COMPETITION

People play with their dogs in all kinds of sports, mostly just for enjoyment.  They compete in Conformation Dog Shows, Lure Coursing, Fast Cat, Fly-ball, Scent and Nose Work, Agility, Trieball, Bite Sports, Barn Hunt, Dog Diving, TrickDog, Fit Dog, Obedience and Rally-O and more.  There is so much joy when your dog is a partner and enjoying the game with you, regardless of whether it’s learning a trick or doing competitive obedience.  With positive training and never sacrificing  the relationship for the goal, we and our dogs can have a wonderful time.  It’s not about the ribbons; its about the time spent together training and the milestones you reach as you progress. 

Competition is fun because it not only rewards you for your hard work and introduces you to like-minded people, but it helps you set goals, which helps keep any of us focused, having a plan of what we are going to train next.  Not much in life is successful without a plan…dog sports give us a plan and then rewards, and who does not enjoy that!  The fun in the process.  The win is just a bonus.  The real prize you can win is the joy you have with your dog!

You can begin by earning your puppy medallion in S.T.A.R. Puppy, title thru the levels of CGC, adding trick dog titles as you go along at the same time.  Earn a Farm Dog CGC title for fun as well.  Fit Dog is part of a healthy lifestyle with your dog, and as you add pattern games, learn how to support their joints, keep them limber and more; it will help your dog stay pain free and healthy for a full life.  Those who enjoy relaxed obedience will love Rally-O, and some competitors will enjoy the precision of Obedience.  The Temperament Test is valuable for all as it can help substantiate that your dog has a good temperament should someone ever say otherwise.  Fetch Test is a fun 4 levels of titles to earn since you play fetch with your dog anyway.  The more you train, the more you’ll notice how brilliant your dog really is!

For those who want to spend time with their dogs, enrich their dog’s life, and have fun doing it, competitons and titles just might be for you!