Gah, I’m sorry. It was really lame of me not to say: agility.
I once went to a dachshund race.
Greatest dog sport ever.
I kinda figured that, but what organization was running the show? There are 5 (maybe now 6) different national agility venues, and while most people coming out of a traditional dog club focus on the AKC (and that is who gets all the airtime on TV) the people involved tend to be the most standoffish and competetive.
I’m not sure that folks just watching agility for the first time could tell the differences between the course styles (except for Teacup - TDAA - the dogs are all tiny!) but the atmosphere seems so much nicer at other trials.
If you WERE at an AKC show, you might want to visit you local NADAC (North American Dog Agility Council) or CPE (Canine Performance Events) event - they are so much for fun, people-wise!
Little Nemo I wish I could find one to go to - they sound like a riot! And some of the dogs I watched this weekend could have made a pretty big hit, I think!
What do you call that event where you dance with your dog? That’s what I want to do, once I have a dog.
It was at a dog racing track in the Houston area. They normally ran the traditional greyhound races but periodically switched to dachshunds. And while there was obvious entertainment value just in watching those little legs run, they did post odds and take bets.
Freestyle! I don’t have the guts to do that one, but I’m always hearing pieces of music and thinking “somebody ought to choreograph that one for freestyle!”
You’ll typically only see 3 at a time, per the rules. I think all of the sighthounds look beautiful when running, but the Afghans, with all that fur swinging back and forth, look especially graceful.
Thanks
Any dog that participate in dog sports work in real jobs that they were bred to do?
ie. Any tracking dogs in search and rescue? hunters?
Any “Go to Ground” dogs work in vermin control?
I am Daniel, and I am and Iditarodaholic…
If there is an utra-long distance sled dog race going on I am there in spirit and thanks to the internet I am there “virtually” too…
Last Iditarod i had the pleasure of asking questions to a working reporter in Unalakleet AK…
My personal favorite, Lance Mackey, won the 1000 mile Yukon Quest and the IDITAROD back to back, both races within a month and a few days…
Snow Dog Go,
ThisSpaceForRent…an Iditarodaholic
Many! But if you are asking if the sport they participate in is the SAME field they work in, I’m not sure. I know that at most “stockdog” trials (vs. herding trials) many of those dogs are working farm herders.
Tons of folks up here with a retreiver or pointer hunt with them, and many of those dogs are also in sports. It keeps them form going nuts when it isn’t hunting season!
I do know of a few dogs that enter hunt tests and are real duck dogs. I know of some folks that do Go to Ground whose terriers are free to hunt the farm. Most of the tracking folks I know do AKC-style tracking, and Search and Rescue uses a different training style. I do know of some S&R dogs that do agility, though.
TSFR, what a cool (quite literally!) sport! I know several competetive mushers - most have been in the Beargrease.
Hi all,
I compete in USBCHA (Border Collie Handler’s Association) sheepdog trials and WCDA (Western Cow Dog Association) with my Border Collies. I don’t do “herding” though, that is more of an AKC term and many of us kind of cringe when we hear it called that LOL.
As far as being a hobby that takes up my time and cash- definitely! I not only have to support 5 dogs (2 trial dogs, 2 retired dogs, and 1 maybe will make something of herself dog) but also anywhere from 10-30 sheep for practice. The sheep at least sometimes pay their own way through lessons and lamb sales but most months, especially if I trial, I’m in the hole.
We think its a great “sport” (that I don’t cringe too much at, although some others do- I have my sheep for the dogs and not vice versa so it applies in my case) and there is nothing like the partnership between a working stockdog and their handler. On the other hand, it definitely is NOT for every one and both dogs and people have to contribute a large portion of natural aptitude and an enormous amount of time to make any head way. I’ve been doing this for 13 years and I’m amazed at how much I still don’t understand or how many tasks are still a struggle. Mixed breeds and unregistered dogs are allowed, but unless they have strong working relatives, they are unlikely to succeed. The human half must be able to read and understand livestock as well or better than they understand the dog. Many of us have dogs that have struggled to teach us how not to (($* it up with the sheep but we still act like sheep are from another planet sometimes.
I give lessons quite a bit, and I’ve found that the majority of people find it to be a quaint, “look what he’s doing!” kind of attraction for the first few months but when faced with the actual nuts and bolts of bringing a dog along, they falter at the sheer workload. I admire anyone who can stick with it for a year, and am sorry for many of the more talented dogs when they are not matched with dedicated (or maybe the word is martyr 
) owners.
In my case, the AAC was running the show, Fetchund.
As a fellow border collie enthusiast, I enjoyed reading about your hobby, smokinjbc. I have watched many a sheepdog trial on television, usually with mouth slightly agape.
Smokinjbc Thanks for checking in! I call it herding because I will never go as far as stockdog - no $ or time for lessons, and no room or time for my own sheep! (or cattle, or ducks… think they could learn on bunnies?) I have a rescue BC (probably) who doesn’t show much interest, and a Pyrenean Shepherd who shows an active disinterest in sheep. (She is the only one I’ve ever met who does, and her sister is showing great promise with them)
Gorgonzola, oh, that is disappointing. I thought that the AAC was doing alright, but I’ve never competed there and only know people who split AAC and AKC. At least I know that NADAC has trials in Canada, maybe that would be a start?
I beagle and foxhunt. Wonderful fun. We compete in pack field trials (with the beagles) twice a year. Its a shame so many people form such strong opinions about these sports without knowing a thing about 'em. Such is life, I suppose.
Cowgirl Jules, thats cool about the coonhounds. I know of some foxhound/bluetick crosses and not only are they beautiful, they run terrifically too… Those voices!
SailBunny, where do you foxhunt? I don’t think anybody does that around here - I assume you are horseback?
Oh, I absolutely adore those voices… out in the field. In town, I’m not so amused. And can they ever run! They easily go for miles, and sometimes they’ve gone so far that we don’t get them back for a day or two. That’s a little stressful on everyone.
They’re really fun to photograph too.
edited to add: we hunt fox with the hounds too; after bear season, it’s fox, coon, and bobcat. Probably not like SailBunny does though.