Unleashing Fun with Your Dog

Exploring Sports, Activities, and Training for Your Goldendoodle

Goldendoodles are known for their friendly demeanor, intelligence, and boundless energy, making them perfect companions for a wide range of activities. While they make excellent family pets, they have limitless potential to be challenged with various sports, tricks, activities, and training classes.

Learning new games and training activities keeps your pup mentally and physically stimulated. Also, these activities can strengthen your bond with your dog and improve your relationship, so you both have fun! In this blog post, we'll explore a plethora of exciting options to help you and your Goldendoodle get the most out of your time together. I’ll tell you about some of my favorite activities I do with my dogs. Some you can do in your own backyard and some involve competing with your peers for colorful ribbons! So, let's dive in and discover the myriad of ways you can do more with your Goldendoodle, ensuring a happy, healthy, and well-rounded pup!

Sports, Activities, and Training Options

Training Classes (in person)

Obedience classes offered by local in-person training companies are an excellent way to ensure your dog becomes a well-mannered and obedient companion. These classes typically cover essential commands such as sit, stay, come, and heel, while also addressing common behavioral issues like jumping, barking, and leash pulling.

Starting with basic puppy classes when you first bring your puppy home is one of the best initial steps you can take for your dog. I recommend beginning these classes when your puppy is anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks old to learn basic obedience in a group setting. The best part? Socialization with the other puppies! It's delightful to see puppies play and learn critical body language and communication skills from one another.

Once your puppy has accomplished these courses, they can move on and up being challenged with intermediate skills and tricks. Be sure to find a professional trainer that uses positive reinforcement techniques to make learning enjoyable for your Goldendoodle.  The structured environment of these classes provides opportunities for socialization, helping your Goldendoodle develop good manners in a variety of settings. By enrolling in obedience classes, you are setting the foundation for a lifetime of good behavior and mutual respect between you and your beloved furry friend.

Here is a list and brief description of some common classes you may find as a trainer near you:

• Basic, intermediate, and Advanced Obedience Classes: Obedience classes are typically structured into three progressive levels: basic, intermediate, and advanced. Basic obedience classes lay the foundation for good behavior by teaching essential commands and addressing common issues like jumping and leash pulling. Once these basics are mastered, intermediate classes build on this foundation by introducing more complex commands and refining the dog's response in varied and distracting environments. Advanced obedience classes take training to the next level, focusing on precision and reliability.

• Agility Training: Although primarily a sport, agility training also enhances obedience as dogs learn to follow commands quickly and accurately while navigating obstacle courses. This type of training is excellent for high-energy dogs and those that enjoy physical challenges.
  

• Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Training: The CGC program is designed to reward dogs that have good manners at home and in the community. Classes prepare dogs to pass the CGC test, which includes demonstrating obedience and good behavior in various situations.

• Therapy Dog Training: These classes prepare dogs to become therapy animals, focusing on obedience, socialization, and the ability to remain calm and well-behaved in various environments, including hospitals, schools, and nursing homes. This type of training should not be confused with service dog work.

Barn Hunt (in person)

This is my favorite activity to do with Halli, and I'm already getting Beck into training! Halli is competing in the Master level. She flew through Novice, Intermediate, and Senior levels with very few mistakes. Barn Hunt is an exciting dog sport that taps into a dog's natural hunting instincts, offering a fun and mentally stimulating activity for both dogs and their owners. In Barn Hunt, dogs navigate a course made of straw bales, searching for hidden tubes that contain live but safely enclosed rats. The objective is for the dog to locate the rats within a set time limit, with different levels of difficulty based on the dog's experience and skill. This sport engages the dog's sense of smell and problem-solving abilities. Barn Hunt fosters confidence and enhances the bond between dog and handler as they work together to complete the course. It relies on your dog's nose and the handler's ability to read their dog's cues.

