15 Dog Sports to Help Build a Strong Bond With Your Dog

Do you have an active dog who needs an abundance of physical exercise and mental stimulation? Dog sports are great for keeping your dog active and mentally healthy. All dogs need some amount of exercise, and most will enjoy some extra stimulation. Very active breeds are ideal candidates for high-performance sports like agility.

When it comes to dog sports, there are many options to consider. Before beginning any type of dog sports training, research how high impact the sport is, and if there are any health considerations for different kinds of dogs. Not all sports are right for all dogs.

Of course, you will want to check with your veterinarian about your sports plans and ask if there are any concerns before pursuing a sport. A vet exam may include x-rays to look at your dog’s growth and joint structure.

Getting Started in the World of Dog Sports

Dog sports are a great way to deeply bond with your dog. Something special happens between owners and their dogs when they train for an event. As you train for your sport and learn new skills together, then demonstrate what you’ve learned, you experience a sense of accomplishment like no other. As you work together, you become a true team.

Participating in canine sports is not just about winning ribbons and trophies, although a healthy sense of competition can add a lot of fun. Most dog owners say it’s the many personal rewards that brings them back to the next event.

There are many dog sports and events you can get involved in. According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), there are more than 22,000 events every year. Whether you just train for fun, or actually compete, you will feel a sense of pride at seeing your dog showing off his or her new skills and the two of you accomplishing goals together.

Find the Right Sport for You and Your Dog

There are many sports to choose from, and many people participate in more than one. When you’re first starting out, it can be challenging to figure out which one to try first. Start by thinking about your dog’s appearance, health and temperament.

The following 15 dog sports are increasingly popular, fun, and open to all breeds, purebred and mixed breeds.

1. Rally

Rally obedience (also called Rally-O) is a dog sport that includes a variety of interesting warmup and freestyle exercises. Competitors follow a course of designated stations. Each station consists of a sign that instructs the competitor what to do. Unlike traditional competition obedience, handlers manage their dogs throughout the course.

There are four levels of Rally, Novice, Advanced, Excellent and Master. Additionally, there is an optional Rally Intermediate class, with the dog on a leash. There are also Advanced titles, Rally Excellent and Rally Championship title.

Rally is open to all dogs, purebred and mixed breeds.

This sport is a great introduction to other dog sports. Dogs best suited to Rally are dogs who:

• Can walk on a leash
• Know basic manners like sit, down and stay
• Enjoy learning new skills
• Work well with you

2. Fast CAT

Fast CAT is a great sport for dogs who like to run fast. CAT stands for Coursing Ability Test. Fast CAT is a timed 100-yard dash. Each dog runs individually with a lure to help encourage a top speed.

Fast CAT doesn’t require special training or equipment. It really relies on the dog’s natural instinct to run. Any dog over the age of 12 months is able to complete, including purebred and mixed breed.

3. Scent Work

Scent Work uses a dog’s powerful sense of smell to play a fun game. Scent Work is based on the work of professional detection dogs. In Scent Work, dogs search for hidden cotton swabs soaked with essential oils. As the handlers don’t know the location of the swabs, they must depend on the dog to lead the way.

This sport is perfect for scent hounds like Beagles and Bloodhounds, but any dog can get involved. If your dog has a good nose, then you can expect to excel in this sport. And it can also be great for boosting performing other nose-driven sports like tracking or Barn-Hunt. An added bonus is this sport will help build your dog’s confidence as he or she learns to trust their nose and instincts. It will also build the dog-owner bond.

4. Farm Dog

Farm Dog is a sport performed on a farm. The challenge of this sport is the dog must perform obedience while being exposed to the distractions of other farm animals. There are twelve exercises common for farm dogs, such as being close to livestock, jumping over logs, or staying on top of bales of hay or straw. There is no herding involved; this sport assesses your dog’s aptitude for farm work by looking at self-control, confidence and trust in the handler.

Farm Dog is excellent for self-assured, intelligent dogs who have mastered obedience in their home environment. Teaching a dog to conquer Farm Dog tests can boost confidence in all dogs, including anxious dogs.

5. Trick Dog

Trick Dog sport is perfect for dogs who loves the fun and mental exercise of training but has mastered basic obedience. Trick Dog has turned “roll over” and “high five” into a sport. There are five levels of trick dog titles, giving you lots of room to come up with new tricks and routines.

Trick Dog is great for intelligent dogs who like being the center of attention. Showing off new skills and routines is a great way to impress friends and family. Trick Dog is also good for shy and anxious dogs because they don’t have to participate around other dogs. They will be performing for a Canine Good Citizen evaluator. Learning new behaviors builds confidence in all dogs as they realize they can conquer new challenges.

