We dogowners have a lot of avtivities to choose between,both in training,competeing and playing.The dog sports is a jungle of choises,expressions...I hope this site will help ou clear your awareness about the sports we have today.A lot of us think it is difficult to know what the dog has interest and talent for, and it`s therefor important that you know the breedstandard for the type of dog you want.If you take a course at Hundeskolen,the instructor will help and guide you and your dog further to the type of acticity suitable for your dog,-and you.Don`t be afraid to ask you instructor for help!An another idea may be to menrtaltest your dog.This test will find your dogs `strong and weak` sides.

Sporting with your dog,shall be fun both for the dog and the leader,

so think well what methods you will use and how you will use them during the trainingsession with your dog.It is not for sure that your miniatureschnauzer will be the best dog in the whole world doing f.ex agility,but maybe you can use this sport to achieve better resaults in an another sport?!?So maybe you end up playing agility with your dog,while you and your dog train very hard for search?!?!

1.Regular dog sports

Therapeutic and entertaining sports

*Dog racing

Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure (traditionally an artificial hare or rabbit) on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner.

In many countries, greyhound racing is purely amateur and conducted for enjoyment. In other countries (particularly the UK, US, Ireland, Australia, Spain, China and Mexico), greyhound racing is part of the gambling business, similar to although far less profitable than horse racing. There is some popular concern in the aforementioned countries regarding the well-being of the dogs; the effectiveness of industry efforts to address these concerns is a topic of some debate. A greyhound adoption movement has arisen to assist retired racing dogs in finding homes as pets.

Breeds:

All kind of breeds kan do this sport,but greyhounds do this best because of their superior speed they are born with.Also Spanish Galgo and Whippet do this very well.

*Lure coursing

In lure coursing, dogs chase an artificial lure across a field, following a pattern that is meant to simulate live coursing. The course must have a minimum number of turns in order to simulate prey (the jack-rabbit or hare) changing direction in a chase. The fields can be fenced or not. If a dog is lure focused they will typically follow the lure from start to finish and not run off course. Dogs with some considerable lure experience, termed "lure-wise", may try to anticipate or "cheat" by attempting to cut off the lure instead of trying to capture the lure using follow, speed and agility. Sighthounds generally have no need to be trained or enticed to chase the lure since the desire to chase is instinctual. However some breeds may require lure play at a very early age to encourage them to follow an artificial object with enthusiasm. Dogs must be at least one year old to compete; the hard fast turns are tough on a dog's developing joints and lure coursing before the age of one can cause joint problems later in life.

Dogs are coursed by breed in braces (two) or trios (three), based on the number of dogs available for the run. Dogs can run alone if there are no other dogs of the same breed entered, however their scores will not qualify towards a title unless they defeat a hound in the Best of Breed run. Dogs can compete in open stake, field champion stake (for dogs who have earned the requisite points) or veteran stake (dogs over the age of six years except Irish Wolfhounds (5 years) and Whippets (7 years)). Each dog runs twice during the trial. The first run is the "preliminary". After all preliminaries have been run, the course is reversed for the second run, called "finals". Once all preliminaries and finals have been run, Best of Breed is determined for each breed by stakes run-off or by forfeit. All placements must be determined by total score (preliminary + final), run-off or forfeit. After the Best of Breed runs, the top dogs from each breed may compete for Best in Field to determine the best hound for the trial.

Breeds:

Greyhounds, Irish wolfhounds, Salukis, Whippets, Pharao hounds...

*Carting

A variety of carting is sulky driving, where a dog or dogs pulls a two-wheeled cart (sulky) with a person riding in the sulky. This sport offers both exercise and discipline opportunities for energetic breeds. Many working breeds are happier when given a job or task, and carting / sulky driving can be a rewarding hobby for both dog and owner.

Dogs from 15 kg body weight and upwards are able to pull an adult and a sulky comfortably. The general rule is that the total load (sulky and driver) should not exceed three times the weight of the dog doing the pulling. If, for example, the sulky and driver totaled 150 kg, then the weight of the dog pulling would need to be at least 50 kg. Smaller dogs may be used as long as the cart is of a type which can handle multiple dog draft, and the combined weight of the dogs pulling is at least one third of the load being pulled.

* Dog skikjoring

Skijoring with a dog is a sport in which a dog (or dogs), assist a cross-country skier. From one to three dogs are commonly used. The cross-country skier provides power with skis and poles, and the dog adds additional power by running and pulling. The skier wears a skijoring harness, the dog wears a sled dog harness, and the two are connected by a length of rope. There are no reins or other signaling devices to control the dog: The dog must be motivated by its own desire to run, and respond to the owner's voice for direction.

