I would love to train my dog in a sport, how do I know what sport would be best to train him in? Please help!!

Question

Some information on my lovely doggie...

breed-German shepherd/austrailian healer
age-3 years old
gender-male
fur type-short hair
tail lengs-stubb
other-When he was 1 he was hit by a car and had to have surgerie on his back leg. He has fully recovered now but for the most part, he still doesn't walk on that leg. He is able to run at a incredible 40mph though. I hope his leg won't effect his training...?

I really want to train him, but I don't know what sport he would do best in. Please tell me or let me know how I can find out.


Emily

Answer 1

That's awesome that you want to train in a sport. They're great fun. Since he's a mixed breed, he can't compete in AKC competitions, but there's still plenty for him to do.

Your dog can run well on three legs, but can he jump as well? This would make a big difference in deciding which sport to do.

I'd recommend you look into herding. I bet he'd do great and many dogs find great fulfillment in doing their "instinctual" work. Not much jumping involved.

Obedience is fun. Even if he were purebred, he'd be disqualified from AKC competitions because of a limp. I don't know about other places. There's also Rally, which is similar. There is jumping in advanced competitions.

Agility is also fun. There's a lot of jumping here. Great fun, active sport.

Frisbee is another great sport. Does your dog love toys and/or have a high prey drive? If so, he's probably an outstanding candidate for frisbee. Again, there's generally a lot of jumping.

Flyball is a team sport that involves some jumping (oftentimes low jumps). Your dog needs to love to run, be fast and have a high toy/prey drive.

Tracking is different kind of sport. Unlike the others, where the dog takes direction from you, you ultimately have to take direction from your dog.

Freestyle might appeal to you. It's basically fancy healwork to music, or dancing with dogs. I find it a little odd but some of the routines are really impressive and a lot can be learned from the training of these dogs.

Really, I think most people choose a sport based on what they find interesting and what their dog likes. Look at and watch dog sports and see what appeals to you. Then look at your dog. Does he love to run? Agility or flyball might be appropriate. Does he nip and try to round up people or animals? Herding might be a good choice. Does he LOVE his toys? Flyball or Frisbee may be a good choice (actually, agility and other sports often use toys as a reward, so many would fit here). Does he enjoy training and working with you? Obedience or rally (or many others) may be appropriate. Does he have a good nose and enjoy finding things (like if you hide his toy)? Tracking might be a good choice.

Good luck!

Answer 2

The best way to train a dog, is through his drives. What does he like to work for? Does he like to chase things, does he love his food etc.
If he is not using all for legs well, do what has already been advised, go to vet for a check up. If he is ok and only not using it out of habit (carrying it up after surgery) then you need to look into some rehab first. Any sport like agility, flyball, dockdiving etc he will need all four legs to be most effective for balance.
Have you looked into competitive obedience? Or rally? Not terribly fast and quite fun if trained right and with the right folks.
But others than physical ability the dog will give you the answer by what he loves to do. Jump, run, puzzle through stuff, work with his attention on you and of cousre what he will work for.

Answer 3

You might want to check with your vet about whether that leg injury is going to hinder his ability in running and jumping. If he doesn't use it much that might be a clue to something more serious. Tell the vet that you are planning to train him in agility; your vet will know how intensive the jump work is and advise you appropriately.

I'd also recommend herding or tracking.

The articles here may help you:

http://www.workingdogs.com/articles.htm - They have articles on all the various sports, a special section for German Shepherds and even a section on your dog's health if you want him to pick up sports.

Answer 4

If your dog can't use his left leg, please have him x-rayed to see if there is any further trauma you are unaware of. As he part GSD, he could have a higher predisposition towards hip dysplasia and other anatomical anomalies that are associated with car accidents.

If your dog has orthopedic problems, you are advised not to participate in any strenuous sport without proper conditioning, training, and supplementation (and a thorough physical exam done by your veterinarian). It can be done, but there are special precautions when participating in any sport with a physically-impaired dog.

Until you can pinpoint the exact reason why he cannot run on his leg, I would suggest low-impact sports like swimming and competitive obedience and rally-obedience.

Answer 5

Breeds like your love agility, they love to do jump work or fly ball since most are obsessed with the tennis ball. You could also do some real sheep herding, there are places that let you train to do that.

Answer 6

You might want to give agility a go. If he doesn't seem to be having fun with that try another one, eventually you'll find one you can both enjoy. I'd never force my dog (other than obedience) to do something they didn't enjoy doing.

Answer 7

dog agility would seem great, or Frisbee... but it also depends on what your dog likes and is good at.. there is also fly ball and other great sports. but you should also check with the availability of the sports in your area. good luck!

Answer 8

Well how about discus? Your dogs speed will help him, and you say he runs fine? A GSD mix is excellent at this sort of thing...
Hope this helps...!!!

Answer 9

There are so many. Start at this site.