our main focus. While it is time-consuming and a little boring to lay the tracks, Dylan loves to go tracking and that makes it worth it to me. If the protection portion of Sch weren't my favorite part then OB would be. I could definitely see myself doing some UKC obedience with Dylan one day.

Otherwise, Dylan gets to do a little bit of WP work tho we don't meet with a group or have a trainer or anything. We will also start training for hog hunting here once it cools down a bit.

I am actually going to check out a FR club that is near me just to see what that is all about. I think the new pup might be a possible candidate for it so we'll see.

[Fuego]

In everyday life we simply go for walks and include some basic obedience training and adventure like climb up something or go through tunnels. Once or twice a week we do a little cycling and on weekends we mostly go hiking.
We also do real dog sport and compete in tournaments.
I started competitive obedience (here in Germany that's a different one than in the US) with my first dog because she had a disc surgery and wasn't allowed to jump or run fast and stop. No other sport except tracking was possible and although she was a very stubborn and self-confident dog she really liked it at least as much as I did.
With my young and healthy new dog I continue in obedience and we both enjoy it. I think it's very good to train her concentration and it forms a strong bond between the dog and the handler. Similar to obedience is dogdance which evolved from that and we do this just for ourselves as a little hobby. Also Loki loves to learn new tricks so we do trickdogging at home when the weather is bad or when Loki feels she wants to do something. Our second competitive sport is something in Germany called tournament dog sport. This means you both run a lot and the dog has to do many jumps. There are many sub divisions which can be done alone or in teams. The top discipline is divided into four parts: basic obedience, slalomrun of dog and handler together through poles, jump and run with heel position and an obstacle course. The running parts have to be done twice. We love this sport
If someone wants to know more, just tell me.
I would be very interested in rally obedience and also a bit in dock diving or flyball, but these sports don't exist here

[maberi]

Oooh...thanks for reminding me, Matt...I do ADORE lure-coursing, and Sawyer and Xander will kill to chase the lure...but since we can only play at it, it's just a hobby.

BUMP - Erin, what is the prey object on the lure course? Also, how does it end (does the dog get to grab the object?)

I'm taking Earl and Kayden to a course this weekend and was just curious

[mnp13]

The prey object depends on where you go... I know a couple of JRT people who have done courses where the lure was a plastic grocery bag, others have been pieces of fake fur, I'm sure there are some non-PC people out there who use actual pieces of fur or leather.

[TheRedQueen]

Oooh...thanks for reminding me, Matt...I do ADORE lure-coursing, and Sawyer and Xander will kill to chase the lure...but since we can only play at it, it's just a hobby.

BUMP - Erin, what is the prey object on the lure course? Also, how does it end (does the dog get to grab the object?)

I'm taking Earl and Kayden to a course this weekend and was just curious

I've only seen plastic grocery bags as the lure...it ends with the stopping of the lure so the dogs can "kill" the lure...some dogs don't care and will just stand there, some dogs tear into the bags.

Have fun...and take pics!

[maberi]

Ok, thanks guys

Maybe this will help Earl get over his fear of plastic bags I'm sure he won't know what he is chasing anyway

Do they control the speed of the lure based on how fast the dog is going or is it set at a specific speed no matter what?

[TheRedQueen]

Do they control the speed of the lure based on how fast the dog is going or is it set at a specific speed no matter what?

Whenever I've done it, they've adjusted the speed of the lure (even moving it back n' forth to get the dog interested/re-interested) for each dog.

I've also tried two dogs on one lure...because Inara likes to course the other dog rather than the lure.

[mnp13]

Oooh...thanks for reminding me, Matt...I do ADORE lure-coursing, and Sawyer and Xander will kill to chase the lure...but since we can only play at it, it's just a hobby.

BUMP - Erin, what is the prey object on the lure course? Also, how does it end (does the dog get to grab the object?)

I'm taking Earl and Kayden to a course this weekend and was just curious

are you going to the hunt races?

[maberi]

Yes

Kay's terrier rescue group is running the lure coursing so I'm going to get there a little early to see if they need help "catching" the jacks in the terrier races.

Assuming the lure coursing is far enough away from the other action I'm going to run Earl and Kayden in the lure coursing and am going to see if I can get Kayden entered into the Grand Prix competition

[Marinepits]

.....if they need help "catching" the jacks in the terrier races.

Don't forget to wear gloves!