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Article Series: Dog Exercises & Dog Sports
I've Got An Active Dog!
Competitive
Obedience For Dogs Who Are Canine Couch Potatoes
This article is dedicated to all of you canine
couch potatoes out there. It's time to get up, get out, and
start having some real, competitive fun with your dogs - I'm
talking about dog sports!
Did you know that dog sports are a great way to have fun and
show off your pet's skills and intelligence? Whether you're
into earning titles or just looking to have a good time, you
and your dog can have tons of fun with dog sporting events.
From basic obedience to splashing in a lake, active breeds
can succeed at almost any canine sport. Most energetic breeds
possess stamina, strength, courage, drive and a willingness
to please their owners.
Do not underestimate your own dog's intelligence and ability
to learn new things, including complex maneuvers that will
earn you top titles in competitive events, or at the minimum
the family appreciation award at home after an exciting day
playing outside.
Competitive Obedience
The first sport we'd like you to learn about is called competitive
obedience trials. Does your dog have the perfect “sit”? Well
this is the perfect sporting event to show it off. Your dog
will perform a series of exercises in a ring while a judge
evaluates the performance. The rules are strict – you can't
give treats, extra commands or encouragement to your dog as
it performs.
In general, the types of breeds best suited for these sporting
events are Labrador Retrievers, Irish Setters, Pointers and
Spaniels. These dogs make excellent obedience dogs because
of their willingness to please, but are sometimes a little
difficult to train because they can have a stubborn streak.
Competitive obedience consists of several increasingly difficult
levels – Novice, Open and Utility. Novice-level competition
primarily demonstrates the dog's ability to heel on and off
leash, stand for exam, come, and stay in a site and down position.
In the Open Class, your dog will perform retrieving and jumping
exercises in addition to off-leash heeling and long sits and
downs; in the Utility Class, your dog must also discriminate
between scented articles and retrieve specific items.
To earn titles, your dog must score no less than half the
points allotted for each exercise. For most titles, he must
earn three “legs”, or qualifying competitions, in which you
must earn at least 170 points out of a possible 200. He must
be able to consistently follow a variety of basic and advanced
commands (sit, stay, stand, come, heel) to be a successful
obedience dog.
The best way for a novice to learn to compete is to find a
professional dog trainer that specializes in competitive obedience
training. Simply look under “dog training” in the phone directory
and you will find plenty of qualified individuals and schools
at your disposal.
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SolveYourProblem.com
: 2009
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