Exercise is a great way to have fun with your dog while keeping pet obesity under control. Those tired of playing the same old game of fetch, however, may be interested in checking out competitive dog sports as an exciting way to bond with your dog and keep his weight under control. There are courses all over the world that specialize in dog training for these events, and there are many sports that are open to all breeds, including the following:

Flyball: These races involve teams of four dogs competing in relay fashion to complete a 51-foot long course. The course consists of a series of jumps, which lead to an automatic tennis ball launcher that the dogs must trigger and then retrieve the ball. There are over 375 active flyball clubs registered in North America, so there is likely to be a local team that your dog can compete with.

Agility: A good way to promote both dog health and obedience, agility is a sport that involves completing a timed obstacle course. Dog agility courses are commonly made up of hurdles, ramps, tunnels, see-saws, and tire jumps.

Canine Freestyle: Does your dog have a flair for musical interpretation? If so, canine freestyle might be right for your dancing dogs. In this competition, training and teamwork are emphasized as dog and handler work together in a choreographed performance set to music.

Disc Dog: If your dog enjoys playing frisbee, disc dog is likely to be an enjoyable event for him. Events include distance catching, which is your basic game of toss and fetch, as well as freestyle catching, where dogs are rewarded for canine athleticism and showmanship.

Rally: In this sport, dogs and their handlers complete a 10-20 station course. Instructions are placed at each station explaining the skill that must be performed. Although similar to obedience courses, canine rally is a good choice for beginners, as it is not scored as strictly as traditional obedience competition.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 18th, 2008 at 11:11 am and is filed under Dog Sports, Pet Health, Pet obesity. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.