# Are you active in dog sports?



## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

I am curious how many people on this forum are active in specific dog sports. I would say that one does not need to be competing in order to be classified as active- but I would hope that one is at least in a weekly class to be considered active. I would also think that if one is competing but not taking classes- they are also active in the sport.

Note- This poll is geared to dog _sports_ and as such I did not include the working occupations like police K9 and S&R.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

I do agility with Kopper and we're on the wait list for rally.


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

You know Emoore that I'm going to use this list to see how many people we should see posting regularly in the Agility forum! You have been marked! lol :rofl:


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

We're just baby beginners. I lurk, but most of the time I don't even know what you guys are talking about. Handling systems, running contacts, 2 on /2 off. . . I have no idea what that means. I just go to class and play agility.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Currently Nikon and Pan both do Schutzhund and SDA (each have three phases) weekly, SDA on Thursday and Schutzhund on Sunday plus we meet once a week with friends in town. Pan is starting a 6-week obedience class tomorrow. We dock dive and do agility in the late spring and summer so not right now (outdoor facilities so we can't do it when it's cold and when it gets dark so early). Because SDA and SchH are time consuming right now I only do agility for fun and do no compete. I lure course (trial) whenever it is available but do not train for this. We also go herding each summer but are wait-listed for lessons.


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## cassadee7 (Nov 26, 2009)

I got Saber mainly as a pet but wanted to try a few things, but I am hooked and LOVE dog sports! She is 11 months old. We started tracking at 14 weeks, entered competition Novice obedience classes just before she was 5 months and will trial in the spring, and started dock diving this spring with our new DockDogs club (we practice several times a week and went to the fair this summer too!) We have done one puppy agility class and will try another next year, and we are in nosework classes right now. I have my eye on herding and treibball for spring too! It is all so fun and Saber loves everything we do together!


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

Emoore said:


> We're just baby beginners. I lurk, but most of the time I don't even know what you guys are talking about. Handling systems, running contacts, 2 on /2 off. . . I have no idea what that means. I just go to class and play agility.


I don't bite! You should definitely pop in and ask if you don't know. You know I've only been doing this for 8 or 9 months- so I'm _hardly_ an expert. But even in the short time I've been doing it, my understanding has grown immensely and some of the things that my instructors told me that I didn't understand- I get them now. Sometimes I wish I could go back and learn a ton about agility prior to starting to train it. Wow- training would go a LOT different if you knew anything about the sport prior to training it! But you know, we all live and learn.


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## Franksmom (Oct 13, 2010)

Frank and I do Obedience and Rally, I'm hoping and planning to try and go all the way to OTCH.


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## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

I only checked Rally, Obedience and Conformation.

I used to do tracking with all my dogs, until I got infested with ticks one spring. 

I also used to do agility with Doerak, but my two Belgians don't do agility for different reasons. Boaz will do agility as soon as I get in better shape. DOH! Well, at least we are in classes for it.


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

Not as much as I want to be. Both mine have taken classes in K9 Nose Work (which isn't on your list) and my plans were to trial them but we're having to skip the next session because I'd have to miss half the classes which sets us back. I may also have to find somewhere else to train since the upper level classes are only offered Monday mornings.

I wanted to do others and keep K in Agility but there's never enough time and money.


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

gsdraven said:


> Not as much as I want to be. Both mine have taken classes in K9 Nose Work (which isn't on your list) and my plans were to trial them but we're having to skip the next session because I'd have to miss half the classes.


You know- I keep hearing about K9 Nose Work but don't know much about it. Is it actually different than Tracking- which I put on my list?


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

National Association of Canine Scent Work

Yes, it's different.

This is a promo video someone of the nose work list posted:




 
You can find lots of videos and pictures if you google it.


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## Josie/Zeus (Nov 6, 2000)

PSA twice a week.


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## clearcreekranch (Mar 18, 2010)

PSA, but would love to try nose work.


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

Wow- nose work- that's not even close to what I thought it would be. Looks interesting!