Many breeds of dog participate in skijoring. The only prerequisite is a desire to run down a trail and pull, which is innate in many dogs. Small dogs (less than 35 pounds) are rarely seen skijoring, because they do not greatly assist the skier; however, since the skier can provide as much power as is required to travel, any enthusiastic dog can participate. Athletic dogs such as Pointers, Setters and herding breeds take to skijoring with glee, as do the northern breeds, such as Siberian and Alaskan Huskies, Malamutes, Samoyeds, and Inuit dogs; however, any energetic dog is capable of enjoying this sport. Golden Retrievers, Giant Schnauzers, Labs, and many cross-breeds are seen in harness. Pulling breeds work well also such as American Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Terriers, American bull dogs, and mastiffs.

The sport is practiced recreationally, and competitively, both for long distance travel and for short (sprint) distances.

* Dryland mushing

Dryland mushing is distinguished from sulky driving in that the cart, or dryland rig, is attached to the dog in the same manner as a team to a sled. The cart has three or four wheels, with the driver either sitting or standing, depending on the cart construction. The International Federation of Sled Dog Sports sponsors one of the largest dryland mushing events in the world, the IFSS Dryland World Championship.

*Dog backpacking

All dogs may learn to walk with backpack if they are healthy.The dogs who suit this best, are the dogs who are quite square (the hight of the shoulders are equal the length of it`s body). The dog have to be trained for this,and cannot start with the backpack before 1 year of age.It can carry heavy backpack when it is adult,but needs to train up the weight and it`s fitness over time.

It is very nice to let the dog work with when you`re doing the walk in the mountains, go for some shopping....

*Agility

Dog agility is a dog sport in which a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy. Dogs run off-leash with no food or toys as incentives, and the handler can touch neither dog nor obstacles. Consequently the handler's controls are limited to voice, movement, and various body signals, requiring exceptional training of the animal and coordination of the handler.

Courses are complicated enough that a dog could not complete them correctly without human direction. In competition, the handler must assess the course, decide on handling strategies, and direct the dog through the course, with precision and speed equally important. Many strategies exist to compensate for the inherent difference in human and dog speeds and the strengths and weaknesses of the various dogs and handlers.

This is teamwork!If you want to learn more about the agility,please go to >>this site

Breeds:

All types of dogs can participate, but some breeds are better than others.This is Shetland Sheepdogs, Border Collies and medium puddels are most popular.

*Flyball

Flyball is a dog sport in which teams of dogs race against each other from a start/finish line, over a line of hurdles, to a box that releases a tennis ball to be caught when the dog presses the spring loaded pad, then back to their handlers while carrying the ball.

Flyball is run in teams of four dogs, as a relay. The course consists of four hurdles placed 10 feet (3 m) apart from each other, with the starting line six feet (1.8 m) from the first hurdle, and the flyball box 15 feet (4.5 m) after the last one, making for a 51-foot (15.5 m) length. The hurdle height is determined by the shoulder height of the smallest dog in the team. Under current North American Flyball Association (NAFA) rules this should be 5 inches (12.7 cm) below the withers height of the smallest dog, to a height of no less than 7 inches (20.3 cm) and no greater than 14 inches (40.6 cm). Each dog must return its ball all the way across the start line before the next dog crosses. Ideal running is nose-to-nose at the start line. The first team to have all four dogs cross the finish line error free wins the heat. Penalties are applied to teams if the ball is dropped or if the next relay dog is released early.

Breeds:

Even if flyball is bests for small and medium breeds, toy dogs can participate. Since the height of the obsticle is set by the smallest dog on each team, each team have to decide tactics for their team out of the dogs height.

*Freestyle

Musical canine freestyle�also known as musical freestyle, freestyle dance, and canine freestyle�is a modern dog sport that is a mixture of obedience, tricks, and dance that allows for creative interaction between dogs and their owners.

Musical freestyle

A dog and handler perform in a musical freestyle competition.There are two types, musical freestyle and freestyle heeling (also known as heelwork to music), the main difference being that freestyle heeling focuses on a dog's ability to stay in variations of the heel position while the handler moves to music, whereas musical freestyle demands that the dog perform a variety of tricks and other obedience talents, and places a greater focus on the trainer's dance abilities and creativity.

Freestyle heeling

In heelwork to music, the dog and trainer remain close to each other at all times, and sending the dog away or doing distance work is not part of the routine. The dog should appear almost invisibly tethered to his or her partner, although this is a tether that comes from training and loyalty. Pivots, moving diagonally, backwards, forwards, or back to front are important to the routine, all of course to a suitable musical theme. Jumping, weaving, rolling, passing through the trainer's legs and anything else 'not heeling' is not allowed.

The goal is to have fun; a handler or dog becoming stressed indicates that it's time to take a break. The most important thing is that dog and human get to spend time together. Some have argued that the friendship between human and dog is more than just a "friendship".

All breeds can do freestyle.

*Rally obidience:

Rally obedience (also known as Rally or Rally-O) is a dog sport based on obedience. Unlike regular obedience, instead of waiting for the judge's orders, the competitors proceed around a course of designated stations with the dog in heel position. The course consists of 10 to 20 signs that instruct the team what to do. Unlike traditional obedience, handlers are allowed to encourage their dogs during the course.

