We offer a wide variety of classes…

You can begin with Puppy or Basic / Intermediate Manners.   Then after that you can delve into the wonderful world of dog sports if you like. The possibilities are endless… Tricks, Hoopers, Lost Item Recovery, K9 NoseWork, almost anything you can think of…..don’t know WHAT sport to choose?   Keep reading for an overview of the sports we offer (most are offered both in person or online, your choice)

Dog sports offer a fun and engaging way to bond with your dog while challenging them physically and mentally.

 Here is a quick overview of some of the most common sports that are offered locally:

1. Canine Hoopers: This sport is similar to agility where dogs navigate a course running through hoops, crawling through tunnels, and weaving around barrels and gates.  It’s a great sport for dogs of all ages, as it focuses on teamwork and communication and involves no sharp turning or jumping.   It is also great for handlers with limited mobility as the goal is teamwork at a distance.

 2. Rally Obedience: Rally is a hybrid of traditional obedience and agility. Dogs and handlers navigate a course with various obedience stations, each requiring a specific behaviour (e.g., sit, stay, heel). It’s more relaxed than formal obedience but still requires precision and teamwork.

3.  Nosework: This sport involves scent detection, where dogs are trained to find hidden scents within a designated area. It mimics real-world detection work, helping dogs hone their natural tracking abilities and teaches handlers to observe their dogs closely.

 4.  Tricks: Trick training is all about teaching dogs fun and useful behaviours, like rolling over, backing up, picking things up, or even more complex tasks. Dogs may perform tricks to music or as part of a routine, which is often showcased in competitions. It helps enhance a dog’s focus, learning ability, and communication with their handler.

5. CARO Working: CARO Working is a unique category that goes beyond the traditional obedience skills and focuses on the working relationship between the dog and handler. Unlike CARO rally obedience, where the emphasis is on precise execution of obedience exercises, Working includes exercises that test the dog’s ability to perform in a more real-world or “working” context. This sport features tasks such as retrieving objects, jumping, going around objects, understanding physical signals at a distance and other practical skills that can be applied in everyday situations. The emphasis is on teamwork. This sport is ideal for those who want to work on a dog’s versatility and overall reliability in a variety of environments and tasks, rather than just precision obedience.

 6. The North American Sport Dog Association hosts a variety of scent detection sports that challenge dogs’ tracking and retrieval abilities. Lost Item Recovery has dogs searching for and identifying specific lost items, such as personal belongings, from outdoor environments. This sport highlights the dog’s focus, scenting skills, and the ability to work independently. Shed Searching involves locating antlers dropped by deer or other wildlife, testing a dog’s ability to use scent to find specific objects in vast outdoor areas. Urban and Trail and Locate, on the other hand, is a sport focused on detecting rats in urban or more rural environments. Dogs must follow or locate hidden rats within a controlled urban-like environment, such as parks, alleys, or buildings. This sport is particularly rewarding for dogs with strong scenting abilities, and it tests their precision in an environment full of distractions. Each of these sports helps enhance a dog’s scenting skills and problem-solving abilities while providing both mental and physical stimulation.

All of these sports provide enrichment, foster teamwork, and strengthen the bond between dog and handler.   You just have to find the one that is the most fun for you and your dog.

Contact Jeanne   jeanne.dogs@gmail.com for more information or to get started.

Find out what classes are coming up soon by pressing ‘book now’.