Paws For Agility

For those uninitiated with the world of canine competition, dog shows might seem strange and intimidating. Up until a year ago, my only exposure to the scene was through the comedic faux documentary “Best in Show.” As over-the-top as that movie was, it’s easy to recognize many of the same personality types and behavioral traits in my friends from dog agility shows. In short, there’s never a dull moment.

That’s especially true for your dog, which will get the opportunity to play and run free around an obstacle course. Over time you’ll need to instill more and more discipline in your pet until he learns the ins and outs of the dog agility toys. Some are relatively easy to teach, and others such as the tunnel and the teeter-totter take patience and supreme skill.

For most people, the annual Westminster Kennel Club dog show is the only canine competition that carries any weight. The show is broadcast on national television, and it serves to bring increased exposure and awareness about a fiercely competitive world. You might notice that the judges look over each animal with a scrupulous attention to detail. The Westminster show is an all-breeds contest where the judges are interested in conformation in addition to other factors.

Dog show conformation is evaluated in order to determine a dog’s breeding stock. Each unique breed has its own characteristics that suggest whether or not it will produce quality puppies. Generally speaking, conformation refers to the animal’s overall appearance and structure, including its gait.

I should have known better than to let my 6-year-old daughter name our new Dalmatian. It’s only natural that she would choose the moniker Spot, but the cringe-worthy name has started to grow on our whole family. At this point, we couldn’t call him anything else – it just wouldn’t be right. In any case, Spot is a perfect embodiment of his breed. He’s loyal and full of boundless energy – the sort of dog that would be so useful to firefighters just a few decades ago.

Spot has so much enthusiasm and zeal, in fact, that I began to feel bad about his relegation to the house all day long. I looked for ways to give him more exercise while also bringing us closer as master and pet. Dog agility training filled that void, and it’s a skill that I’m teaching my daughter to master so that she can continue entering Spot in agility competitions when she gets a bit older.