Sometimes There's Side Eye

This week we are talking with Cady Jones about the sport of dock diving. Cady and her husband compete with their 12 dogs in a variety of dog sports including dock diving. Dock diving consists of a dog jumping off a stationary 40-foot dock for one of three events.  Distance Jump is the most popular event.  This is where dogs run from the end of the dock and jump for a toy that is being thrown for them.  Hydrodash, on the other hand, has a bumper suspended from a rig that the dog needs to swim out to and retrieve. Last but not least is Air Retrieve, where dogs have to jump to and knock down a bumper being suspended in the air by a rig. NADD (North American Diving Dogs), Dock Dogs, and Ultimate Air Dogs are currently the 3 big organizations participants can title through.

Cady shares the joys and challenges in training a variety of breeds and personalities for the sport.  She loves dock diving for a variety of reasons; one is because it has different divisions, so your dog can jump competitively without having to jump extra long distances.  It can take a lot of time and a lot of patience for some dogs to get comfortable on the dock or in the water, but that doesn't mean that the dog won't eventually love the sport.  Cady emphasizes that this is just another way to build a bond with your dog(s) and a great outlet for dogs who need to burn off some extra energy.

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This week we are talking with Tina Vickrey, who is an ORT (Odor Recognition Test) judge and an active competitor in the sport of scent work.  Scent work is relatively new and only became a dog sport in 2005.  There are two major organizations you can compete with in scent work, which are AKC and NACSW. While both have the same goal and are considered the same sport, the organizations take very different approaches in how they set up and judge competitions.  Although scent work is sometimes known for being good for older dogs who can no longer do sports that involve running and jumping, Tina assures us that this can be a very fast paced and fun sport for young dogs as well.  The benefit to starting a dog in the sport at a young age is that you can continue to peel back the layers of learning what this sport offers.  Scent work expenses can also be modified depending on your budget.  It can be a very cost effective sport since you can teach scent work at home and you never need to compete for your dog to benefit from the sport.  However, you can also invest a lot of money if you want to take group classes or travel for competitions.  We also talk about training on different scents and how to progress in the sport of scent work for both organizations.  Additionally, Tina will make you laugh with her personal experiences and stories of competing with her Staffordshire Bull Terriers.

This week we have Danielle Cyr on the podcast to discuss weighted pull and canine fitness.  Daniel has a number of titles and certificates including Judges' Liaison and Treasurer for United Dog Sports of Northern New England, Founder/President of Dirigo Working Dogs, UKC Weight Pull Judge, APA Weight Pull Judge, Iron Dog Weight Pull Judge, W3PO Weight Pull Judge, CGC Evaluator, SPOT Evaluator, ATTS Tester and Certified Canine Athlete Specialist.  
Danielle got involved in the sport of weight pull when she needed to provide her shy dog an outlet to build confidence.  It ended up being such a success that she started providing a training outlet to other dogs who suffered from behavioral issues. Danielle gives us an overview of the sport including one rule of weight pull that stands out, which is that dogs are never allowed to fail. If a dog is failing the human behind the cart will help push the cart to ensure the dog succeeds in moving the cart.  Additionally, a lot of care is put into avoiding injuries including a specialized harness that ensures the dogs comfort and safety. The movements are very controlled and deliberate, much like in human weightlifting.  There should not be jumping or alligator rolling since those movements increase the dog's risk of injury.  The sport is open to all breeds, and Danielle has even seen Chinese Crested compete in this sport.  While the sport was actually created by the Malamute Club, there can be a stigma associated with pitbulls/dog fighting.  However, the sport is a straight slow walk with weight, which is much more controlled than a lot of other sports or even everyday play that we do with our dogs.  Additionally, the sport provides a great way for responsible owners to strength train with their dog. Danielle works in the veterinary field and sees a lot of injuries and is now a certified canine athlete specialist, which is comparable to a canine fitness instructor. Much like human athletes, dogs need to have cross training days as well as warm up and cool downs depending on the sports they participate in.  Danielle gives us a great overview of how she keeps her dogs and other dogs safe and healthy in a variety of sports. If you've ever been curious about weight pull for dogs, we think you are going to love all the insights Danielle provides us. 

