Finding Your Dog's Passion

Exploring Dog Sports and Activities That Strengthen Your Relationship

Finding Your Dog’s Passion

When most people think about dog training, they think about obedience. Sit. Stay. Come. Walking nicely on a leash. These skills are important because they help our dogs understand how to live successfully in our world.

But I believe training can become so much more than teaching commands.

Over the years, I have worked with many dogs of different breeds, personalities, energy levels, and abilities. One thing I have learned is that every dog has something inside of them that makes them come alive. For one dog, it may be using their nose. Another may love retrieving. Some dogs want to run, jump, chase, herd, swim, or solve problems. Others simply enjoy learning something new alongside their owner.

Sometimes we spend so much time trying to stop behaviors we don’t like that we forget to ask an important question:

What does my dog actually enjoy doing?

As I’ve discussed throughout these blogs, genetics matter. Exercise matters. Mental stimulation matters. Communication matters. But I also believe purpose matters.

Finding an activity that gives your dog an appropriate outlet for their natural abilities can improve confidence, provide physical and mental exercise, strengthen communication, and deepen the relationship between both ends of the leash.

And here’s the good news: You don’t have to become a serious competitor to enjoy dog sports.

Maybe you want to earn titles and compete at the highest level. Maybe you want to take a scent work class once a week. Maybe you just want to give your dog something fun and meaningful to do.

All of those are worthwhile.

The goal of this chapter isn’t to convince you to compete. It’s to encourage you to discover what your dog loves doing—and then find a way to experience some of that joy together.

Every Dog Needs a Job

When I tell people that every dog needs a job, they sometimes assume I am talking about working dogs such as German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, Border Collies, or Labrador Retrievers. But when I say a dog needs a job, I simply mean that dogs need something meaningful to do.

Your dog’s job doesn’t have to be herding sheep, finding drugs, protecting property, or retrieving ducks. Their job might be searching the backyard for a hidden scent, retrieving a ball, hiking with you, learning tricks, swimming, or participating in a dog sport.

Throughout my blogs, I have talked about the importance of exercise, structure, rules, boundaries, communication, exposure, and training. Giving your dog purposeful activities brings many of those things together. Physical exercise tires the body, but mental exercise challenges the brain. I believe our dogs need both.

A bored dog will often find something to do, and unfortunately, we may not like the activity they choose. Digging, chewing, barking, chasing, pacing, and getting into things can sometimes be a dog’s attempt to fulfill a need that we haven’t provided an appropriate outlet for.

Instead of constantly telling the dog what not to do, sometimes we need to give them something productive that they can do.

A dog with purpose is often a more fulfilled dog.

Genetics Matter—Find Out What Your Dog Was Born to Do

What was your dog born to do?

One of the things I frequently remind my clients is that we cannot separate our dogs from their genetics. We can shape behavior through training, but we cannot pretend hundreds of years of selective breeding don’t exist.

If you own a retriever, don’t be surprised when they constantly want something in their mouth. If you own a herding breed, movement may trigger their desire to chase and control. Terriers were bred to pursue animals above and below ground. Hounds were developed to use their noses. Working breeds were developed to perform demanding jobs alongside people.

Sometimes the very behavior that frustrates an owner is connected to something the dog was genetically designed to do.

Instead of always trying to eliminate those instincts, I prefer to ask:

How can I give this dog an appropriate way to use them?

This is where dog sports can become extremely valuable. A terrier that wants to hunt may love Barn Hunt. A retriever may enjoy dock diving or retrieving games. A dog that seems to have its nose permanently attached to the ground might thrive in scent work or tracking. An athletic dog may love agility or disc work.

This does not mean your dog’s breed determines the only activities they can enjoy. Dogs are individuals. I’ve seen dogs become passionate about activities that wouldn’t necessarily be the first thing you would associate with their breed.

The breed gives us clues. The individual dog gives us the answer.

Watch your dog. What naturally excites them? What do they repeatedly choose to do? Where do you see confidence, enthusiasm, and focus?

Your dog may already be telling you what their passion is.