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## phgsd (Jun 6, 2004)

I wish herding was on the list!!


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## Guardyan (Aug 29, 2005)

We are involved in agility, obedience, tracking, herding, rally, and occasionally show in German conformation. I checked the "other" box too, as helki tried lure coursing this past weekend (and loved it). 

We do some bitework with our dogs, but unfortunately we don't have any Schutzhund within 200 miles.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Stark and Zefra both are involved in schutzhund.

We start agility (again) in a week with both dogs (my sister is taking Stark through the beginners course again while I work with Zefra).

Stark also is involved in herding and once Zefra is older, she will be as well.

Schutzhund is our main focus though.

Stark and I are waiting for a trail close to us and will be doing some rally for experience and then, fingers crossed in the spring we will go for our BH and AD.


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

Sorry- yes, looks like I did forget herding. Is herding actually a sport, or "just" a working activity? Are there points and rules and such? I imagine yes, but am not sure.

Sorry guys- I guess I missed a couple.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Let's see, I have done Rally with all of them, Obedience with Arwen and Babsy and am planning on doing it with Heidi next, Agility with Jenna and Joy, herding with Babs and I am planning on doing a day with Bear this weekend I think. And I have done some conformation training with Joy, and some matches with Rush and Heidi.


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

> Wow- nose work- that's not even close to what I thought it would be. Looks interesting!


Yeah. It's a lot of fun and you learn a lot about your dog's nose. It looks like a lot of the dogs in that video are still on food. Raven's last class, she had to find a qtip with birch scent on it in the middle of a parking lot behind a warehouse. All of the dogs got it so quick!


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Herding is a sport, you can gain titles in it and such, and has rules and levels and alphabet soup, titles can be earned herding sheep, and cattle, and ducks, and each level requires more out of the dog, and also it depends on how many critters the dog is working with, I mean getting three sheep through a gate might be different than holding 15 or 30. But I do not know all the particulars. I would like to get into it for real, but I will need to find some method of financing it that does not include me working myself to death so I have the time to travel and spend on it.


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

Herding for us, so I checked 'other'. Just started agility and he loves it so much I might have to stick with it.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

The majority of dogs doing herding are doing so as sport and not because they are working farm dogs. 

I train almost exclusively in schutzhund. Because it also entails obedience and tracking I marked those too. I will probably do the CD and AKC tracking titles eventually with my guys. I just don't enjoy that venue all that much anymore. I don't have the time for other dog activities though we have dabbled in agility. I have also done herding in the past, but for work (cattle) and not for titles.


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

The more the merrier!! We are active in aglitiy, tracking, obed, and rally. I think I may try SchH too.


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## Jack's Dad (Jun 7, 2011)

Agility, but only part of the year. 

I'm retired and still don't have the time or money for all the activities a lot of you do.

I don't know how a person could possibly work and still do such a variety of sports.


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## Klamari (Aug 6, 2010)

We are "other" right now -- PSA. 

Maybe SchH eventully so I chose that too.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I took agility classes with Dena, but that was 5 years ago. I do plan on taking a class with Halo but I haven't yet, so I didn't check it. I'm taking scentwork classes (not technically K9 Nosework, but similar) with both dogs, and Halo had her dock diving debut a couple of months ago - she loved it, so there will definitely be more of that next year. She's also starting her 3rd flyball class this coming weekend and doing really well, so I marked that too.


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## cassadee7 (Nov 26, 2009)

Jack's Dad said:


> I'm retired and still don't have the time or money for all the activities a lot of you do.
> 
> I don't know how a person could possibly work and still do such a variety of sports.


I think it depends on where you live and what's avaiable. Dock diving is FREE to practice and only $30/year to join the club. Most folks in the club come down after work for 45 minutes and jump maybe twice a week. Tracking with my club is also free if you are a member, which is $20/year, and most folks track on the weekend for 2-3 hours early Sat or Sunday morning.

