When I made arrangements to bring Chief home, I will never forget what my now husband said to me. “If you’re going to get the dog, you know you have to do the things.”. The “things” he was referring to were dog sports. I had never been involved in dog sports before Chief came into my life, and I was determined to do so with my new little heeler. Chief came home and as you all know, we did the things.
It started with disc. I had four month old Chief out on the field at disc league. He was so young and clumsy, but he loved to play rollers. He didn’t know how to retrieve them yet, so that became a challenge for us. A few months later, he was fetching frisbees like a natural.
Next, we got involved in agility. Chief was great at the drills and enjoyed playing with me, but didn’t seem to be loving the game. We had a lot of frustrating moments- he would run off after other dogs or to visit the instructor during group class, he would avoid obstacles to stay close to me, and he even did a swan dive off of the A-Frame. We reluctantly walked away from agility after a few months, which was hard for me as this was the sport I intended for us to do.
Next came dock diving. If you read my post “Our Rocky Road to Dock Diving Success”, you already know the back story on this sport. Chief was scared to swim at first, although he was a great swimmer. Then he was scared to jump off the dock, although he was diving like a pro off of the pool ramp. Soon enough he was diving full speed ahead and gaining distance every week. He was always the calmest dog in line at competitions, patiently waiting for his turn. Until he wasn’t. Suddenly standing in line was a major challenge for us as Chief screamed at any person and dog that dared to walk within feet of us when he was near the pool. Over time, we have learned to manage this behavior so he can safely continue to participate in this sport.
Nosework has proven to be a wonderful environment for us. The National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW) is extremely invested in creating a safe and welcoming environment for all types of dogs and handlers. In our class, we follow “crate and rotate” so each dog can enjoy their searches without worrying about the presence of other dogs. Chief has excelled in the early foundations of this sport and is able to participate fully unencumbered by his big emotions. We plan to continue this sport and hopefully trial in the near future. For what it is worth I recommend nose work to anyone looking to do more with their dog. It is easy to get involved in, mentally challenging, and so rewarding to watch your dog happily work through searches!
Throughout all of these experiences, I have referred to Chief as my “sport dog”. I think this title has a different meaning to every dog and handler team. To me, it started out by meaning that this is my dog dedicated to competing in sports and getting me involved in the dog sport world. As you know, I place high value on relationship building with my dogs as this is the foundation of obedience and successful training. Through this process, my sport dog surpassed this title and became something so much more significant to my life.
Chief is my best friend. Not a day goes by that I am not thankful for the opportunities he has given me and the companionship he provides me. Today I can say with honesty that I do not care if he competes in a dog sport ever again, as long as he is happy and healthy. If he someday decides that dock diving isn’t for him, we will no longer compete. This summer I found that I enjoyed our private dock rental practices so much more than competing. Him and I could both be ourselves and play the game together without expectations or results on my mind. This dog has added so much value to my life, and I hope to provide him with a life he loves to wake up to every single day.
We are starting a new dog sport this week, and I am extremely excited about our future in it. I will share more as we go, but for now know that this sport is full of components of training that Chief is passionate about. My sport dog is my best friend, and I will always put that title at the forefront of our relationship. If you see us doing dog sports, know we are there because he loves it and I know our participation is fulfilling for him. Never do something solely because you think it is what is expected of you. Find what you (and your dog) love and give it your all.
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