Dog Conformation & Sports

Conformation

The official term for dog shows is conformation — as in, the act of conforming or producing conformity. While a dog show may look like a beauty pageant, it’s not. Dogs are not being compared to each other; they’re being measured by how closely they conform to the standard of their particular breed. Why? Because the closer a dog’s appearance is to the breed’s standard, the better that dog’s ability will be to produce puppies that meet the standard. It’s also the reason why mixed breeds and spayed or neutered purebreds are ineligible to compete in conformation.

Companion Sports

Companion sports are one of the best ways to deeply bond with your dog and can be one of the most personally rewarding endeavors of your life. Here’s your key to the world of canine sports and events.

Agility – In Agility, dogs race against a clock as they navigate an obstacle course. Dogs and owners strive to improve their speed and teamwork Agility is a fun, energizing sport that provides healthy exercise for dogs and a rewarding experience for owners.

Obedience – Developed in the 1930s, Obedience is one of the AKC’s oldest sporting events. The objective is to train your dog to be well-behaved at home or in public places. Whether you are walking on- or off-leash or retrieving and jumping, obedience demonstrates the teamwork between you and your dog.

AKC Rally® – Think of an AKC Rally® event as any team sport: You and your dog navigate, side-by-side, through a course of 10-20 different signs. The signs indicate a skill for your dog to perform, like sit or down. You and your dog move continuously throughout the course with a clear sense of teamwork. Rally is about working happily together while performing the necessary skills.

Tracking – Tracking is a non-competitive sport that demonstrates your dog’s natural ability to recognize and follow scent. It is the foundation of canine search and rescue work. In tracking, your dog is completely in charge since only he knows how to find and follow a specific scent. For many, the greatest pleasure of tracking are the hours spent outside, training and interacting with their dogs.

Performance Sports

Coursing and CAT/FAST CAT – If you’ve ever wondered how fast your dog is, these tests are for you. They’re timed runs where your dog chases a mechanized lure around a course that simulates the unpredictability of chasing live prey. Training for these tests helps improve your dog’s focus, agility and sportsmanship. CAT and Fast CAT are open to all dogs.

Scent Work – This sport mimics the task of working detection dogs to locate a scent and communicate that the scent has been found. It’s a positive, challenging activity that gives your dog the opportunity to use his strongest natural sense. Scent Work is open to all dogs.

Family Fun Sports

Canine Good Citizen(CGC)

Canine Good Citizen is a 10-skill test that teaches good manners to dogs and responsible dog ownership to their owners.

Trick Dog

AKC Trick Dog is one of AKC’s most popular training programs because trick training is fun for both dogs and their trainers. You can teach your dog tricks yourself, or you can go to a training class. Tricks are behaviors that are designed to entertain others. AKC Trick Dog ranges from very simple novice tricks such as teaching your dog to get in a box on cue, to complex tricks that are several behaviors chained together in one exciting sequence.

AKC Recognized Sports

Dock Diving

Will your dog do anything for his favorite toy? Have you watched him fearlessly dive into water – say, in a lake or pool? If so, he might love participating in one of the fastest growing sports, Diving Dogs! Almost any dog can do it, as long as he loves water, knows how to swim, and has a natural passion for retrieving.

Barn Hunt

Not everyone will understand the importance of “rat catchers,” but if you live in the countryside, you sure do! “Rat catchers” rid farms of destructive vermin – and the hunting and teamwork skills required to do so are the foundation of the sport of Barn Hunt. Dogs and their handlers work as a team to locate and mark rats (which are always safely held in aerated tubes) hidden in a maze of straw or hay bales.

Other Amazing Sports & Fun