Conformation- How many of you have watched the fancy dog show that is televised every February? Westminster Dog Show, held at Madison Square Garden in New York City, it is probably one of the most well known examples of a sport called conformation. While some relate this hobby to a beauty pageant for dogs, it was actually developed as a way to preserve the breeds that have been developed over the years to excel at different jobs. Some people do not realize that it isn’t simply about how pretty the dog is, or which dog’s coat is whiter, or which dog has the longest hair. Each breed is held to a specific breed standard that covers several different areas of physical appearance, temperament, and any other area that could alter how effective that dog can be at its original purpose. Each dog competes against other dogs of the same breed, hoping to win Best of Breed or Best of Opposite Sex. These two awards are designed to pick the best male and female dog of that breed at the show. Therefore, recognizing the best breeding combinations not only by the owners themselves, but also by an educated 3rd party (the judge).
While I definitely believe in the importance of adopting dogs, I also believe in the importance of preserving the breeds that have been created already. I know there are some pet owners out there who have done their research and purchased a dog from a responsible breeder that has been recognized by a dog registry such as the American Kennel Club. If this is you, you may enjoy spending your weekends asking a judge how well your dog fits the written standard of your breed.
You can start by going on line and checking out the breed standard for your own dog here: http://www.akc.org/breeds/complete_breed_list.cfm
If you feel that your dog is a good representation of the breed standard, you can look into joining a local kennel club and finding a member of that club who would like to mentor you. The American Kennel Club has actually started its own mentor program and you can find the details of this on: http://www.akc.org/public_education/mentor.cfm
For those of you in Kansas, here are some local kennel clubs:
Topeka: http://www.topekakc.org/
Lawrence: http://www.ljkc.com/
Manhattan: http://www.mkkc.org/
Herding- Most of the activities that I will be writing about will be open to just about any breed, however some are designed to speak to the abilities of certain breeds. Herding is a great way to spend time with your herding dog. For those of you who may not know, you do not have to own livestock (sheep,cattle, goats, etc.) to enjoy herding with your pooch. There are herding trainers who will allow you to take lessons at their facility and use their livestock.
If you are interested in getting started in herding, the first step would be to get your dog “instinct tested”. Some dogs have more instinct to herd than others, so before you jump into the deep end of the pool, you should have them tested to see if they (and you) will enjoy this pastime. Many times the herding trainers I mentioned above will evaluate your dog for herding ability or the American Kennel Club hosts Herding Instinct Testing events all over the country.
You can find an overview of how these instinct testing events work at: http://www.akc.org/events/herding/herdsman/morearticles.cfm?page=10 (be sure to only read the part of the article titled “herding instinct testing”) Thanks Mom for this great reference! (She wrote the article). If you have a herding breed and are interested in learning more about this activity, feel free to send me an e-mail at [email protected] and I will attempt to find a herding trainer in your area.
Frisbee- For those of you who have a pup that is crazy about Frisbees, did you know there is a competitive arena for these dogs? In disc dog competitions, dogs and their owners compete in events such as distance catching and somewhat choreographed freestyle catching. Not only do they have competitive events, but you can also get involved in a “disc dog” club and may even be able to do demonstrations at public events to entertain crowds with your dog!
For those of you in the Kansas area, I found a great club in Kansas City that can help you get started in this sport: http://www.kcdiscdogs.com/index.html
I also had one of my blog readers e-mail me a great site where you can order affordable Frisbees for your dog, you can order their “misprints” making them even cheaper! Here is their website: http://www.dtworld.com/Dog-Discs-s/5.htm
Stay tuned next week for even more fun activities to do with your dog!
While I definitely believe in the importance of adopting dogs, I also believe in the importance of preserving the breeds that have been created already. I know there are some pet owners out there who have done their research and purchased a dog from a responsible breeder that has been recognized by a dog registry such as the American Kennel Club. If this is you, you may enjoy spending your weekends asking a judge how well your dog fits the written standard of your breed.
You can start by going on line and checking out the breed standard for your own dog here: http://www.akc.org/breeds/complete_breed_list.cfm
If you feel that your dog is a good representation of the breed standard, you can look into joining a local kennel club and finding a member of that club who would like to mentor you. The American Kennel Club has actually started its own mentor program and you can find the details of this on: http://www.akc.org/public_education/mentor.cfm
For those of you in Kansas, here are some local kennel clubs:
Topeka: http://www.topekakc.org/
Lawrence: http://www.ljkc.com/
Manhattan: http://www.mkkc.org/
Herding- Most of the activities that I will be writing about will be open to just about any breed, however some are designed to speak to the abilities of certain breeds. Herding is a great way to spend time with your herding dog. For those of you who may not know, you do not have to own livestock (sheep,cattle, goats, etc.) to enjoy herding with your pooch. There are herding trainers who will allow you to take lessons at their facility and use their livestock.
If you are interested in getting started in herding, the first step would be to get your dog “instinct tested”. Some dogs have more instinct to herd than others, so before you jump into the deep end of the pool, you should have them tested to see if they (and you) will enjoy this pastime. Many times the herding trainers I mentioned above will evaluate your dog for herding ability or the American Kennel Club hosts Herding Instinct Testing events all over the country.
You can find an overview of how these instinct testing events work at: http://www.akc.org/events/herding/herdsman/morearticles.cfm?page=10 (be sure to only read the part of the article titled “herding instinct testing”) Thanks Mom for this great reference! (She wrote the article). If you have a herding breed and are interested in learning more about this activity, feel free to send me an e-mail at [email protected] and I will attempt to find a herding trainer in your area.
Frisbee- For those of you who have a pup that is crazy about Frisbees, did you know there is a competitive arena for these dogs? In disc dog competitions, dogs and their owners compete in events such as distance catching and somewhat choreographed freestyle catching. Not only do they have competitive events, but you can also get involved in a “disc dog” club and may even be able to do demonstrations at public events to entertain crowds with your dog!
For those of you in the Kansas area, I found a great club in Kansas City that can help you get started in this sport: http://www.kcdiscdogs.com/index.html
I also had one of my blog readers e-mail me a great site where you can order affordable Frisbees for your dog, you can order their “misprints” making them even cheaper! Here is their website: http://www.dtworld.com/Dog-Discs-s/5.htm
Stay tuned next week for even more fun activities to do with your dog!
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