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Contact Danielle "Dani" Cyr:

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/danielle.cyr.7

IG https://www.instagram.com/cyrius_knls/

Email: [email protected]

More information about this episode:

Dirgo Working Dogs http://www.dirigoworkingdogs.com/

http://www.worldwideweightpull.net/

UKC

This week we are talking about barn hunt with special guest Heather Bilodeau.  Barn hunt is a relatively new sport and was created in 2012 to give dogs an outlet for their natural scent and hunting skills.  Dogs use their natural abilities to sniff out rats that are in protective tubes within a preset course of stacked straw bales. There are several levels for people and dogs to compete at which we break down in detail. The sport can accommodate dogs and people of all ages and abilities.  Additionally, there are no breed restrictions when it comes to this sport. This is considered a family sport and is geared to be inclusive of all.  The sport takes rat safety and care very seriously and outlines how to make sure rats are safe and comfortable in their rule book.  The rats are considered to be important partners in the sport and are respected as such but both competitors and judges.  While this sport does have a lot of rules that competitors need to be familiar with, a defining theme of this sport is having fun.  

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More information about this episode:

Barn Hunt Association

Barn Hunt - A Game of Hide & Seek for Dogs E-Book - Clean Run

This week we are talking with Jessica Stricker who has 2 Australian Shepherds, Ivy and Riddler.  She competes in a variety of sports including disc, dock diving, barn hunt, agility, scent work and fastCAT. Additionally, she is a Canine Good Citizen and Trick evaluator for AKC as well as being a trick evaluator, canine conditioning and fitness coach, animal actors evaluator, and stunt dog judge for Do More With Your Dog.  As if that wasn't enough, she is a judge for UpDog and the Anthem Toss and Fetch club. 

We discuss tick training, which is not technically a sport but a certification.  However, it's a great place to get started with classes or even training on your own. The great thing about trick training is it is great for beginners, or you can take it to the level Jessica has with her dog Ivy, who knows 101 different tricks and is only 1 of 3 dogs in AZ who has a Trick Dog Champion Masters title.  AKC and Do More With Your Dog are two organizations that you can currently get certifications through.  We all agree that training tricks helped enhance our relationship with our dogs, which is why it holds such a special place in our hearts.

We also had the chance to talk about disc (frisbee).  There are a variety of teams and organizations to compete and train with, so you can be sure to find the right fit for you and your dog.  There are even different types of competitions that range from rolling discs on the ground to making a 90-minute routine that include tricks interwoven with disc.  Jessica shares how inclusive disc is for dogs and people, at all levels.  There are lots of options to play the game of disc including having someone else throw for you.  So, if you are worried about your throwing arm abilities there are still ways for you to get involved with your dog.  We love that Jessica recognizes and emphasizes the relational elements of training tricks and disc over the certification levels of each.  So even if you aren't interested in competing, she breaks down how it could still benefit you to join a club or train with your dog on your own, because at the end of the day it's all about having fun with your dog.

More information about this episode:

Tiktok: @jessicastricker_

Business Instagram: @stricktlycanine

Facebook Spark Team: The Arkham Aussies Spark Team

Do More With Your Dog

AKC Trick Dog

Toss & Fetch

UpDog Challange

skyhoundz

This week we are talking with Marissa who is known on socials as @kotaspen.  She is a dog mom and sport handler of two adopted dogs, Kota and Aspen.  Marissa has experience in Dock Diving, Barn Hunt, Rally/Obedience, Agility and FastCat with her dogs.  Additionally, she co-teaches group training classes on the weekends along with offering some day training. 

We wanted to bring on this well-rounded guest for so many reasons, including her vast experience in so many different sports, as well as being able to showcase how owners of rescue dogs can compete in dog sports just like owners of purebred dogs.  Marissa highlights how training for and competing in dog sports has helped grow the relationship she has with her own dogs, and how the confidence in both dogs has grown.  We also dive into some of the costs associated with competing and training.  Overall, we think you will walk away from this episode feeling the joy and excitement sports have to offer for dogs of all backgrounds and their owners.  

This week we are introducing our upcoming series on dog sports.  We'll have a variety of guests from newer competitors to seasoned competitors, in a variety of dog sports.  Heather obviously loves dog sports, while Kristi loves training for sports, but never competes.  So even if you never plan to compete with your dog, we believe this series will be useful in giving you structured enrichment ideas for your dog.  If you have ever wondered about how to get started in dog sports or been curious about a sport that you are not currently competing in, this series is perfect for you.  We will be giving an overview of a variety of sports as well as going over resources to get started in them. This series is ideal for anyone looking to enrich the life of their dog regardless of if you live with a rescue or purebred.  We hope you'll join us as we dive into the wide world of dog sports.