# How do i know whats right for my dog? (sports)



## GusGus (Oct 24, 2012)

Sorry if this is in the wrong place. Please feel free to move it if it is. 

I was thinking if doing some recreational sporting with my dog. I wasn't sure where to start or what would be the best for him..with so many options. 

He's high energy, and had a high prey drive. Loves to run and chase and things of the sort. I was thinking agility or flyball? But there's those plus countless more sports/activities to pick from. Where should I start?


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

Start with a strong base in obedience. Then look at what is available in your area and sign up. Go out there and try it. Go with what you and Gus enjoy the most.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I agree that obedience is the first thing. I'm seeing more and more Intro to Sports classes. They are designed to cover several different sports in 6-8 weeks. One week you might do agility, second week is treiball, etc. This is a good class for someone that is not sure what they should be doing.


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## GusGus (Oct 24, 2012)

Thanks. We are doing a lot of work with obedience now. He knows the commands but he's just needs help focusing. He's a bit spacey sometimes. Lol


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## bocron (Mar 15, 2009)

In my experience the handler's passion for a given sport will drive the success. If your dog is a natural at flyball but you find it boring then you won't stick with it. I would get on youtube and watch a variety of sports until you find a few that you find engaging (within reason of course) and then go out and give a few a try. Look into the level of commitment (Schutzhund for example is high commitment) and be honest about how much time you can spend. Even if your dog isn't the star of the sport you choose, it is time spent with him and time spent learning. We have a few people in our Schutzhund club who discovered the sport after they'd gotten their dog. The dog wasn't particularly suited for Schutzhund but they love it and come to practice rain or shine. A few have decided to get their BH and pursue just the tracking or obedience titles within the sport which is a great solution for them.


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

I'd try a few and see what you like. Frag and I do agility, dock diving, nosework, and soon to be flyball & we could trial in Rally anytime... You can do whatever he decides he likes to do and pick one you really like or do a bunch like I do!


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## GusGus (Oct 24, 2012)

I know I don't have time for schutzhund, but I think Gus would be happier if we participated in a sport once a week or so. We could bond and he could de-energize some more.


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## GusGus (Oct 24, 2012)

Does anyone know of some good clubs or anything near my area?


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

you don't have to wait to to be active in your sport.
train daily, do pratice runs.



GusGus said:


> I know I don't have time for schutzhund, but I think Gus would be happier if we participated in a sport once a week or so. We could bond and he could de-energize some more.


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

I've been racing Halo in flyball since April and we're having a wonderful time! There are two governing bodies who sanction tournaments, here are their websites where you can search for clubs in your area:

NAFA North American Flyball Association | Flyball Locator

U-FLI The Ultimate Dogsport for Family and Fun: United Flyball League International

Both websites have lists of upcoming tournaments by area, if you'd like to go watch and see what it's all about. This video is from the 2011 CanAm tournament: 




How old is your dog? Have you taken any basic OB classes yet?


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## GusGus (Oct 24, 2012)

> How old is your dog? Have you taken any basic OB classes yet?


16 months. And no. Hes pretty obedient (besides his SA) but I am taking him to a trainer for some recall and extra socialization.


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

No matter what sport you do, you'll need a certain amount of basic OB as a prerequisite. Even if he's pretty obedient I'd start with a basic class to test his obedience in a new environment around other people and dogs. 

How much socialization (and what kind) has he gotten so far? Is this a private trainer, and if so - has he been worked around other dogs or is it just you and the trainer?


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## GusGus (Oct 24, 2012)

He hasn't been worked around other dogs yet. We have worked on focus and recall. My dog hasn't had as much socialization as me needs due to some lacking on my part and that's my fault. But I'm working on it now. I thought about a OB class but I was worried about there being too many dogs there for him right now. He's kind of funny about other dogs sometimes. He's okay with some..some he will always make his presence known.


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## gmcwife1 (Apr 5, 2012)

Castlemaid said:


> Start with a strong base in obedience. Then look at what is available in your area and sign up. Go out there and try it. Go with what you and Gus enjoy the most.


 
This is what we are doing  Working on obedience while we wait for Nita to grow.

One of our facilities has a discovery class that is an intro to several different sports. We will probably take that later to see what she wants to do.


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## FlyAway (Jul 17, 2012)

The biggest thing is Recall training before you try something new. To find places to train, look to see if there are any kind of dog shows/trials in your area. Then go and start asking people. (After they are finished exhibiting.)

American Kennel Club - Event and Awards Search


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I would just try everything! There's no way to know unless you try. I've found that agility is easier if you have some obedience on the dog first. With flyball it's not as necessary (at least, our club starts dogs at 12 weeks).


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