In AKC Rally, which is only open to AKC breeds, the team starts with 100 points, and the judge deducts points for mistakes, after qualifying three times at each level under three different judges, the dog earns a title, which appears after the dog's registered name. Each qualifying trial earned is known as a "leg."

There are three levels in AKC Rally:

* Novice, the beginner's class. The dog is on leash and there are 10 to 15 stations, the title is RN.

* Advanced, for dogs who have completed their novice title. Dogs are judged off leash, and the title is RA.

* Excellent, the highest class, for dogs who have earned their advanced title. 15 to 20 stations, including 2 jumps, are used in this class and the title is RE.

Additionally, there is the Rally Advanced Excellent (RAE) title, in which the team has to qualify in both Advanced and Excellent in 10 trials.

Both purebred and mixture of dogs can do rally obidience.

2.Brukshundsport

A working dog refers to a canine working animal, i.e. a type of dog that is not merely a pet but learns and performs tasks to assist and/or entertain its human companions, or a breed of such origin.

*IPO

This is a german competition sport where the compete in these tree excersises: Tracking (group A),obidince (group B) and schutz (group C).Every excersise have several moments who is judged by an official approved judge.These tree excersises are out together to test the dogs work as all round dogs.Today IPO is the largest and most popular sport for working dogs,and all countries within FCI have this sport,-but the exersises are not the same.

The dogs have to show they are calm and consentrated when they are tracking, show cooperation and ability to follow the leader in obidience, and show high temper, stress and will and still be controllable in schutz.

You can choose only to train tracking and obidience if you don`t want to learn your dog the schutz work.

Breeds:

Typical servicedogs, Rottweiler,Sch�fer,Mallinois...

*Workdogsporting

This sport is getting more popular, specially in Norway.The leader and the dog compete in tree skills, tracking humans in the fields, search and rappelling.

the competition

Each skill is departed with 4 calsses,named A ,B , C and D,and class D is the lowest class.You get higher in the classes by scoreing a sertain amount of points in each class.The dog has to be older tahn 12 months,and they have to pass a character test.

Each class have 2 parts.The obidience is the same in all classes.The spcial excersises is different from class to class.

Breeds:

Most of the breeds can do this sport.

*Obidience

A form for competition where dog and handler compete with and against others to get the most points.Each team wants to be best regarding their class and the preset program.

Excerise Bronzemark class I

1 Show the dogs theeth

2 Walk with the leash

3 Free by foot

4 Lay down from distance

5 Call the dog to you from sit

6 Stay while walking

7 Easy lay down 2 min

8 The hole impression of the dog

For each class the exersises will be harder and vary some.

All breeds can do obidience

* Search /tracking

Tracking is a method all animals uses to find food and studs for reproduction...This is possible because all organisms leaves chemical,thermic,visual or a combination of all these things in a track when they move.

The dog uses its nose when it is tracking.But also sight and hearing is used, and in thermic tracking the dog even has to use its feelings.

The dog and its handler follows a track made by a human or an animal.Tracking is very exhausting for the dog,who has to use its nose in the ground for not loose the track.The purpose to do tracking is to find lost or injured people or animals, find mushrooms, drugs, money....

This is a very popular dog sport!

Most breeds can do this, but there are breeds who have a better nose than others, like Labrador Retriever, Beagle, Bloodhound, Rottweiler...

*Rapelling

Is an exercise were you send the dog from one handler to an another handler over a long distance.This is a very hard fysical sport,so the dog needs very good and strong health to do its best.

Delivery is the same as above,but happens over shorter distance.

*Fetch (game)

Fetch is a game usually played with a dog. An object, such as a stick or ball, is thrown a moderate distance away from the animal, and it is the animal's objective to grab and retrieve it. Many times, the owner of the animal will say "Fetch" to the animal before or after throwing the object.

Dogs will sometimes attempt to change the rules of the game after the object being thrown is retrieved, and will run away carrying the retrieved objects. Dog trainers recommend in such circumstances to regain control of the game by turning and walking away from the dog as soon as the dog has retrieved the object.

*Field tracking

This is an exersise within f. ex work dog sports. The exersise is that the dog have to find different objects in an area in the woods.The dog have to mark every object it finds,either by laying down,sitting down or barking.Usually this is an exhausting exersise for the dog,but very exiting!

*Rounding

This is a tracking exersise were the dog will find people hidden in the field. The dogs work independent with this exersise, and is a very important element for a military or a police patrole dog. The dogs usually love this sport.The dogs use their nose both in the ground and in the air to find the people,and when they find them,they bark to tell their handler someone is found.

In competition

the field is about 100 m wide and 800 meter long.A judge gives the dog points for each human found in the field, the effort to find the people and its cooperation with its handler.