This sport is suitable for dogs of all breeds and sizes, and has no limitations on whether a dog is desexed or intact, which is a limiting factor for mixed breed dogs competing in AKC sport activities. The controlled and humane environment ensures the safety of the rats, making it a responsible and rewarding activity for all participants. More information can be found at the Barn Hunt Association website. Dog registration is $32. Use the Events Calendar to find a Barn Hunt competition near you. The premium, or flyer, for each event will list the kennel club that is organizing the event. Each run can cost between $25-35. If you're looking for someone to assist you in training, the club may offer some resources. Otherwise, you'll have to search the internet to finder trainers in your area.

Do More With Your Dog! (at home)

"Do More With Your Dog!" is a website and training organization dedicated to enhancing the bond between dogs and their owners through teaching your dog tricks at incremental levels. The program aims to promote positive reinforcement training methods and provide dog owners with the knowledge and resources needed to build a strong, happy, and healthy relationship with their canine companions.

How it Works: Owners can review the 'Tricktionary' for a list of potential commands you can teach your dog. Tutorial videos are available to help you work with your dog. Once your dog has mastered the tricks, record a video of your dog performing them, and submit it online. There's a $25.00 fee for each title submission. Your dog can get a ribbon and a certification of completion!

Fenzi Dog Sports Academy (at home)

Fenzi Dog Sports Academy (FDSA) is an online platform that provides a wide range of dog training courses and resources aimed at promoting positive reinforcement and effective training techniques for various dog sports and activities. Founded by Denise Fenzi, a highly respected dog trainer and competitor, FDSA offers a comprehensive curriculum that caters to both amateur dog owners and professional trainers--and it's all online!

FDSA offers a variety of online courses, webinars, and workshops. These courses and workshops cover a diverse array of topics including obedience, agility, nose work, and rally. FDSA also provides classes on specialized topics such as behavior modification, trick training, canine fitness, and relationship building between dog and handler.

The academy boasts a roster of highly experienced and accomplished instructors who are experts in their respective fields. They offer personalized feedback and support to help students achieve their training goals.

The courses are structured to accommodate different learning styles and schedules. Students can choose from self-study, bronze (auditing), silver (limited interaction), and gold (full interaction with the instructor) levels, allowing for varying degrees of instructor feedback and involvement. Each level has a different cost associated with them, with an increasing price for gold level students. If you are looking to participate but just don't have the funds, scholarships are available!

TEAM Titles

In addition to offering a series of educational classes and workshops, FDSA offers several titles which can be achieved through video submission. The titles are designed to create a strong foundation for a variety of dog sports and life skills! The exercises encourage excellence in training — requiring precision at the early levels and then behavior chains, proofing, and advanced skills as the team progresses. Titles are available in Obedience, Cooperative Care, Nose Work, and Rally.

United Kennel Club Titles (in person)

The United Kennel Club (UKC) is a prominent and comprehensive dog registry and governing body dedicated to the promotion of purebred dogs and dog sports in the United States and internationally. Founded in 1898, the UKC is recognized for its emphasis on the total dog, advocating for dogs that excel both in the show ring and in various performance events.

Though the UKC mainly serves to promote purebred dog breeding, they offer a wide range of opportunities for mixed bred dog owners and their pets, promoting a variety of canine activities and events that cater to different interests. Also, they do not require that mixed breed dogs are fixed to participate in these sports. UKC events may be a little more difficult to find in your area as it is not as prominent as the American Kennel Club.

Here are some of the key opportunities available through the UKC:

• Agility Trials: Dogs navigate obstacle courses, demonstrating speed, accuracy, and teamwork with their handlers.
  

• Obedience Trials: Dogs are tested on their ability to follow commands and perform tasks with precision and discipline.
  

• Rally Obedience: A variation of traditional obedience, combining elements of agility with obedience commands in a fun, interactive course.
  

• Nosework: Dogs utilize their keen sense of smell to locate specific scents in various environments, promoting natural hunting instincts.

• Hunting and Field Trials: For hunting breeds, UKC offers hunting tests and field trials where dogs can showcase their natural hunting abilities, retrieve skills, and working instincts in simulated hunting scenarios.

