Canine Olympics?

In the spirit of the 2016 Olympic games in Rio, we were wondering what the sports would be if dogs had their own Olympics?

Flyball – a team event for groups of four dogs — each one does a series of hurdles, steps on a spring to release a ball, catches the ball, and then goes back over the hurdle. Olympic equivalent – the relay race!

Disc dogs(goes to new website) – aka Frisbee dogs – dog and handlers play frisbee, sometimes to choreographed routines.

Dock jumping(goes to new website) – a pretty self-explanatory sport in which dogs leap off the end of a dock — the longest jump wins! Olympic equivalent – long jump!

Freestyle(goes to new website) – choreographed routines set to music — perhaps a bit like rhythmic gymnastics?

Agility(goes to new website) – While Border Collies are known to excel at agility, nearly any breed can be taught these activities and have a great time in the process. Olympic equivalent – hurdles?

Jack Russell Races – just one example of a breed-specific race. These events tend to be popular at fairs and such events.

Lure Coursing(goes to new website) – a sport for sighthounds (i.e Greyhounds, Borzoi, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, amongst others) in which an artificial lure is used to simulate chasing live prey through open fields.

Rally Obedience(goes to new website) – dog and handler go through a course of 10-20 obedience commands such as “sit-down-sit.”

Ski-joring(goes to new website) – aka “ski-driving” – the dog is hooked up to a harness worn by the owner and pulls the skier (on cross-country skis) along.

Bike-joring(goes to new website) – dog(s) pulling bike rider.

Sled-pulling (goes to new website)– self-explanatory. The Iditarod(goes to new website) is the most famous sled race.

Field Trials(goes to new website) – a broad category that encompasses general and breed-specific field activities such as pointing, retrieving, flushing, and tracking. Excellent for the hunting breeds such as retrievers, pointers, spaniels, and hounds.

Participating in an organized sport with your dog can be a great bonding and learning experience. It’s also a great way to help your dog stay in shape. Additionally, many dogs love to “have a job,” and especially for those with behavioral issues a “job” can make a huge difference in having a successful outcome.

While in no way inclusive, here are a few area training groups that offer introductions to some of these activities:

• Fur-Get Me Not(goes to new website)(opens in a new tab)

• Woofs(goes to new website)(opens in a new tab)