Future Activities
Once your puppy has mastered the basics of his training, you may want to think about other activities that you can take part in once your dog is fully physically developed, both to continue his education and to maintain his interest and motivation.
Dog-training schools usually offer a range of classes for older dogs. These classes will often include activities with a competitive element, such as negotiating an obstacle course against the clock or being the first to fetch an object and return it to its owner. You can also practice these activities at home. You may find that your dog demonstrates a particular aptitude, skill, or enjoyment for certain activities that you wish to capitalize on. Collies are extremely agile and eager to learn activities such as negotiating an obstacle course and following instructions. Terriers enjoy activities involving running and chasing, especially with a ball.
As your puppy matures, choose activities that involve a specific aptitude or interest that he displays. This will keep him motivated and interested.
WARNING! OVEREXERTION
Puppies have soft, fragile bones that are not yet fully formed, so they are easily damaged. Take care not to exercise them too fast or too far. The training activities shown in the step-by-step pages of this book are perfectly safe. However, agility exercises, especially those involving jumping and balance, should never be attempted before a dog is fully developed, at around eighteen months.
Fetch is a fun game that your dog will enjoy and the whole family can take park in. But remember, a dog won’t automatically bring back an item you’ve thrown. He is just as likely to run off with it! You will need to build up to this stage slowly by placing the ball or toy near you and then teaching your dog to pick it up and hand it to you. The techniques described in Chapter 5 can help with this. Then steadily increase the distance that you place the object until he knows to bring it back no matter how far away you throw it.
Sporting and competition events
The following activities are for older dogs. If you want to make use of your dog’s natural skills and would like to try out more advanced activities with him, there are numerous sports and pastimes for dogs that are not only enjoyable—for you and your pet—but which will enhance your dog’s agility and training.
Obstacle courses offer a great combination of activities that demonstrate your dog’s speed and agility, and allow him to make the most of his training.
Agility competitions/obstacle courses
These exciting activities combine speed and agility, and provide excellent exercise for the dog—and also for the owner. On a typical agility/obstacle course, the dog will have to negotiate hurdles, narrow walkways, ramps, tunnels, and sometimes even water jumps and climbing frames. Highly active small-to medium-size breeds, such as terriers and collies, particularly enjoy these events because they make the most of the animals’ natural exuberance, agility, and chasing behaviors.
Naturally energetic, collies enjoy competition events that appeal to their strength, stamina, and chasing instinct.
Dancing competitions
In this sport, the dog performs choreographed step routine, in response to verbal and hand cues from the owner. Set to music, the routine gives the impression that the animals are dancing.
Flyball competitions
A highly competitive team event carried out against the clock, the dogs must first negotiate a jumping course and then activate a machine that propels a ball into the air. The dog catches the ball, renegotiates the jumps, and races to the finish. Border collies and other highly active dogs with a strong chase instinct excel at this event.
Obedience trials
These events involve many of the activities featured in this book, such as following to heel, off the leash, “sit,” “stay,” “down,” “recall,” as well as more advanced techniques such as retrieve. However, at competition level, these activities are conducted to a very high standard.
Working trials
This sport is based on the exercises taught by police dog handlers and other professionals, so it requires a very high standard of training. Dogs are taught to follow a scent track, search of hidden items, retrieve, and follow complicated verbal commands. This kind of activity requires a close partnership between dog and owner that can only be achieved by many hundreds of hours of dedicated training.
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