Dog sports are competitive activities specifically designed for dogs. Dogs typically participate in sports with the help of owners, although some dog sports do not require human participation. A 2015 survey found that dog owners of all classes participate in dog sports, with owners from large cities (over 500,000 people), medium cities (between 100,000 and 500,000 people), small cities (less than 100,000 people), and rural areas each accounting for roughly the same percentage of dog sport competitors. [1]
According to the survey, the most popular dog sports are obedience sports, and the majority of people that compete in dog sports compete in over twelve dog sporting events per year. Additionally, the majority of owners that compete in dog sports are primarily motivated by internal motivators (such as satisfaction or improving their relationships with their dogs) rather than external motivators (such as prizes). [1]
| Sport | Image | Brief description | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baiting |  | Dogs fight or torment other animals | [2] |
| Dog fighting |  | Dogs fight other dogs | [3] |
| Venatio |  | Gladiators fought various animals, including dogs | [4] [5] |
| Hog-dog rodeo | Dogs chase and capture hogs | [6] |
| Sport | Image | Brief description | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheepdog trial |  | Dogs compete their herding management skills | [7] [8] |
| Treibball |  | Dogs drive large balls into goals | [9] |
| Sport | Image | Brief description | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heelwork to music |  | Dogs and humans perform trained routines to music | [10] |
| Musical canine freestyle |  | Dogs and humans perform freestyle dance to music | [11] |
| Obedience trial |  | Dogs execute predefined tasks | [12] |
| Rally obedience |  | Dogs execute tasks without commands from judges and while receiving encouragement | [13] |
| Schutzhund |  | Dogs compete in tracking, obedience, and protection skills | [14] |
| Sport | Image | Brief description | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bikejoring |  | Dogs pull humans on bicycles | [15] |
| Canicross |  | Cross-country running with dogs attached to a human | [16] |
| Carting |  | Dogs pull items or people in a cart | [17] |
| Dog scootering |  | Dogs pull humans on unmotorized scooters | [18] |
| Mushing |  | Dogs pull a sled, usually through snow | [19] |
| Skijoring |  | Dogs pull humans on skis | [20] |
| Weight pulling |  | Dogs pull heavy objects or weights | [21] |
| Sport | Image | Brief description | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dachshund racing |  | Dachshund dogs race | [22] |
| Greyhound racing |  | Greyhound dogs race | [23] |
| Shepherd's Shemozzle | Humans race through an obstacle course alongside dogs | [24] [25] | |
| Sled dog racing |  | Dogs race while pulling a sled | [26] |
| Terrier racing |  | Terrier dogs race | [27] [28] |
| Sport | Image | Brief description | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beagling |  | Scent hounds such as beagles track and hunt rabbits or hares by scent | [29] |
| Coon hunting |  | Dogs track and hunt raccoons | [30] |
| Coursing |  | Sighthounds hunt prey by sight and speed | [31] [32] |
| Drag hunting |  | Humans on horseback follow a scent using dogs | [33] |
| Earthdog trial |  | Short-legged dogs navigate tunnels while hunting a rat or mouse | [34] |
| Field trial |  | Dogs compete in field hunting events | [35] |
| Fox hunting |  | Dogs track and hunt foxes by scent | [36] [37] |
| Hare coursing |  | Dogs hunt rabbits or hares by sight | [32] |
| Hound trailing |  | Hounds race along a scent trail | [38] |
| Hunting the clean boot | Hounds track a natural human scent | [39] | |
| Lure coursing |  | Dogs chase a mechanically-operated lure | [40] |
| Nosework |  | Dogs search for target odors while ignoring distractions | [41] |
| Tracking trial |  | Dogs track a target by scent | [42] |
| Trail hunting |  | A pack of hounds tracks an artificially-laid trail of animal urine | [43] |
| Sport | Image | Brief description | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dock jumping |  | Dogs compete to jump furthest into water | [44] |
| Dog surfing |  | Dogs surf, either with or without human partners | [45] [46] |
| Sport | Image | Brief description | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agility |  | Dogs are guided through an obstacle course to compete for speed and accuracy | [47] |
| Dog show |  | Purebred dogs are judged for conformity to breed standards | [48] |
| Dog skateboarding |  | Dogs ride skateboards | [49] |
| Disc dog |  | Dogs compete to catch frisbees | [50] |
| Flyball |  | Teams of dogs race over hurdles to retrieve a ball | [51] |
| Junior showmanship |  | Young humans exhibit their dog handling skills | [52] |
| Puppy Bowl |  | Puppies play with toys in a miniature American football stadium | [53] |
| Types | |
|---|---|
| Breeds | |
| Roles | |
| Behavior | |
| Human–dog interaction | |
| Health | |
| Training | |
| Related | |
