Dog Sports For Every Breed

Many of the dog breeds we see today have actually been bred from one or two common ancestors.

Some breeds were developed by careful selection for a particular function, like herding cattle, chasing badgers from their burrows, catching and killing rats, protecting their owners or as an auxiliary to the hunter.

In that sense, specific body types of dogs lend themselves to specific tasks. A Bernese Mountain Dog, for instance, is not particularly well adapted to roust a badger out from its hiding place nor would a Dachshund be very effective in being a police dog.

The same reasoning has some dogs better at certain sports than others. A Shih Tzu would probably be quickly swept under water if ever put onto a surf board. However, there are dog sports for every breed and all can participate.

How Will They Perform:

There is no inequality in demand or performance whether the dog is big or small, when they are pitched against their own breed, of course. But all dogs love to run, so racing is one sport all dogs can do. Another sport they all can play is catching a ball. Throwing a ball and have them retrieve it is also great sport for little dogs and large dogs alike.

One type of sport, called Freestyle, basically means whatever the trainer wants, goes. Commonly at such performances, dogs will dance to music, or perhaps jump and have the owner catch them, or weave between his or her legs. Obviously, weaving between legs or having them jump in your arms would be hard for a St. Bernard and his owner as well.

So, the sport of Freestyle is somewhat more size dependent. Dancing is fine for some breeds, especially the smaller ones. With large dogs, care has to be taken not to hurt their back. It is not very easy for a large dog to balance on his rear legs due to their sheer size. They also have frequently problems standing on rear legs because they are prone to hip dysplasia, which would make standing on two legs a painful experience.

Keep The Breed In Consideration:

A dog sports for every breed is without doubt agility training. What dog would be too big or too small to jump over a low fence or run up a ramp? Navigating a tunnel can be adjusted to accommodate a bigger dog without a problem. This activity is not only fun for the animals, they also gain a great sense of confidence and pride at excelling in overcoming those presented obstacles.

Hunting may not be every dog's cup of water. Pointers have hunting in their blood. Every new generation's instinct is being reinforced by selective breeding. While hunting is a great outdoor activity and I believe no real dog worth its salt would turn its back on a rabbit hunting outing.

Some breeds would soon lose interest and rather be at home snoozing in the corner of a couch. Retrieving water fowl is also a sport reserved for certain breeds, like the Golden Retriever or the American Water Spaniel.

In summary, dog sports for every breed include unequivocally ball retrieving, catching flying discs, agility training and running.

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