Canine performance sports: These sports involve activities where dogs and their handlers work together as a team to accomplish the required specialized skills of the sport. These sports are a great way for dogs and their owners to bond, stay active, and have fun together. The sports are also a great way to connect with other teams (gain new like-minded friends!) in your area. Use your search engine to find instructors and classes in your area.
Some popular performance sports:
Agility: In agility, dogs navigate a course of obstacles, including jumps, tunnels, weave poles, and more, while being guided by their handler. It requires a combination of speed, agility, and obedience.
Scent work: This sport focuses on a dog's natural ability to use their sense of smell to locate specific scents or objects. Dogs search for specific scents (usually essential oils) that are hidden in various environments. These competitions have gained popularity as a fun and mentally stimulating activity for dogs of all breeds and sizes. Scentwork competitions are inclusive and can be adapted for dogs (and handlers!!!) of various ages, sizes, and physical abilities.
Barn Hunt: This sport tests a dog's ability to locate and alert their handler to the presence of rats hidden in a controlled, simulated barn environment. It's a fun and mentally stimulating activity for dogs with a strong prey drive.
FastCAT: AKC Fast CAT® – which stands for Coursing Ability Test, is a timed 100-yard dash where dogs run one at a time, chasing a lure. It’s awe-inspiring to watch your dog run at top speed, ears back, eyes focused, legs strong. All dogs can participate in Fast CAT, whether purebred or mixed breed. It is a relatively new sport and its popularity has spread quickly. This is one of the few sports where all that is needed to compete is a dog’s natural instincts.
Dock Diving: Also known as "dock jumping," this sport involves dogs jumping off a dock into a pool of water to retrieve a toy.The goal is to see how far or high the dog can jump.
Rally Obedience: Rally obedience involves a dog and handler team navigating a course with designated stations. At each station, written instructions describe the exercise the team must perform. It combines elements of obedience and agility.
Obedience Trials: Obedience trials test a dog's ability to follow commands and perform specific tasks such as heeling, sitting, staying, and recalling. Dogs and handlers compete in various exercises to demonstrate their communication and teamwork.
Disc Dog (Frisbee): In disc dog competitions, dogs and handlers perform a series of choreographed routines involving throwing and catching a Frisbee. It showcases the dog's athleticism, speed, and precision.
Flyball: Flyball is a relay race for teams of dogs. Each dog in the team must jump hurdles, retrieve a ball, and return over the hurdles to the start line. It's a fast-paced and exciting sport that emphasizes speed and coordination.
Herding Trials: In herding trials, dogs showcase their natural herding instincts by working with livestock (such as sheep or ducks) to move them through a designated course. This sport is especially popular among herding breeds.
IPG (formerly known as Schutzhund/IPO): Schutzhund is a German word meaning "protection dog". IPG work concentrates on three parts. Many are familiar with competitive obedience work and will recognize the first two parts, tracking and obedience. The IPG standards for the third part, protection work, are similar to those for dogs in police work.
