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] |
The EnglishGreyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Since the rise in large-scale adoption of retired racing Greyhounds, the breed has seen a resurgence in popularity as a family pet.
The Ibizan Hound is a lean, agile dog of the hound family. There are two hair types of the breed: smooth and wire. The more commonly seen type is the smooth. Some consider there to be a third type, long, but the longhair is most likely a variation of the wire.
The Siberian Husky is a medium-sized working sled dog breed. The breed belongs to the Spitz genetic family. It is recognizable by its thickly furred double coat, erect triangular ears, and distinctive markings, and is smaller than the similar-looking Alaskan Malamute.
Sighthounds are a type of hound dog that hunts primarily by sight and speed, unlike scent hounds, which rely on scent and endurance.
The Sloughi, or Arabian Greyhound, is an ancient breed of domesticated dog, specifically a member of the sighthound family. It originates from North Africa and is found in Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Libya.
The Whippet is a British breed of medium-sized dog of the sighthound type, related to the larger Greyhound and the smaller Italian Greyhound. Aside from size differences, the Whippet closely resembles these two breeds and is sometimes referred to as the "miniature Greyhound" or, colloquially, as "the poor man's racehorse." The breed is commonly kept as a companion dog, for competitive showing, and for amateur racing. Additionally, Whippets participate in various dog sports, including lure coursing, agility, and flyball. Known for its remarkable speed, the Whippet holds the title for the fastest running speed within its weight and size range, and is believed to have the fastest idle-to-running acceleration of any dog.
Greyhound racing is an organized, competitive sport in which greyhounds are raced around a track. There are two forms of greyhound racing, track racing and coursing; the latter is now banned in most countries. Track racing uses an artificial lure that travels ahead of the greyhounds on a rail until the greyhounds cross the finish line. As with horse racing, greyhound races often allow the public to bet on the outcome.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, an annual event which predates the official forming of the AKC, the National Dog Show and the AKC National Championship. The AKC is a non-member partner with the Fédération Cynologique Internationale. The AKC recognizes 200 dog breeds, as of 2022.
A coonhound, colloquially a coon dog, is a type of scenthound, a member of the hound group. They are an American type of hunting dog developed for the hunting of raccoons and also for feral pigs, bobcats, cougars, and bears. There are six distinct breeds of coonhound.
Lure coursing is a sport for dogs that involves chasing a mechanically operated lure. Competition is typically limited to dogs of purebred sighthound breeds. The AKC has a pass/fail trial for all breeds called the Coursing Ability Test (CAT) and a timed 100 yard dash called Fast CAT where the dog's speed is converted to points.
A dog show is an animal show, an event where dogs are exhibited. A conformation show, also referred to as a breed show, is a kind of dog show in which a judge, familiar with a specific dog breed, evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs conform to the established breed type for their breed, as described in a breed's individual breed standard.
A working dog is a dog used to perform practical tasks, as opposed to pet or companion dogs.
Toy dog traditionally refers to a very small dog or a grouping of small and very small breeds of dog. A toy dog may be of any of various dog types. Types of dogs referred to as toy dogs may include spaniels, pinschers and terriers that have been bred down in size. Not all toy dogs are lap dogs.
The United Kennel Club (UKC) is a kennel club founded in 1898 in the United States. In contrast with the American Kennel Club, which is non-profit and which only clubs can join, the United Kennel Club is a profit-making corporation, open to individuals.
A lurcher is a crossbred dog resulting from mating a greyhound or other sighthound with a dog of another type such as a herding dog or a terrier. The lurcher is not a "breed," but is a generic descriptor of a group of varying dogs. It was for hundreds of years strongly associated with poaching; in modern times, it is kept as a hunting dog or companion dog.
Hare coursing is the pursuit of hares with greyhounds and other sighthounds, which chase the hare by sight, not by scent.
The Treeing Walker Coonhound is a breed of hound descended from the English and American Foxhounds. The breed originated in the United States when a stolen dog known as "Tennessee Lead" was crossed into the Walker Hound in the 19th century. The Treeing Walker Coonhound was recognized officially as a breed by the United Kennel Club in 1945 and by the American Kennel Club in 2012.
The Silken Windhound is an American breed of sighthound. Like most sighthounds, Silkens are noted coursers.
Championships are awarded to dogs who have passed through a process of selection at dog shows. Traditionally, a championship was received at a conformation show, but championships are now offered for dogs who have attained a high degree of perfection in other dog sports as well.
The American English Coonhound, also referred to as the English Coonhound or the Redtick Coonhound, is a breed of coonhound that originated in and is typically bred in the Southern United States. It is descended from hunting hounds, especially foxhounds, brought to America by settlers during the 17th and 18th centuries. The breed's first recognition came from the United Kennel Club in 1905 as the English Fox and Coonhound. Further recognition has been granted in recent years by the American Kennel Club, first in the Foundation Stock Service and in 2011 as a fully recognized member of the hound group.
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