There’s no end to the number of activities out there for your pet
Last month Hilary Swank was on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, talking about her latest movie. Ellen, knowing full well that Hilary is an animal lover with a menagerie of pets at home, presented her with a gift for her fighting fish: a fish agility set.
Now, my first thought was, what a great idea! Here this sad, lonely fish sits in a tank all day, hoping to have something to do or something interesting to look at. Finally, an activity! The fish footage on Ellen was priceless: A cute little fish — goldfish, I think — swam over hurdles, went through hoops, and even navigated through weave polls. Of course, it was all a put-on.
But as doctored as the footage may have been, why not have an agility course for fish, or any other activity for that matter?
Boredom, lack of physical activity and, especially lack of mental stimulus are the causes of most of the problems we see with our pets. So it’s always important to seek out new adventures for our furry (or scaly) friends, to give them a more interesting life.
For those who haven’t gotten the memo, doggy dock diving has hit South Florida. The “doggy beach” where the fun happens is located in Hollywood, on Ravenswood, just west of I-95. The facility has a big manmade lake in which dogs can swim — and a dock that dogs are allowed to dive off! If you haven’t seen dock diving for dogs, it’s quite exciting. Jumps are measured in distance or height, usually with an emphasis on distance. Generally it is for toy-driven dogs that like the water.
Many owners start teaching their dogs to jump by tossing a toy into the water for the dog to go after. Small tosses lead to bigger tosses, and the dogs are enthusiastically encouraged to jump. The dock dive and water dog park is currently open Saturdays and Wednesdays from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm “Performance Pups,” a South Florida group dedicated to bringing you more activities for your dog is at the helm of this wonderful enterprise (www.p-pups.com).
Can your dog catch a Frisbee? “Disc dogging” is another fun activity that has gained tremendous popularity. There are even national and international competitions where the best of the best compete. “Freestyle” is where you develop a choreographed routine of disc catches, tricks, and fancy dance moves all set to music.
The distance competition, on the other hand, is just that: You need to throw the Frisbee a certain distance, and your dog must catch it and bring it back to you as many times as possible in the allotted amount of time.
For this, owners must acquire a skill as well — that of learning to throw the disc properly so your dog can catch it. Competitions and clinics are held several times a year and, as luck (and our weather) would have it, some of the best competing “disc doggers” reside in South Florida. Check it out when you can, or just take the leap and get your dog involved.
Perhaps your dog isn’t a jock, but very friendly, well behaved, and brings smiles to all he meets? Being a therapy dog may be his calling. Therapy dogs come in all shapes and sizes, but some of the best are with the Canine Assisted Therapy Program, or “CAT” for short.
With CAT, dogs must pass the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test before moving on to more advanced training and testing specifically for therapy dogs. Dogs are evaluated for their strengths and special areas where they might excel. For example, some dogs do better with children, while others might work better with the elderly.
There are tests to see how well the dogs listen to their owner, and how they handle wheelchairs, people with disabilities, and anything else that may come into play. “Team building” with your dog is emphasized, which is at the forefront of all training, obedience and sports included. To find out more about Canine Assisted Therapy or get on their mailing list, contact them at www.cat-dogs.com.
They may not learn to rub two sticks together to make a fire, but believe it or not, there are “Dog Scout” troops across the country, including in Florida. Dog Scouts can earn badges just like Boy or Girl Scouts can. Scout owners must agree to adhere to rules of conduct, such as always setting a good example (picking up poop, following leash laws) and being kind to dogs and other dog owners in public.
They even have drill teams where dogs perform obedience behaviors in tandem. The best place for more information on Dog Scouts of America is the parent website, www.dogscouts.org.
Agility competitions are probably the fastest-growing and most addicting animal sport in the country. An agility field is set up with different obstacles in a different order every time. The dog handler is allowed to walk the course beforehand and strategize on the best and fastest way to lure the dog through, as speed and accuracy are judged.
All of this takes time to learn and much practice for the dog and handler to feel comfortable and confident enough to take on the various obstacles, such as jumping through hoops, running through chutes, and walking over dog walks.
But agility is not just for dogs. Cats enjoy it, too, and are usually lured by a shiny toy the owner shakes over the obstacles. I have also seen pet pigs tackle agility courses, and I am sure other pet versions are not far behind.
Whatever your pet’s strengths or weaknesses, there is an activity out there for you and your furry friend that will strengthen the relationship between you and provide lots of fun in the process.
Lisa Hartman is a dog-friendly trainer, behavior specialist, and author of Dial a Dynamite Dog. You can reach her at
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, or visit www.pawsitivelypetsonline.com.
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