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Organized Activities
By Carla Strydom
Carla runs Raslouw Puppy School In Pretoria and is one of our Recommended Puppy Schools. CLICK HERE to find out more about them
Carla runs Raslouw Puppy School In Pretoria and is one of our Recommended Puppy Schools. CLICK HERE to find out more about them
Agility
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Dock Diving
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Flyball
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So, your dog has done puppy classes and basic obedience. You take her for a stroll everyday and to the park every weekend. You play fetch and frizbee, but your dog wants more. What to do next?
For die-hard dog enthusiasts and active dogs there is always more. You can do it all, as long as your dog is happy, healthy and enjoys it. Every dog was originally bred to perform some sort of job. Whether it be ratting, guarding, herding or retrieving to name a few. Confining your dog to your back yard, no matter how big it is, is just not going to cut it. So why not choose one of the following activities to keep your best friend physically fit, mentally stimulated and happy as can be.
Agility
Agility events are open to all types of dogs. It is an extremely fun sport for both handler and dog. The dog negotiates the obstacles while the handler provides direction through the course. The obstacles include different types of jumps, weave poles, open and closed tunnels, an A-frame, teeter-totter and dog walk. The height of the obstacles in the course is adjusted to suit the dog.
Healthy dogs of all shapes and sizes can participate. You can enter purely for fun or compete professionally.
Dog agility originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970’s. Today it can be found in most countries all over the world. Agility is very popular in South Africa and more and more handlers and dogs are competing in this fun sport.
Dock Diving
If your pooch loves to jump and is like a fish in the water, then this might just be the sport for her. Dock jumping first started in 1997 at an event sponsored by Purina called the Incredible Dog Challenge. Dock diving is where dogs compete in jumping from a dock into a body of water. The dock is covered in carpet, a rubber mat or artificial turf for better traction and safety for the competitors. The handler may use any amount of the dock and they may start their dog from any point on the dock when competing. The jump distance is measured electronically using digital video freeze frame technology or, in some cases, is measured manually by judges.
Each team takes two jumps in round-robin format. The longer of the two jumps is that team's score for that competition.
Herding Trials
A herding event or sheepdog trials as they are commonly know is a competitive dog sport in which herding dog breeds like the Border Collie, the Rough Collie or Belgian Sheepdogs are evaluated on their ability to round up sheep and bring them through gates to a pen. Dogs competing in sheepdog trials must be obedient, have plenty of stamina and be very quick. They must respond to commands or whistles and not hurt the animals they are herding.
Working Trials
Starting with Companion Dog trails and then working your way up is a challenging dog sport, but by far one of the most fun things you can do with your dog. During these trials your dog must perform obedience work on or off-leash and be under your control at all times, partake in agility exercises, do a retrieve and search for an article in the field. As you progress exercises become more challenging.
Obedience
In novice obedience trials, dogs are judged on their ability to “heel”, “sit”, “down”, “stay”, “come” and retrieve. The more you and your dog advance, the more challenging the trials become. Advanced obedience trials include retrieving over hurdles, scent discrimination and obeying hand signals.
Flyball
In 2004 the South African Flyball Dog Association was established to promote flyball in South Africa. Since then flyball has gained many supporters and is an ever growing sport. Flyball is a team sport, with 4 dogs competing in a team. Each team has two dogs in it. They race against one another in a lane that has four jumps and a spring loaded jump on the end. The first dog races over the jumps and releases the ball from spring loaded box and races back over the jumps. Once he crosses the line, the next dog may go. The team that finishes first is the winner.
For more information on any of the activities listed above, speak to your trainer or visit the websites below:
www.badtc.co.za
www.sadaa.co.za
www.sasda.co.za
For die-hard dog enthusiasts and active dogs there is always more. You can do it all, as long as your dog is happy, healthy and enjoys it. Every dog was originally bred to perform some sort of job. Whether it be ratting, guarding, herding or retrieving to name a few. Confining your dog to your back yard, no matter how big it is, is just not going to cut it. So why not choose one of the following activities to keep your best friend physically fit, mentally stimulated and happy as can be.
Agility
Agility events are open to all types of dogs. It is an extremely fun sport for both handler and dog. The dog negotiates the obstacles while the handler provides direction through the course. The obstacles include different types of jumps, weave poles, open and closed tunnels, an A-frame, teeter-totter and dog walk. The height of the obstacles in the course is adjusted to suit the dog.
Healthy dogs of all shapes and sizes can participate. You can enter purely for fun or compete professionally.
Dog agility originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970’s. Today it can be found in most countries all over the world. Agility is very popular in South Africa and more and more handlers and dogs are competing in this fun sport.
Dock Diving
If your pooch loves to jump and is like a fish in the water, then this might just be the sport for her. Dock jumping first started in 1997 at an event sponsored by Purina called the Incredible Dog Challenge. Dock diving is where dogs compete in jumping from a dock into a body of water. The dock is covered in carpet, a rubber mat or artificial turf for better traction and safety for the competitors. The handler may use any amount of the dock and they may start their dog from any point on the dock when competing. The jump distance is measured electronically using digital video freeze frame technology or, in some cases, is measured manually by judges.
Each team takes two jumps in round-robin format. The longer of the two jumps is that team's score for that competition.
Herding Trials
A herding event or sheepdog trials as they are commonly know is a competitive dog sport in which herding dog breeds like the Border Collie, the Rough Collie or Belgian Sheepdogs are evaluated on their ability to round up sheep and bring them through gates to a pen. Dogs competing in sheepdog trials must be obedient, have plenty of stamina and be very quick. They must respond to commands or whistles and not hurt the animals they are herding.
Working Trials
Starting with Companion Dog trails and then working your way up is a challenging dog sport, but by far one of the most fun things you can do with your dog. During these trials your dog must perform obedience work on or off-leash and be under your control at all times, partake in agility exercises, do a retrieve and search for an article in the field. As you progress exercises become more challenging.
Obedience
In novice obedience trials, dogs are judged on their ability to “heel”, “sit”, “down”, “stay”, “come” and retrieve. The more you and your dog advance, the more challenging the trials become. Advanced obedience trials include retrieving over hurdles, scent discrimination and obeying hand signals.
Flyball
In 2004 the South African Flyball Dog Association was established to promote flyball in South Africa. Since then flyball has gained many supporters and is an ever growing sport. Flyball is a team sport, with 4 dogs competing in a team. Each team has two dogs in it. They race against one another in a lane that has four jumps and a spring loaded jump on the end. The first dog races over the jumps and releases the ball from spring loaded box and races back over the jumps. Once he crosses the line, the next dog may go. The team that finishes first is the winner.
For more information on any of the activities listed above, speak to your trainer or visit the websites below:
www.badtc.co.za
www.sadaa.co.za
www.sasda.co.za