Pets atHome
Dog Sports Will Keep You and
Your Dog Young
By Amee Abel, CPDT-KA
Wondering if you and your dog are ready to try a dog sport? Any dog with good manners around other dogs is ready to learn a new sport. Try one this summer!
A
s we age, we get better at knowing how to learn. Yet, too often, we become complacent about what we know. We stop seeking opportunities to learn new things. Your adult or senior dog has also accumulated a wealth of knowledge about how
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to learn. Gerontologists agree that physical fitness and mental agility improve the more you stay active. So, this summer, why not explore the fountain of youth with your favorite four-footed companion? Learn a dog sport. Currently, dog sports are exploding in popularity. Many sports derive from our dog’s ancestral work: herding competitions, field trials for gun dogs, obedience and protection work for working breeds, tracking trials are examples of formal sports that have existed for many years. Newer sports that focus on more lighthearted play-focused activities include barn hunt (find the critters hiding in protected tubes,) lure coursing (chase a speedy lure
around a field as if are chasing a bunny,) and parkour (climb up, on, and over typical natural or urban obstacles such as logs, streams, park benches and playground equipment). What makes all of these activities a “sport” is when an organization establishes rules by which your performance may be judged. Dog sports provide an outlet for city and suburban dogs to put their breed skills to work and blow off some energy. Unlike many human sports, most dog sports don’t focus on winning or losing — instead, competitors strive to earn a qualifying score based on the requirements of the sport.
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