One of the most rewarding things you can do with your furry friend is try out and compete in a dog sport! It helps to keep your dog active, both physically and mentally. Your dog will learn to build up its trust, focus, obedience and confidence. Plus it is a great way to meet like minded people and enjoy some fresh air. All breeds are accepted and encouraged to try out all of these sports. It is not limited to our working breeds like you might think, with some of the fastest flyball or agility dogs being little breeds!
Before you commence a dog sport it is highly recommended that you complete some basic training such as Puppy Preschool which we offer on premises at Doyalson Animal Hospital.
Your dog should also have a thorough examination with one of our veterinarians to ensure they are suitable to start a dog sport.
Flyball is a team based relay race. Each dog has to successfully jump over several jumps, retrieve a ball and return in the shortest amount of time. Some of the fastest dogs run the length of the track (15m each way) in under 4 seconds! You compete against a team and the quickest team wins. This sport does require some basic obedience, but it is one of the cheapest sports to try out. Flyball is also a highly sociable sport, giving you the chance to learn some new skills and make some lifelong friends. For more information check out https://www.flyball.org.au/
Agility is one big, fun obstacle course that your dog has to complete in the fastest time. It is full of tunnels, jumps, ramps, weave poles and much more. In Agility you will learn how to train your dog to use each obstacle successfully. Agility is a great way to release some of your pet’s energy whilst learning control and focus. For more information https://www.facebook.com/ADCNSW/
Nosework (similar to sniffer dog training) is one of the newest and upcoming dog sports on offer. It is the perfect sport for any anxious, nervous and reactive dogs as there is no dog to dog contact. It encourages your dog to rely solely on their nose to sniff out hidden items. A dog’s nose is quite remarkable; with over 300 million olfactory receptors (we only have 6 million!). This means that while we can smell a cake, a dog can smell out every component from the chocolate to the flour to the eggs. For more information https://acsw.com.au/
For our water loving dogs consider Dock dogs, where your dog learns to dive from an elevated platform into water. The dog with the furthest dive wins! Even dogs cautious around water will learn how to navigate it successfully.
Always chat with your veterinarian before making any major changes to your pet’s diet or lifestyle. We have clients which compete in the above sports from across the Central Coast including San Remo, Woongarrah, Wyee, Morisset, Summerland Point, Charmhaven & Lake Munmorah.