Obedience classes can get expensive ($40/month) but once you have the basic idea you can train at home on weekends or for 15 minutes each evening and it costs nothing until you enter a trial, which is I think $25. 

That said I am not working a full time job right now but I do have 5 kids and a busy life, yet dog sports is pretty much my only hobby so I make it fit.


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## koda00 (Apr 27, 2009)

*I put Rally and Obed.*
*Ryker*: is doing both, we're still in the beginning stage of Rally, not competing yet. Obed. training is a constant work out, we go once a week for fun and refresher courses.
*Zorro*: just finished his 2nd set of Obed. classes (puppy,obed. 101) and now he'll be going once a week also. I might also get him into Rally, just dont know how i'll be able to do both.


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## ChristenHolden (Jan 16, 2010)

Jus started weight pull with Bella,no classes or competions any where close so we jus pull the weight sled around the yard several times a week for exersise and concetraion BC she has to focus on her job. And not other dogs, cats, rabbits, or people. Hopefully it will also build her confidence up even more but time will tell but so far so good!


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Jack's Dad said:


> Agility, but only part of the year.
> 
> I'm retired and still don't have the time or money for all the activities a lot of you do.
> 
> I don't know how a person could possibly work and still do such a variety of sports.


The time part is difficult, especially since all the training clubs I belong to are 45 minutes or more away (45 minutes, 1 hour, 1.5 hours, and sometimes 3 hours one way). The money...it adds up but my mom was griping about how much I supposedly "waste" on dogs so I looked at what my peers spend on smartphone data plans, DVR for their TV plan, their bar tabs, multiple car payments, etc and I think I'm still coming out ahead. If you cut back in enough other areas it's do-able (and we are not "well off", we both work hard, carry a lot of student debt b/c our parents couldn't help us one iota, just bought our first home). I do a lot of "trading" for dog stuff like doing web design or photography in return for dog food, supplies, discounted training/club fees. When you have no choice you make it work.


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## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

ChristenHolden said:


> Jus started weight pull with Bella,no classes or competions any where close so we jus pull the weight sled around the yard several times a week for exersise and concetraion BC she has to focus on her job. And not other dogs, cats, rabbits, or people. Hopefully it will also build her confidence up even more but time will tell but so far so good!


You have your own weight sled? Did you buy or build it? What does it look like?

So many questions.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

I just put Schutzhund. Covers a lot of stuff.


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

37 voters with 98 active in sports. I'm impressed!!


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I checked schutzhund and obedience, because I am doing a bit more with an AKC instructor than the regular Schh type.. I'm not using hand signals though. Would love to get Onyx into herding, just not enough venues around here to do it.


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## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

I selected other because Flying disc wasn't on the list.


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## ChristenHolden (Jan 16, 2010)

Blackpuppy I got your PM did you get my reply?


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## FG167 (Sep 22, 2010)

I am actively training in Obedience, Rally, Tracking, Agility, Flyball, Dock Diving and Schutzhund. I also dabble in herding and lure coursing when I have time. I just contacted a training facility about starting Nosework as well. I plan on showing Eden in the altered class next summer and would really like to show Kastle but his papers haven't come in yet.


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## FG167 (Sep 22, 2010)

BlackPuppy said:


> You have your own weight sled? Did you buy or build it? What does it look like?
> 
> So many questions.


I have one as well. I bought it from someone I dock jump with. It was $40 and I can fit the weights that go on a weight bench on it easily.


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## mjbgsd (Jun 29, 2004)

I've done Schutzhund(6yrs), agility, herding, rally, weight pulling, lure coursing, flyball, and am going to start nose work with Akbar. 
Cody is retired and Isa is in and out of retirement as she's doing more therapy work and Akbar was suppose to be my obedience dog but he's not into it so I'm leaning towards anything to with nose work.


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

Well the spammer bumped this thread. Look at all the votes! Nice work, GSD community! Really awesome stuff here! I think it's super cool to see the spectrum of what people are doing. Neat stuff...


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