The most famous dog sports are “The Puppy Bowl” and “The American Kennel Club Dog Show.” “The Puppy Bowl” is more of an adoption event rather than a sport and “The American Kennel Club Dog Show” doesn’t place a large emphasis on the sport aspect.
It was surprising to find sports for dogs besides the obvious ones. Even if you aren’t generally a sports person, these events are worth checking out if you are a dog person.
If you’re a sports fan and love dogs, that’s even more of a reason to check out these dog sports.
Corgi Races
I’ve seen snippets of Corgi races on Instagram and watched one on ESPN. ESPN sponsored the Corgi races in 2024 for Alzheimir’s disease. The Corgis are either distracted, fighting with another Corgi, competing or trying to make friends.
The rules of Corgi races vary depending on location. The one rule that remains the same is the dogs have to be Corgis. I had a fun time watching the Corgi Races and the air date for 2025 is to be determined.
Disc
Disc was another sport I discovered on ESPN when I was flipping through the channels. There are two forms of disc: freestyle and distance. I watched the Distance Disc Competition.
Distance is when handlers throw the disc a certain distance and the dogs have to catch it. Winners are determined by the farthest distance.
Freestyle Disc involves the handler and dog doing a choreographed routine of tricks their owners created. The winner is determined by a set system of choreography rules.
Dog Surfing
I found out about dog surfing on Google. Dog surfing is exactly what it sounds like, a sport involving surfing dogs. There is a Dog Surfing Championship in California.
Dogs are split up into weight categories. Requirements for dogs to participate are a board, vest or life jacket, and their owner needs that same gear. They are judged based on how confident they appear, their technique and a few other factors.
CaniCross
If you are an athletic dog owner this event might be of interest to you and your dog. CaniCross is cross country but for humans and their dogs. The dog is attached to their human the entire time during the race.
This could be either a serious and competitive event or something to do with your dog. If you and your dog like running this might be something worth looking into.
FlyBall
Dogs 15 months and older are eligible to compete in flyball. This is another dog-owner sport. Flyball involves dogs competing against each other racing down a track with hurdles.
It’s a team sport consisting of four dogs per team and it’s open to any breed. When the light turns green the teams facing off race down the track. The winning team of the heats are determined by the first team whose dogs cross the line error free.
Dock Dogs/Diving Dogs/Dock Jumping/ Dog Diving
This sport involves owners throwing their dog’s favorite toy in the pool while they wait on a 40-foot dock. On command dogs dive into the pool to retrieve their toy.
The point is to build the dog’s distance up.
Some basic rules include no peeing on the dock, the dogs need to jump on their own free will, wear life vests and flat collars, and be kept on a leash if not on the dock. The winner is determined by combined scores in air and distance.
These are just a few of the dog sports out there. If you own a dog or just love dogs check these sports out, either to watch or as a way to be active with your dog.
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