Looking at getting into dog sports? Here’s a short description of 25 different dog sports:
- Agility – Dogs race through an obstacle course of jumps, tunnels, and weave poles, guided by their handler.
- Flyball – A relay race where teams of dogs jump hurdles, trigger a box to release a tennis ball, and race back.
- Dock Diving – Dogs run and leap off a dock into water to retrieve a toy, with distance or height measured.
- Disc Dog (Frisbee) – Dogs perform tricks and catch flying discs thrown by their handler in choreographed routines or distance catching.
- Obedience – Dogs perform a series of commands like sit, stay, and heel with precision in a structured routine.
- Rally Obedience (Rally-O) – Dogs and handlers navigate a course with signs indicating different obedience tasks.
- Canine Freestyle – A creative sport combining obedience, tricks, and dance set to music.
- Lure Coursing – Primarily for sighthounds, dogs chase a mechanically operated lure across a field.
- Herding Trials – Dogs move and control livestock like sheep or ducks, showcasing natural herding instincts.
- Tracking – Dogs follow a scent trail left by a person, often used in search and rescue or scent work.
- Nose Work – Dogs use their sense of smell to locate specific scents hidden in containers or environments.
- Weight Pulling – Dogs pull a weighted cart over a short distance, testing strength and conditioning.
- Earthdog – Small terriers navigate underground tunnels to locate and “work” quarry (usually caged rats).
- Schutzhund (IGP) – A protection sport testing tracking, obedience, and protection skills, originally for German Shepherds.
- Bikejoring – Dogs are harnessed to pull and run ahead of a bicycle, blending mushing with cycling.
- Skijoring – Similar to bikejoring, but on snow: a dog (or dogs) pull a person on skis.
- Carting (Draft Work) – Dogs, often larger breeds, pull carts loaded with goods or equipment, showcasing strength and control.
- Fast CAT (Coursing Ability Test) – A timed 100-yard dash where dogs chase a lure, measuring their speed.
- Treibball – Dogs herd and push large exercise balls into a goal, mimicking herding livestock.
- Mantrailing – Dogs follow a specific human scent trail, often used in search and rescue or police work.
- Parkour (Urban Agility) – Dogs navigate urban environments or obstacle setups by jumping, climbing, balancing, and crawling, promoting confidence and fitness.
- Mondioring – A protection sport combining obedience, agility, and controlled bite work in themed scenarios.
- Barn Hunt – Dogs use their scenting skills to locate rats safely enclosed in tubes, hidden in straw bales.
- Protection Sports (PSA, French Ring, etc.) – Dogs are tested in obedience, control, and bite work through challenging, real-world protection scenarios.
- Canicross – A cross-country running sport where a dog is harnessed to their running human, working as a team to navigate trails.
- Hoopers – A low-impact agility-style sport where dogs navigate a flowing course of hoops, barrels, and tunnels with smooth turns and distance handling. It’s designed to be joint-friendly and accessible for dogs (and handlers) of all ages and abilities.