List of Dog Sports

Dog sports are competition and athletic based activities in which the main competitors are canines. These sports vary in their descriptions, requirements, and difficulty. Some of these sports involve tests of speed, whereas others showcase tests of strength, intelligence, and collaboration and partnership with their human owners. These sports are tests of each dog’s abilities and unique traits in competition with other dogs, and many choose to enter and train their pets for sporting activities.

For most dog sports, any registered dog mix/breed can participate. For sports such as Greyhound Racing, the sport is restricted to a very specific breed. For many dog sports, though it is not necessarily required, there are specific groups of dogs that will perform better in certain competitions over others. For example, the Hound category of dog and its associated breeds are much more equipped to participate and succeed in sports like Fox Hunting.

For many dog sports, the amount of training depends. However for many of these sports, the most essential training involves the dog learning to trust and collaborate with its human partner. Many dog sports involve teamwork between the pair, and the dog has to be trained to know what exactly their owner wants them to do for particular obstacles or competitions. It is very much upon an individual basis how long building that bond takes.

Lots of dog sports are good exercise and engagement for house pets. However, there are also dog sports that are not healthy or safe for dogs, as they are bred for the particular sports and do not have homes. For example, in Greyhound Racing, many locations that host events breed greyhounds and force them to undergo dangerous physical activity for their health, without providing them proper veterinary care to keep the dogs happy and safe.