• Lure Coursing: This sport is designed for sighthounds, where dogs chase a mechanically operated lure around a predetermined course, highlighting their speed and agility.

• Dock Jumping: Also known as dock diving, this event measures how far and how high dogs can jump off a dock into a body of water, providing an exciting and energetic competition.

• Weight Pulling: In this sport, dogs demonstrate their strength by pulling a weighted cart a certain distance. It's a test of strength, training, and endurance.
  

American Kennel Club Titles (in person)

The American Kennel Club (AKC) is one of the most well-known and respected dog registries in the United States, dedicated to the promotion of purebred dogs and responsible dog ownership. Founded in 1884, the AKC plays a crucial role in setting breed standards, organizing dog shows and events, and providing resources and education for dog owners and breeders.

As such, they are less friendly and accommodating to those who own mixed breed dogs by requiring that owners desex or fix their dogs prior to participating in most activities. The only exception to this rule is AKC STAR Puppy and Canine Good Citizen which do not require puppies to be fixed prior to participation. This is incredibly frustrating considering their sporting events are so widely available. Breeders of cross bred and mixed breed dogs who wish to title their dogs to demonstrate their dog's abilities are unable to do so with the AKC. In addition, owners who wish to keep their mixed bred dogs intact longer--as per some guidelines by researchers--are also unable to participate until they choose to fix their dogs. It is disappointing, to say the least.

Here is a list of AKC sports events with short descriptions:

• Agility: In this fast-paced sport, dogs navigate an obstacle course that includes jumps, tunnels, weave poles, and other equipment. Agility tests a dog's speed, accuracy, and teamwork with their handler.

• Obedience: Obedience trials evaluate a dog's ability to follow commands and perform tasks such as heeling, retrieving, and staying in place. These trials emphasize precision, control, and the bond between dog and handler.

• Rally: Rally obedience combines elements of traditional obedience and agility. Dogs and handlers navigate a course with stations that have specific obedience tasks to perform. It’s designed to be a fun and interactive experience.

• Tracking: This event tests a dog's ability to follow a scent trail left by a person. Tracking is a demonstration of a dog's natural hunting and scenting abilities, and it often involves navigating through various terrains.
  

• Lure Coursing: This sport is designed for sighthounds and involves chasing a mechanically operated lure that simulates the movement of prey. It highlights a dog’s speed, agility, and instinct to chase.

• Field Trials: Field trials are competitive events for hunting dogs that simulate real hunting scenarios. Dogs are judged on their ability to locate, flush, and retrieve game birds or other quarry.

• Hunt Tests: Similar to field trials, hunt tests evaluate a hunting dog's skills in a less competitive environment. Dogs must demonstrate their ability to find and retrieve game birds, showcasing their natural hunting abilities.

• Dock Diving: Also known as dock jumping, this sport measures a dog's ability to jump for distance or height off a dock into a body of water. It’s a fun and energetic competition that tests a dog’s athleticism.
  

• Flyball: Flyball is a relay race in which teams of dogs race against each other, jumping hurdles and triggering a spring-loaded box that releases a tennis ball, which they must catch and bring back to their handlers.

• Scent Work: This sport mimics professional detection dog tasks. Dogs are trained to find specific scents (such as essential oils) hidden in various environments and indicate their location to their handlers.

• Barn Hunt: Barn Hunt tests a dog’s ability to locate rats (safely enclosed in tubes) hidden in a maze of straw bales. It’s a great sport for dogs that love to use their noses and natural hunting instincts.

• Fast CAT (Coursing Ability Test): Fast CAT is a timed 100-yard dash where dogs chase a lure. It’s a fun, high-speed event that measures a dog’s speed and agility.

• Canine Good Citizen (CGC): While not a competitive sport, the CGC program tests dogs on basic obedience and manners. Dogs that pass the test earn a CGC certificate, demonstrating they are well-behaved members of the community.

• Freestyle: Canine freestyle is a choreographed performance combining obedience, tricks, and dance. Dogs and handlers perform routines set to music, showcasing creativity and the dog’s training.