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koalathebearThere are a lot of people out there who say that you can't have a working dog in a suburban home. Those people would be wrong. There are certainly some working dogs that are unsuitable for a suburban home - but this is not the case for all dogs. It's just not the case that if you plonk the dog on a property that he or she will be happy.
Working dogs need physical exercise, they need intellectual stimulation and they need sufficient human time. We have three Kelpies in a medium sized backyard and they are happy, well-adjusted and not destructive at all. Well Dodge is a bit destructive, but he's special :)
The most important things are:
1. They need to be taught to chillax
2. They need some physical exercise
3. They need LOTS of intellectual stimulation even if it's just training over dinner or something more formal like dog sports.
For the more active humans out there, below the cut is an introduction to some dog sports which can be very satisfying for both human and dog.
The following sports will be available from most if not all of the various dog clubs in Canberra. To compete formally, you need to become a member of Dogs ACT and it is an easy process.
Endurance Test
Not for couch potatoes like Dan and I.
More information here. The rules are here and here's some information about preparing your dog for an endurance test.
Agility
This one's my favourite.
What is agility? Details of agility training at the Belconnen Dog Obedience Club are here.
Check out this video of the awesome Zico the Kelpie from the UK
2012 Crufts Agility Large Dog Finals:
And this is how agility is for those of us who are less able (like me :)
Teddy the Poodle is hilarious
Also check out the Purina 60 Weave Pole Challenge which is pretty amazing
It's a sport which is good for both dog and human - both do a lot of running around the course and it takes a lot of training and coordination. It's also extremely enriching for the dog. Upside is that it's an individual sport - just you and your dog. Down-side is that it's pretty equipment intensive so it's best to be a member of a dog club that does it.
Here are some photos of two of our dogs (Elbie and Hoover) participating in an agility demonstration.
Dogs staring wistfully at the field :)
Flyball
This is great if your dog is competitive and ball crazy. Read more here. Details about flyball at the Belconnen Dog Obedience Club are here.
Check out these amazing dogs in action
Flyball - Team Quarter Finals - Day 1 - Crufts 2012
For me, it's not so fun because the dog does all the hard work and it's also a team sport so you have commitments to other team members. I also worry about injuries. It is great if you don't want to do all the running around though :)
RSPCA Million Paws Walk
This is an annual event. Read more here.
You can get a group of friends together to form a fund-raising team with your dogs and walk/run the course. It can be as fast or as leisurely as you like.
You can also do obedience with your dog. Read here for details of the Belconnen Dog Obedience Club.
Canine Freestyle/Doggy Dancing
Carolyn Scott and Rookie
These canine freestyle performances are amazing
Tricks and Training at home
Dan and I learned a lot of the stuff we've taught our dogs from youtube :) My two favourite channels which I think are the most useful are:
Dog Training Explained
Kikopup
This sort of training is the most effortless - doesn't need much time at all in the day. You can train over dinner - make the dog work for every piece of kibble. You can train when on walks or if the dog is ball mad.
Working dogs need physical exercise, they need intellectual stimulation and they need sufficient human time. We have three Kelpies in a medium sized backyard and they are happy, well-adjusted and not destructive at all. Well Dodge is a bit destructive, but he's special :)
The most important things are:
1. They need to be taught to chillax
2. They need some physical exercise
3. They need LOTS of intellectual stimulation even if it's just training over dinner or something more formal like dog sports.
For the more active humans out there, below the cut is an introduction to some dog sports which can be very satisfying for both human and dog.
The following sports will be available from most if not all of the various dog clubs in Canberra. To compete formally, you need to become a member of Dogs ACT and it is an easy process.
Endurance Test
Not for couch potatoes like Dan and I.
An Endurance Test (ET) is an official Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC) event which earns your dog the initials ET after its name on completion.
The test is run over a distance of 20 km and handlers can either jog with their dog or ride a pushbike with the dog running beside them. Most handlers choose to run their dog beside a pushbike! The test is run in 3 stages with vet checks before starting, at each of the two rest breaks and at the finish. The test is run at an average speed of 10 kph with the dogs running in single file on the handler’s left side.
Tests are usually only held in winter and are run early in the morning to avoid the risk of heat stress to the dogs.
More information here. The rules are here and here's some information about preparing your dog for an endurance test.
Agility
This one's my favourite.
What is agility? Details of agility training at the Belconnen Dog Obedience Club are here.
Check out this video of the awesome Zico the Kelpie from the UK
2012 Crufts Agility Large Dog Finals:
And this is how agility is for those of us who are less able (like me :)
Teddy the Poodle is hilarious
Also check out the Purina 60 Weave Pole Challenge which is pretty amazing
It's a sport which is good for both dog and human - both do a lot of running around the course and it takes a lot of training and coordination. It's also extremely enriching for the dog. Upside is that it's an individual sport - just you and your dog. Down-side is that it's pretty equipment intensive so it's best to be a member of a dog club that does it.
Here are some photos of two of our dogs (Elbie and Hoover) participating in an agility demonstration.
Dogs staring wistfully at the field :)
Flyball
This is great if your dog is competitive and ball crazy. Read more here. Details about flyball at the Belconnen Dog Obedience Club are here.
Check out these amazing dogs in action
Flyball - Team Quarter Finals - Day 1 - Crufts 2012
For me, it's not so fun because the dog does all the hard work and it's also a team sport so you have commitments to other team members. I also worry about injuries. It is great if you don't want to do all the running around though :)
RSPCA Million Paws Walk
This is an annual event. Read more here.
You can get a group of friends together to form a fund-raising team with your dogs and walk/run the course. It can be as fast or as leisurely as you like.
You can also do obedience with your dog. Read here for details of the Belconnen Dog Obedience Club.
Canine Freestyle/Doggy Dancing
Carolyn Scott and Rookie
These canine freestyle performances are amazing
Tricks and Training at home
Dan and I learned a lot of the stuff we've taught our dogs from youtube :) My two favourite channels which I think are the most useful are:
Dog Training Explained
Kikopup
This sort of training is the most effortless - doesn't need much time at all in the day. You can train over dinner - make the dog work for every piece of kibble. You can train when on walks or if the dog is ball mad.