I also need to say this: Please, please do your research before acquiring your dog.

If you cannot meet the genetic and lifestyle needs of the dog you are considering bringing into your home, find another option. There are so many wonderful breeds and individual dogs available. Finding one that fits your lifestyle can prevent frustration for both ends of the leash.

Exploring the World of Dog Sports

When many people hear the words dog sports, they picture highly trained dogs competing for ribbons and championships. That is certainly part of the dog-sport world, but it is only a small part of what is available.

There are activities for almost every type of dog.

Scent Work – allows dogs to use perhaps their greatest natural ability—their nose—to search for and locate specific odors. This is an activity that can build confidence, improve focus, and provide tremendous mental stimulation.

Barn Hunt – gives dogs an opportunity to search for safely enclosed rats while navigating tunnels and bales of straw. It provides an appropriate outlet for hunting, scenting, and problem-solving instincts.

Agility – challenges dogs both physically and mentally as they navigate jumps, tunnels, weave poles, and other obstacles while responding to direction from their handler. It requires communication and teamwork between both ends of the leash.

Rally and Competition Obedience – challenge communication, precision, focus, and teamwork between dog and handler. Rally has the team navigate a course of obedience exercises, while competition obedience generally places greater emphasis on precision and specific exercises.

Dock Diving – is a sport where dogs run from a dock and jump into a pool or body of water, usually competing for distance or height. It can be a great outlet for dogs that love water, retrieving, running, and jumping.

Disc Sports – involve dogs catching flying discs while working with their handlers. Depending on the event, teams may compete in distance, accuracy, or freestyle routines.

Flyball – is a fast-paced relay sport in which teams of dogs race over hurdles, trigger a box that releases a ball, retrieve it, and race back to their handlers. It combines speed, retrieving, athleticism, and teamwork.

Tracking – allows a dog to follow a scent trail over distance. Unlike scent work, where the dog searches an area for a specific odor, tracking generally asks the dog to follow a trail left by a person. It is a wonderful opportunity to let the dog’s nose lead the way.

Canine Freestyle – is a judged sport in which the handler and dog perform a choreographed routine set to music. It can include obedience movements, tricks, spins, weaving, and other creative behaviors. Think of it as dancing with your dog.

Herding – gives dogs with natural herding instincts an appropriate opportunity to control and move livestock under the direction of a handler. Watching a well-trained herding dog work can give you an incredible appreciation for what generations of selective breeding have created.

Therapy Work – is not really a competitive sport, but I think it belongs in this conversation because it gives the right dog a meaningful job. Therapy dogs and their handlers may visit hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and other settings where their calm presence and interaction can provide comfort to people.

Search and Rescue – takes scent work to an entirely different level. Properly trained dogs may help locate missing people in wilderness areas, disaster environments, or other situations. This requires extensive training and commitment from both dog and handler, but it demonstrates just how powerful a dog’s natural abilities can become when properly developed.

French Ring – is a demanding working-dog sport that combines obedience, jumping exercises, and protection work. It requires a dog with strong nerves, athletic ability, control, and a very committed handler.

Schutzhund/IGP – is a working-dog sport built around three phases: tracking, obedience, and protection. It tests the dog’s working ability, control, temperament, endurance, and relationship with the handler. This is a sport I know personally, and I’ll share more about my experience shortly.

Mondioring – is another advanced working-dog sport combining obedience, jumps, and protection exercises. One thing that makes Mondioring especially challenging is the variety of distractions and scenarios that may be incorporated into the competition.

You don’t need to become an expert in all of these.

Explore. Watch. Ask questions. Try something.

You may discover an ability in your dog that you never knew existed.

You Don’t Have to Compete

I think the word competition sometimes scares people away from dog sports.

It shouldn’t.

You don’t have to win a ribbon. You don’t have to earn a title. You don’t even have to enter a competition.

An alternative to competing is simply taking classes in a sport or attending seminars where you can gain knowledge and learn new skills with your dog.

I offer classes in scent work and Barn Hunt where students can learn and participate in these sports without ever feeling obligated to compete.

