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The weather is getting warmer, and that can mean only one thing: it’s time to take your dog to the great outdoors for some sporting activities. If you have a purebred dog, the American Kennel Club offers many options for you and your dog to show off the natural talents for which they were bred. In our next issue, we’ll look at the sports for everybody’s favorite breed, the mutt-i-gree.
The highest level of Rally, known as Excellent, may have as many as 20 stations and handlers are...
By Susan M. Keenan ©2008
Dog camps have grown in popularity over the last few years. Many of them exist, offering a wide array of themes, purposes, designs, programs, and costs. Dog camps offer an excellent way to spend quality time with your dog.
Dogs Can Have a Vacation Too
Although many dog camps are designed to offer basic training or competitive training, quite a few of them are now designed for vacation purposes as well. Since not all dog camps are designed for the same purpose, do your homework...
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a sled dog? Here is an excerpt from Couch Slouch’s journal, a member of Spoons Grabilovitch’s sled dog team in the 1,150-mile Iditarod Trail race across Alaska.
Source: Seattle P-I
By NORMAN CHAD
Day 1: Before the race, they check out our teeth, tonsils, eyes, heart, lungs, joints and feet; you’d think we were trying to take out a $10 million life insurance policy… I hate urine tests. Why don’t they ever test the mushers?
…I can’t stand...
When dog fanciers talk about dog shows, they are most often talking about conformation trials, although dogs may also compete in obedience trials or any number of sporting events. The world of conformation showing is unlike any other in the pet world. It is a fiercely competitive environment coupled with exhibitors who are very generous in sharing their knowledge with other competitors.
What types of dog shows are there?
Specialty shows are those held only for one breed. For example, the Australian...
Looking for a sport for your dog that doesn’t require your dog to be a purebred or to obey your every command? Canine weight pulling rewards your dog for improving his physical fitness.
Weight Classes
Terriers, Poodles, and even Retrievers join in the sport alongside the more muscular dogs you’d expect to see like Mastiffs and Bulldogs. How can these varied sizes compete at the same event? Each event is divided into weight classes so that small dogs compete against small dogs while big...
The world of dog conformation shows can be confusing to the newcomer. Here is doggies.com’s guide to getting started.
Choosing a breed
If you are uncertain which breed you wish to show, spend some time visiting dog shows in your area. At any bench show, the dogs will be kept at the arena when they are done showing so you can mingle, ask the handlers about the dogs, and observe how the dogs of a particular breed act. (By contrast, an unbenched show allows the dogs to leave after they...
You’ve worked hard all year at the office or the shop, now it’s time to take it easy for a week or two, enjoying all the good things vacation has to offer. But what about your dog? He or she has been hard at work, too: protecting your home from strangers, finishing up the leftovers, keeping the kids in line, helping you with the yard work, and keeping you warm in bed. Doesn’t the dog deserve a break, too?
Hotel Stays
As pets become more and more integrated into our families,...
Summer vacation is almost here, and parents are already dreading those two awful words: “I’m bored!” But did you ever stop to think about how bored your dog might get while you’re at work or otherwise engaged? Very few dogs are lucky enough to have human companionship all day every day, yet they are very social animals and crave your attention.
Why is it important to keep your dog entertained?
You’re right. We’re talking about dogs here, not human children. ...
Lassie, Rin Tin Tin, Benji, Wishbone. We’ve all seen those movies where a dog is featured doing amazing tricks or even just lying around being cute. Have you ever wondered if your dog has what it takes to be a movie star?
What’s most important?
Before you even consider sending your dog on an acting audition, do him or her a favor and train the dog for basic obedience. If your dog doesn’t know the basic commands of sit, down, stay, and leave it, he or she will have a terribly...
