Brandon Sun - PRINT EDITION
A border collie catches a frisbee at disc dog competition, where dogs and their human frisbee disc throwers compete together in several categories. (CP)
Sports were front and centre the past couple of weeks with the 2012 Olympics all over the news.
And while there are no official pet Olympics, there are opportunities for canines to participate and even compete in sports.
Most pet owners start out with puppy classes or basic good manners, and then move away from further training after that. However, formal obedience is not the only training option out there.
Have you ever considered canine sports? There are sport training opportunities available at some of the local training centres. These classes offer another way to get active with your dog, and they offer another way to bond and mentally challenge your dog as well.
Here are just a few of the canine sports offered here in Brandon:
Flyball is a team sport, where dogs race relay-style over a series of hurdles to a box designed to launch a tennis ball into the air. After pressing the spring-loaded pad, and releasing the ball, the dog will catch the ball and bring it back. The teams consist of four dogs and the jump height is determined by the smallest dog on the team.
Agility is an individual sport where dogs learn to go over, under and through various obstacles. The dog handler directs his dog through the obstacles, which are set up to form different courses. Obstacles range from tunnels and jumps, to weave poles and more. This is a great sport for building a dog’s confidence. At a competitive level, dogs race for time and accuracy.
Rally Obedience is an individual sport designed for all kinds of dogs. This is a "fun" style of obedience wherein a course is designed that is made up of tasks, rather than obstacles. Dogs are directed by their handlers to move from station to station, to perform different obedience-style commands. This sport allows lots of encouragement and reward from the handler, and is designed for all breeds and ages.
Disc Dog training is another fun dog sport, which incorporates a dog and handler team. This is a canine Frisbee-style sport, where a dog is taught to catch a flying disc. There are four main events — retrieval proficiency, single disc, freestyle disc and furthest catch. Brandon has a Disc Dog league that operates through the spring, summer and fall.
If you are interested in getting into an organized activity with your dog, these are a few fun options offered locally. There are other sports that are starting to emerge in the area, which are promoted when classes are available.
Even if you aren’t looking at competing for titles and championships with your dogs, these are exciting opportunities for both pets and their owners.
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition August 16, 2012
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Sports were front and centre the past couple of weeks with the 2012 Olympics all over the news.
And while there are no official pet Olympics, there are opportunities for canines to participate and even compete in sports.
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Sports were front and centre the past couple of weeks with the 2012 Olympics all over the news.
And while there are no official pet Olympics, there are opportunities for canines to participate and even compete in sports.
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