Your dog doesn’t know whether they finished first or last.

What your dog knows is that the two of you spent time together doing something enjoyable.

Competition can certainly be fun. It gives us goals and allows us to measure progress. It also gives us an opportunity to meet people who share similar interests. But competition should never become more important than the dog on the other end of the leash.

If winning becomes so important that neither you nor your dog is enjoying the activity anymore, I believe we’ve lost sight of why we started.

Train hard. Challenge yourself. Set goals. If competition interests you, compete.

But remember to have fun with your dog.

The Greatest Prize!

Sometimes the greatest prize is simply looking at a tired, satisfied dog on the ride home and knowing the two of you had a great day together.

My Experience With Schutzhund

Many years ago, I participated in the dog sport called Schutzhund, which is now known as IGP. My partner was a German Shepherd named Caesar.

Caesar and I trained in Schutzhund for six years before I retired him from the sport. We earned titles, competed successfully, and even had the opportunity to compete at the Schutzhund Nationals.

My training group was very competitive. We trained because we loved the sport, but we also trained to compete.

Every Sunday, our group trained together—and when I say we trained on Sundays, I mean all day. During the week, you were also expected to train on your own just about every day.

At the time, I had a full-time job, a part-time job, a wife, and four dogs of my own to care for.

Those years of training and competing were invaluable to me. I learned a tremendous amount about dogs, training, communication, timing, and myself as a handler. I loved competing at that level.

But there was a price to pay.

I missed a couple of my granddaughters’ birthday parties because of competitions. I missed spending time with my wife on Sundays because I was training all day.

Would I erase those years? Absolutely not.

But looking back, I also understand that high-level competition requires choices and sacrifices. That’s something I think people should understand before deciding how far they want to go in any dog sport.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to compete at the highest level. There is also nothing wrong with taking a scent class once a week simply because you and your dog enjoy doing it together.

You get to decide what success looks like for you and your dog.

And don’t forget the financial commitment.

Depending on the sport and the level at which you participate, expenses can include equipment, training materials, seminars, club dues, entry fees, travel, hotels, and other costs.

Dog sports can be incredibly rewarding, but before committing to serious competition, consider the entire commitment—not only for your dog, but for yourself and your family as well.

The Benefits Go Far Beyond the Sport

One reason I encourage owners to explore activities with their dogs is that the benefits often carry over into everyday life.

Dog sports can build confidence, improve physical fitness, develop impulse control, increase focus, provide mental stimulation, and teach dogs how to work through problems. They also expose dogs to new environments, surfaces, people, noises, and distractions.

If you’ve followed my previous blogs, you’ll recognize how all of this connects.

Exercise helps create a healthier dog. Exposure and socialization help build confidence. Training develops communication. Rules and boundaries provide structure. ARTOC—Association, Repetition, Timing, Outcomes, and Consistency—helps the dog understand how their choices lead to predictable results.

Dog sports give us another environment in which to practice all of these things.

But perhaps the greatest benefit is the relationship that develops between you and your dog.

You’re learning to read your dog, and your dog is learning to read you. You’re solving problems together. You’re celebrating success together. Sometimes you’re failing together—and then figuring out how to improve.

That is relationship building.

Try Something New

One of the best pieces of advice I can give a dog owner is simply:

Try something.

Find a local club. Attend a competition as a spectator. Sign up for an introductory class. Talk to people who participate in the sport. Ask questions.

And don’t worry if you’re not good at it in the beginning.

Neither is your dog.

Remember what we have discussed throughout these blogs about learning. Training requires repetition. Your timing improves. Your dog’s understanding improves. Your communication improves. Eventually, something that once seemed difficult becomes easier.

You also may try an activity and discover that your dog doesn’t particularly enjoy it.

That’s okay.

Training should not be about forcing our dogs into the activity that we want them to love. Part of developing a relationship with your dog is learning who that dog actually is.

Try something else.

There are so many activities available that eventually you may find one where something just clicks. Your dog’s body language changes. Their confidence increases. Their enthusiasm becomes obvious.

When you see that, pay attention.

