Dog sports are an incredible way to bond with your dog and get involved with a great hobby along the way. While there are many sports that can take months, even years, to prepare for there are several beginner-friendly sports you can try out with just a bit of prep.
1. Fast CAT
Fast CAT is a relatively new sport offered by AKC. It was first offered as a titling event in 2016 and is one of the most popular dog sports to date. This is commonly a dog owner’s first introduction in the world of dog sports. It is based off the existing sport of lure coursing which is traditionally only offered to sighthounds. The acronym, “CAT” in this case stands for “Coursing Ability Test.”
In this event, dogs chase an artificial lure (usually a plastic bag) down a straight 100 yard course. Each dog is timed and is given points based on how fast they completed the course. For example, a medium dog who completes the course at a speed of 25mph is awarded 25 points. It takes a cumulative 150 points to achieve the first title, BCAT.
This sport is open to any purebred or mixed breed dog and anyone can participate regardless of experience. There is even a yearly breed ranking so you can see how your dog measures up to others of his breed! For more information on Fast CAT you can visit AKC’s Fast CAT page.
2. Dock Diving
Dock diving is another relatively new sport and there are multiple venues that offer this. North American Diving Dogs (NADD) and the United Kennel Club (UKC) are two popular venues that offer dock sports. The Australian Shepherd Club of America also offers dock sports. It is important to note that if AKC titles are your goal, then NADD is the venue you would want to go with as AKC honors their titles.
Dock diving has three different events which include: distance jump, hydrodash, and air retrieve. Hydrodash and air retrieve may take a bit more training and prep than the distance jump event.
In distance jump, the dog jumps off the dock either with or without a toy being thrown into the water. The dog is scored based on how far he jumps and this is based on where the base of the tail lands in the water. The dog’s average jump distance is tracked along with his personal best jump. Titles are earned based on which division the dog jumps in. The divisions are: Novice, Junior, Senior, Master, and Elite. The current distance jumping world record is held why Sounders the Whippet who jumped an incredible 36’11” in 2021.
If you have a water-loving dog and would like more information on the sport of dock diving, visit North American Diving Dogs at their website.
3. Nosework
Nosework is another incredibly fun and interesting sport. While it does take a bit more prep than the other sports listed so far, it’s still very beginner friendly and one of the easiest sports for a dog to pick up. After all, what is more natural for a dog than to use their nose?
Nosework is offered by multiple venues including AKC, CKC (Canada), UKC, and NACSW. In this event, a dog is tasked with locating a specific scent, called a “hide” in a controlled environment. The dog will then indicate that he found the scent by alerting the handler. This alert can be behaviors such as a sit or a down. There are multiple types of trials offered including Containers, Interiors, Exteriors, Vehicles, Buried, and Handler Discrimination.
Novice scentwork is a great sport to start out in. You will have only 1 hide to find and in UKC you even get 1 error and will be allowed to try once more. The scent for novice is typically birch oil, with the exception of the Canadian Kennel Club who uses wintergreen as their novice scent.
Any dog of any breed or mix can compete in nosework. It is especially ideal for dogs that may not be able to perform high impact activities. If you are looking for a sport for your senior dog, for example, nosework is wonderful! For more information on nosework you can visit the specific website of the venue you’re interested in. AKC has a great article on how to start nosework.
4. Rally
Rally is an obedience sport in which the dog and handler move side by side through a course with 10-20 signs that give various instructions. Rally is a great beginner sport as its main goal is to have fun with your dog while working as a partnership. This is a very easy sport to train in at home and you don’t even have to go to trials to title! AKC has a virtual rally program that allows you to do a set of courses you can record and submit for judging. This is a wonderful opportunity for dogs who may not do well in crowded or noisy settings such as at a dog show.
Any dog of any breed or mix can participate in Rally and it is a sport offered by multiple venues such as AKC, UKC, and ASCA. For more information you can visit AKC’s website.
5. AKC Trick Dog
AKC Trick Dog may not be considered an actual “sport” comparatively speaking, but it is another fun way to do something with your dog and have fun doing it. This program allows owners to record their dogs doing a set number of tricks which they will then submit to be reviewed by an evaluator. Dogs can earn various titles including Trick Dog Novice (TKN), Trick Dog Intermediate (TKI), Trick Dog Advanced (TKA), Trick Dog Performer (TKP), and Trick Dog Elite Performer (TKE). Tricks are a fun way to really get your dog thinking and it’s another fascinating look into how dogs learn! This is an especially great outlet for puppies with seemingly endless energy.
You can find lists of accepted tricks for each level on AKC’s website. If you aren’t sure how to teach tricks, there are many resources online including video tutorials on YouTube and TikTok.