Puppy training > Fun Dog Activities

Fun Dog Activities

by: Mike Mathews

All dog breeds were developed for a purpose. Some breeds were developed to herd sheep, some to hunt game, and some to pull sleds. Dogs, like humans, enjoy having a purpose in life. Dogs like to lead a structured life and be able to associate with their owners in activities and be given the opportunity to please their owner. The following is a short list of fun activities that you may want to consider for your dog.

Dog Agility is a sport in which a handler must control and direct his dog around an obstacle course within a set period of time. Dogs must be controlled off-leash using only voice and body language commands. The handler runs beside the dog and directs the dog through the obstacle course with precision and speed ? trying to accumulate the minimum number of faults (both missed obstacles and time faults). Obstacles include: A-frames, elevated dog walks, teeter-totters, tunnels, jumps (such as hurdles and tires), weave poles (like a slalom), pause tables (where the dog must lie down for a fixed time), and other obstacles. In order to be fair, there are usually classes of competition to group dogs of similar size and experience. Therefore there will be several winners at a competition. Dogs and handlers need to be very well trained and seem to enjoy this sport immensely. There are a number of organizations involved in agility performance around the world who sanction clubs to allow them to host agility competitions. In the US, some of these organizations include: the American Kennel Club (AKC), the United Kennel Club (UKC), the United States Dog Agility Association, and the North American Dog Agility Council. Elsewhere in the world: the Kennel Club (in the UK), the Agility Association of Canada and the FCI (World Canine Organization) are all involved.

Obedience is a skill that ranges from mastering everyday commands that all dogs should know to competitive exercises that require significant training and aptitude to excel. You may start out teaching your puppy and young dog the basic obedience commands and find that you and your dog have an aptitude for obedience skills that you would like to take to a higher level. In competitive obedience the dog and handler team must perform prescribed activities off leash and in a carefully defined way. If the dog has the aptitude and training it will gain skills to allow it to advance through the ranks from Novice to Open (intermediate) to Utility (advanced) competitions. At each level the requirements become more difficult and the number of exercises to be performed get longer.
Exercises are all done off leash using voice and body language commands and include such activities as: having the dog stay while you walk away; follow the handler in the heel position through complex patterns; come on command; sit and lie down for fixed periods of time while the handler is out of the dog?s sight; retrieve items over a high jump; and find a scented object amongst a group of identical non-scented objects. Dogs can earn obedience titles in obedience championships. Purebred dogs can compete in obedience trials sanctioned by the AKC, while the UKC recognizes other purebred dog competitions. As well, there are mixed breed competitions sanctioned by the Mixed Breed Dog Club of America and other organizations. In Canada, the Canadian Kennel Club sanctions obedience trials and awards titles.

Lure coursing is a sport for sighthounds that involves chasing a manually or mechanically operated artificial lure across a field in a ?coursing? pattern. The competition is usually
restricted to pure-bred sighthounds including: Afghan Hounds, Basenjis, Borzois, Greyhounds, Ibizan Hounds, Irish Wolfhounds, Italian Greyhounds, Pharaoh Hounds, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Salukis, Scottish Deerhounds, and Whippets. The operator keeps the lure or ?prey? just in front of the chasing sighthounds until they have completed the course. The course must have a minimum number of turns and is usually 600 to 1000 yards long. The hounds love to play this sport and puppies can be introduced to the sport through lure coursing practice sessions. Competitions usually consist of two runs for each dog breed for dogs that have been pre-certified or qualified. In the US, the American Sighthound Field Association or the AKC can ?certify? that dogs have been trained and are eligible to enter their sanctioned competitions. In Canada, the Canadian Kennel Club sanctions lure coursing but excludes the Italian Greyhound because they consider it a toy dog.

Tracking can be learned by all dog breeds because all dogs use their noses to identify things and explore the world. Training can be started as early as 10 to 12 weeks of age as all puppies love to use their noses to sniff out a trail. As with all training, positive rewards (treats, praise etc,) and re-enforcement work best. The AKC sanctions tracking tests and events in the US. This vigorous non-competitive outdoor sport allows dogs to demonstrate their ability to recognize and follow human scents. In Canada, the CKC sponsors tracking events and you can check their website for a list of nearby events.

Field Trials are regularly held for Basset Hounds, Beagles and Dachshunds to demonstrate their ability to find and track game. Similarily Field Trials and Hunting Trials are held almost every weekend across the country for: the Pointing Breeds, the Retrievers, and Spaniels to allow them to compete and demonstrate their hunting abilities under a strict set of conditions. If you are an owner of a hunting dog puppy, you will want to look into many of the organized activities designed for your dog. Check out the AKC or CKC websites for a list of contacts and field trials in your area.

Other Fun Activites that you might wish to explore include flyball, frisbee, herding and drafting competitions.

About The Author

Mike Mathews is a contributing writer and editor for the popular dog breed site: http://www.dog-breed-facts.com/. He provides informative, real-world advice and tips on dog breeds, dog health, dog grooming and more. As well be sure to check out his free report on Dog Training

Dog Worms -- Don't Let Them Get Started

by: Charles Burke

There may be no warning before dog worms strike.