You may have just discovered your dog’s passion.

Finding the Right Fit for Both Ends of the Leash

When choosing an activity, don’t only ask:

What would I like my dog to do?

Ask:

What would my dog enjoy doing?

Consider your dog’s breed, genetics, age, health, physical ability, confidence, energy level, and personality.

But there is another part of the equation that we sometimes forget.

Consider yourself too.

The best activity is one that both ends of the leash can enjoy.

If you love hiking and being outdoors, perhaps tracking or search activities would appeal to you. If you enjoy competition and precision, Rally or obedience might be a great fit. If you enjoy physical activity and have an athletic dog, perhaps agility, disc, or dock diving will become something you look forward to doing together.

And sometimes your dog may introduce you to something you never imagined yourself doing.

That’s part of the fun.

My philosophy has always been about Respect on Both Ends.

That doesn’t mean only teaching our dogs to respect us. It also means respecting who our dogs are—their genetics, personalities, limitations, and individual needs.

We spend a great deal of time teaching dogs how to fit into our world.

Sometimes we should enter theirs.

Give them an opportunity to use their nose. Let them retrieve. Let them run. Let them search. Let them solve problems. Give them an appropriate outlet for some of the instincts nature gave them.

You may begin because you’re simply looking for something fun to do with your dog.

But somewhere along the way, you may discover something much more important.

You may discover another way to communicate, another way to build trust, and another way to enjoy the relationship you’ve worked so hard to create.

What Does Success Look Like for You and Your Dog?

When I look back at the six years Caesar and I spent training and competing in Schutzhund, I’m proud of what we accomplished together.

We earned titles. We won competitions. We competed at Nationals.

But years later, those aren’t the only things I remember.

I remember the training.

I remember the challenges.

I remember trying to figure things out when something wasn’t working. I remember watching Caesar improve and watching myself become a better handler. Most importantly, I remember having a dog beside me who genuinely enjoyed working with me.

Those experiences helped shape the trainer I eventually became.

But I also understand something today that perhaps I didn’t fully appreciate when I was younger.

Success with your dog doesn’t require a trophy.

Your success might be earning a national championship.

It might be completing your first Barn Hunt trial.

It might be watching your nervous dog confidently search a room during scent work.

Or it might simply be spending an hour every Saturday morning doing something that puts a smile on your face and gets your dog’s tail wagging.

You get to decide what success looks like for you and your dog.

Throughout this chapter, I’ve encouraged you to consider genetics, personality, physical ability, your lifestyle, and the commitment required for different activities. But after considering all of those things, perhaps the most important question is still the simplest:

Are we enjoying this together?

My philosophy has always been about Respect on Both Ends.

We ask our dogs to learn how to live in our world every day. We teach them our rules, our boundaries, our expectations, and our language.

Maybe every once in a while, we should return the favor.

Enter their world.

Let them sniff.

Let them search.

Let them retrieve.

Let them run.

Let them solve a problem.

Give them an opportunity to show you what they were born to do.

You might start because you’re looking for another way to exercise your dog.

You might end up discovering your dog’s passion.

And somewhere in between, you may discover something about yourself and your relationship with your dog that you never expected.

🐾 Phil’s Training Tip

“Don’t choose an activity simply because you want your dog to be good at it. Pay attention to what your dog loves doing, and then find a way for the two of you to enjoy it together.”

Ready to Discover Your Dog’s Passion?

You don’t need an experienced competition dog to get started.

You don’t need to know all the rules.

And you certainly don’t need to have dreams of winning trophies.

You just need a dog and a willingness to try something new together.

At Respect on Both Ends, our Scent Work and Barn Hunt classes give dogs an opportunity to use their natural abilities, challenge their minds, build confidence, and have fun with their owners.

Come because you want to compete.

Come because your dog needs something productive to do.

Or simply come because you’re curious about what your dog might be capable of.

You may walk into your first class looking for something fun to do.

You might walk out having discovered your dog’s passion.

👉 Contact Respect on Both Ends to learn more about our Scent Work and Barn Hunt classes.