Work like a dog: the world of dog sports

Olivia Schatz Associate Sports Editor

Dogs have been man’s best friend for centuries. We dress them up in jerseys on game days and make them our mascots, dogs fetch bats during baseball games, pick up tees on football fields and are sometimes even our halftime show entertainers. Despite all of this, man has not given dog athletes the support that they need.

Thus, I will be presenting a guide to dog sports. And while you probably are thinking there can’t be that many, I am here to tell you that you are completely wrong. There are dozens of different sports, one for every type of dog. And while I would love to go into all of them, I have instead discussed my five favorites to watch.

5. Dock Jumping

Although dock jumping is not my cup of tea, there is no denying the impressive athleticism needed to score well in this sport. In this sport, a dog and their owner stand on a dock, the dog is then prompted to sprint and jump as high and as far into the water as possible. The current record is held by a seven year old whippet at 36 and a half feet. While any breed of dog is welcome to join in on the fun, the records are typically held by whippets and border collies.

While this sport is incredible to watch the first, and maybe second time, this sport gets repetitive fast. However, it is definitely still worth the watch.

4. Barn Hunt

Yes, this sport uses live rats. However, the rats are cared for very well and are protected from the dogs.

Barn Hunt originated, just like many other dog sports, with a practical reason.

Terriers and dachshunds originally were bred to catch rats and other pests. In Barn Hunt, rats are placed in protective ventilated tubes, and dogs are asked to sniff them out. These dogs work fast, and within a matter of minutes they have found every rat in the area.

While this sport is entertaining and interesting to watch, a nine-point advantage. Just as they did in the first half, though, Notre Dame quickly rallied. the quiet atmosphere is not my favorite. When compared to sports that are dominated by large dog breeds, you hear just how excited they are. These terriers are definitely peak athletes at their sports, but quite literally don’t have a loud bark behind their bite.

3. Herding

It comes to no surprise to anyone that herding is dominated by border collies. While there are other breeds who compete and do well, border collies saturate this competition and almost always take home the gold.

Herding trials are scored based on their test level, course type and livestock type. The course types are divided by which aspects of herding they are focused on: versatility, control or movement of livestock in an enclosed or unfenced area. The animals can range from sheep to ducks.

What I love about this sport is the wide variety from course to course. Animals are put under immense pressure and must listen to the slight changes in their handlers’ whistles to getting to the rim. for teammates. Smith would find his touch in the second half and finish the game with 17 points and six assists.

Facing a sizable deficit just minutes into the game, the Irish wasted no time getting back into it. Notre Dame rattled off a quick 10-0 run. After graduate student guard Dane Goodwin and Ryan connected on consecutive three-pointers, the game was tied at 27-27 with more than six minutes remaining in the half. The Irish kept their foot on the gas, scoring with high efficiency and stymying NC State with a zone defense.

With Laszewski on the bench after picking up three early fouls, freshman forward Ven-Allen Lubin received extended playing time and took full advantage on both ends of the court. Lubin finished the game with 10 points, five rebounds and a pair of blocks. A fast-break dunk early in the second half showcased his impressive athleticism. Behind his strong play and nine points each from Ryan and graduate student guard Marcus Hammond, the Irish went into the break leading 42-39. After struggling to finish late in the the first half, the Wolfpack could not miss coming out of halftime. NC State went on another huge run, this time 16-4, and took

Ryan scored five unanswered points to cut the deficit to four. A Goodwin three-pointer shortly thereafter brought the Irish within two.

That set up several minutes of back-and-forth basketball, with both teams seemingly scoring at will. Ryan drilled his fifth three-pointer of the night on his fifth attempt, setting up a scenario that has become painfully familiar for Irish fans in recent weeks. Down by one, less than five minutes to play, a strong final stretch away from victory.

Just as has been the case in so many of their narrow ACC defeats, the Irish were unable to close out the game. NC State’s Casey Morsell made a three and Smith hit a pair of free throws immediately after the Irish run.

Just like that, the Wolfpack advantage was back up to six.

Notre Dame would have other chances, at one point missing a game-tying threepointer with less than two minutes to play. But they were unable to fully overcome the deficit. The Wolfpack executed well down the stretch, making seven of their final eight free throws to pull out the win. Ryan led the Irish with 19 points, and freshman guard JJ Starling finished with 18 after a masterful secondhalf performance in which he could not be stopped from

For Notre Dame, the story of the game was turnovers, surprising for a group that is one of the nation’s best at protecting the ball. The Irish gave the ball up 15 times while forcing just two Wolfpack turnovers. That led to 18 points off of turnovers for NC State and none for Notre Dame. That one-sided margin ended up 15 points larger than the final Irish deficit.

Additionally, the Irish struggled to defend the rim, allowing the Wolfpack to score 40 points in the paint. D.J. Burns Jr. used his strength and physicality to overpower smaller Irish defenders.

He scored 14 points and seemed to convert an easy layup every time Notre Dame desperately needed a stop.

Cutting down on sloppy offensive play and finding a way to limit scoring opportunities for opposing big men are areas that the Irish will look to address in the coming days as they try to bounce back and return to the winning column. Up next, Notre Dame will be back at home on Saturday against Louisville, who is winless in ACC play. Tipoff is at noon and the game will be available on ESPN2.

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu know what to do.

2. Flyball

This sport is most definitely filled with the most athletic dogs —whippets and border collies dominate this sport .

There are four hurdles in a line, with a flyball machine at the end. The dogs, one at a time, will race and jump over the hurdles, before triggering the flyball, catching it in their mouth, and racing back over the four hurdles. At this point, the next dog will run and do the same exact thing.

In basic terms, it is a relay race. However, these dogs are incredible, and many times the final results come down to the wire. You might be thinking, why would I want to watch dogs run back and forth for a few minutes? I promise you, after one or two watches you will be entranced. There are times I would sit and watch flyball for hours, every race is different from the next.

1. Agility

This is by far the most entertaining of any dog sport. By the guidance of their owners, dogs are prompted to follow a set of obstacles in a race. This includes jumping over hurdles, running through a tunnel, balancing on a see-saw and, of course, weaving and bobbing. Each division competes the same course, yet depending on the size of the dog, the race appears completely different.

Like so many other dog sports, border collies have found great success in the agility contest. Among the most famous is P!nk the border collie. Dogs and handlers train for months to be able to have flawless runs.

Agility is amazing because you see how different each breed of dog performs. Larger dogs are not as precise and they seem to not have full control of their limbs while smaller dogs seem too small for their own good. Whatever the size or breed, agility is entertaining for all.

So, next time you are flipping through the channels looking for a game to watch, don’t forget about your furry friends.

Contact Olivia Schatz at oschatz@nd.edu

The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.