It was about two AM, when beneath our bed the new puppy we'd brought home from the pound just a month earlier began screaming.

Not yipping or whining -- this was the kind of agonized screams that'll stand your hair up on end. Our cute, playful new puppy was being eaten alive from inside.

He had worms, even though he'd received all the right shots just a few weeks before.

Now he was dying, right there under our bed, and we weren't able to save him. The worms were just too advanced.

He had been a happy little guy, playful and filled with fun. So that night -- and those screams -- have stayed with me a very long time.

An experience like that will change your attitude fast. It sure changed mine. Up till then I'd been a bit cavalier about health care for my pets.

However, dog worms are serious business....

Dog Worms -- Don't Let Them Get Started

Puppy training > Dog Worms -- Don't Let Them Get Started

Giddy When Lifting Weight In Gym? Training Big Muscle Groups Cause Nausea?

by: Chris Chew

Ask any body builder and everyone will say they will feel light headed, nauseous and even sometimes even puke when they train big muscle groups with exercises such as squats and dead lifts. Some great bodybuilders even take pride that they puke after an intensive bout of weightlifting as an indication that they have had a fantastic workout. But to many, these symptoms are unpleasant, disruptive and could be even be dangerous and cause injuries. Perhaps, you may also have experienced these symptoms as well.

What happened? Well, there could be several causes.

? First of all, you may have eaten or drunk too much before your gym workout. So you blood is channeled to your digestive organs for your digestive process. But when you begin to exercise intensively especially on big muscle groups, a lot of blood is channeled away from your digestive organs to the...

Giddy When Lifting Weight In Gym? Training Big Muscle Groups Cause Nausea?

Puppy training > Giddy When Lifting Weight In Gym? Training Big Muscle Groups Cause Nausea?

Strength Training: 10 Things You Must Know

Strength Training: 10 Things You Must Know

by: Gary Matthews

Lets face it everybody knows that strength training builds muscle but did you know that it does more much more for you in the health stakes. Lets have a look at these strength training tips one by one and you will see what a difference this valuable tool will make to your general health:

Weights Improve Immunity - Immune strength depends on the availability of the amino acid glutamine and your muscles have to supply the glutamine to your immune system in order for it to work.

The more muscle you have the more abundant the glutamine supply, and other things being equal, the better your immune system works.

Weights Grow Bone - A study at Stanford University showed clearly that about 20% of bone mineral density is dependent on maintaining muscle.

A new study reported in February 2000 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine shows that even in elderly women, a one...

Strength Training: 10 Things You Must Know

Puppy training > Strength Training: 10 Things You Must Know

How To Choose Your Boxer Dog

How To Choose Your Boxer Dog

by: Amy Howells

An easier and more pleasant journey with your chosen Boxer starts with checking out the parent dogs for unbecoming traits like aggression, hyperactive and extreme shyness.

This is easier to do when you get your Boxer from a reputable breeder or from a pet shop that get their animals only from known breeders.

Exercise prudence if you are getting your Boxer puppy from pet stores, which often get their supply from breeders of unknown reputation.

These "puppy mills" as they are called are not known to put much emphasis on the quality and health of pups they are producing.

Reputable breeders would adhere to the accepted standards for Boxers in terms of uniformity in the breed, good health, temperament, size and color.

Reputable breeders would be able to show the pedigree and registration papers and/or pictures of the parent dogs that may reside somewhere else.

Professional...

How To Choose Your Boxer Dog

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Puppy training

3 Easy And Convenient Natural Skin Care Solutions

by: Jerrick Foo

Natural skin care solutions may seem hard to find, or too overwhelmingto decide which is best for your skin. You wander the aisles trying tofigure out which ones are a real skin care solution. You trycucumbers or tea bags over your eyes, and other recipes and advise fromfriends, but none of their skin care solutions are working for you. Noneed to fret!

Here are 3 easy solutions for you: ...

Puppy training Fun Dog Activities 3 Easy And Convenient Natural Skin Care Solutions perfume

Puppy training > 3 Easy And Convenient Natural Skin Care Solutions

How to Throw an Unforgettable Kids Birthday Party

by: John Lenaghan

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party Puppy training How to Throw an Unforgettable Kids Birthday Party Fun Dog Activities

Puppy training > How to Throw an Unforgettable Kids Birthday Party

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by: Eric Comforth

What would you do without them? Seriously, if every single battery of every single type were suddenly zapped out of every single thing that it operated, what would any of us do?

Laptop computers, without a doubt, are the lifeblood of many a businessperson today. Portable, convenient, they allow us to work on the run and do more business. Laptop batteries are essential to keep this resource working,...

Puppy training laptop Fun Dog Activities

Puppy training > Batteries - From Laptops to Motorcycles

Be Assured of an Insured Aloha

by: Steve Cogger

As a U.S. citizen, Hawaii travel insurance is not going to involve concerns about health insurance. If you're already covered with health insurance on your home turf, you will likely be covered in Hawaii. What you're going to want to look for in Hawaii travel insurance plans is what you'd look for in just about any travel vacation insurance - protection against the unexpected travel tragedy excluding medical emergency.

Hawaii...

cruise Puppy training

Puppy training > Be Assured of an Insured Aloha