6. Flyball

Flyball is a relay team sport for dogs. Flyball is a loud, boisterous sport where two teams of dogs race down a line of hurdles, slam into a box that releases a tennis ball, and returning the ball back to the owner so the next dog in the team can complete the next leg of the race.

All breeds, purebred and mixed, are eligible to compete in this sport as long as the dog is over 15 months of age.

Dogs who do well at Flyball are well-behaved, good around other dogs, can run fast, follow commands, have strong recall and have no aggression issues. Dogs on a Flyball team need to be able to jump so this is not a good fit for dogs with hip or knee problems. 

7. Conformation

Conformation is a sport that measures how closely a dog conforms to the standards of their breed. The more closely a dog’s appearance is to the breed’s standard, the better the dog will produce puppies that meet the standard. Only purebred dogs are eligible to participate in this sport.

8. Agility

Agility is a growing sport, with over 1 million entries in the AKC Agility program each year. Dogs race against a clock as they navigate an obstacle course. Whether you just want to have fun exercising with your dog or want to compete, get ready for a rewarding experience.

Dogs suited for Agility are:

• Highly energetic
• Enjoy running
• Responds well to instruction
• Gets along well with other dogs

9. Obedience

Developed in the 1930’s, Obedience is one of the AKC’s oldest sporting event. Obedience trials feature dogs who follow instruction and are well-behaved at home and in public. The dog will need to demonstrate willingness and enjoyment while working with the handler.

Obedience builds communication and a stronger bond between owner and dog.

10. Tracking    

Dogs have a strong sense of smell and most enjoy nose work. Dogs who really enjoy sniffing out scents might enjoy Tracking where he or she can sniff and smell to their heart’s content. Dogs who train in this sport demonstrate their ability to recognize and follow a scent.

Tracking is a great way for you and your dog to spend hours together, outside in the fresh air, fine tuning his or her tracking abilities. Any breed dog over 6 months of age is eligible to participate. Dogs who do well in this sport are in excellent physical and mental condition.

11. Herding

Herding is conducted in a fenced arena and includes the use of livestock such as ducks, sheep or cattle. During a test, the dog must demonstrate the ability to move and control the herd and maintain the proper balance to move the stock forward on the course.

Through out all trials and test the teamwork between the dog and handler are essential.

Only specific breeds are eligible to participate. To learn more, click here.

12. Earthdog

The Earthdog sport is limited to terrier and Dachshund breeds. These breeds have a natural instinct to hunt small rodents. The Earthdog sport assesses how good a hunter your dog really is. They’re non-competitive and each dog is judged according to his or her own abilities. Note: the rodents used in this sport are not harmed as they are safely caged.

13. Lure Coursing

Lure Coursing tests the ability of Sighthound breeds to pursue prey using their sight instead of scent. Hounds run in packs and are judged on their ability to follow, speed, agility and endurance. A mechanical lure is used.

Sighthound breeds love this sport because it gives them the ability to run fast and visually focus on something in motion.

Only certain breeds are eligible to participate in this sport. Click here for a list of eligible breeds.

14. Performance Sports

Also known as Field Events, these sports are designed to test the innate abilities of certain breeds of dogs. These are skills naturally bred into the dogs.

Performance sports include:

• Basset Hound Field Trials
• Beagle Field Trials
• Coonhounds
• Coursing and CAT/FAST CAT
• Dachshund Field Trials
• Earthdog
• Herding and Farm Dog
• Pointing breeds
• Retrievers
• Scent Work
• Spaniels and Flushing Breeds

15. Coonhound

Also known as Raccoon Hound Events, this sport consists of Nite Hunts, Hunt Tests, Field Trials, Water Races and Bench Shows. Hunts are the most popular and are one of the only competitions where dogs hunt in a natural area where native game must be tracked and has not been planted. There are seven breeds who are eligible:

• Black and Tan
• Bluetick
• American English
• Leopard Hound
• Plott
• Redbone
• Treeing Walker

Dogs suited for these sports love to hunt on land and water across various terrain and climates. This sport is a true test to their form and function.

As you can see from the list above, there are many sports you and your dog can enjoy together. Some competitions are informal, while certain sports only allow dogs that meet their respective breed standards.

Always Remember Positive Reinforcement

Most of these sports will require intensive training. Be patient and use a positive reinforcement philosophy. Praise your dog when they do well and never punish them if they have trouble completing the task you have given them. The point of participating in sports with your dog is so the two of you can deepen your bond together.

Have you participated in sports with your dog? Please share your experience with the rest of the Canine Campus community in the comments below.