Chesapeakes are Versatile Retrievers – They can perform in many different venues. If field or show work isn’t your thing you can pick a different event to do with your Chesapeake. AKC and UKC offers up many options for you and your Chesapeake. Some events require your dog to be registered with their organization and some do not.
Conformation: “Conformation” is the official name for “dog shows.” While they may seem glamorous, the true purpose of conformation showing is to evaluate breeding stock. The dog’s conformation—his overall appearance and structure—is an indication of the dog’s ability to produce quality purebred puppies, and that is what is being judged in the ring.
AKC Conformation: http://www.akc.org/events/conformation-dog-shows/
UKC Conformation: https://www.ukcdogs.com/conformation
Obedience: Obedience trials showcase dogs that have been trained and conditioned to behave well at home, in public places, and in the presence of other dogs.
AKC: http://www.akc.org/events/obedience/
UKC: https://www.ukcdogs.com/obedience
Agility: Even if you don’t recognize it by name, you have probably seen an agility competition. Designed to demonstrate a dog’s willingness to work with his handler in a variety of situations, agility is an athletic event that requires conditioning, concentration, training, and teamwork. Dogs and handlers must negotiate an obstacle course while racing against the clock.
AKC: http://www.akc.org/events/agility/
UKC: https://www.ukcdogs.com/agility
Rally: AKC Rally® is a companion sport to AKC Obedience. It too requires teamwork between dog and handler along with performance skills similar to obedience. Rally provides an excellent introduction to AKC events for new dogs and handlers, and can provide a challenging opportunity for competitors in other events to strengthen their skills. All dogs are eligible to compete in rally.
AKC: http://www.akc.org/events/rally/
UKC: https://www.ukcdogs.com/rally-obedience
Tracking: Dogs have a very keen sense of smell—100,000 times stronger than humans! That’s why dogs are often used to find lost people and animals, drugs, avalanche and disaster victims, and even to detect cancer and oncoming seizures. AKC Tracking is a canine sport that demonstrates a dog’s natural ability to recognize and follow a scent, and is the foundation of canine search and rescue work. In tracking the dog is completely in charge, because only he knows how to use his nose to find and follow the track. For many, the greatest pleasure of tracking are the hours spent outside, training and interacting with their dogs.
AKC: http://www.akc.org/events/tracking/
Nosework: Nosework is a great game for every dog who loves to use their sense of smell. Modeled after working detection dogs, this activity provides a safe and enriching scenario that can be easily performed anywhere and builds a trusting and lasting relationship between handler and dog
UKC: https://www.ukcdogs.com/nosework
Weight Pull: Weight Pull offers dogs an opportunity to perform a function that comes naturally to them – pulling enthusiastically.
UKC: https://www.ukcdogs.com/weight-pull
Coursing Ability Test – Lure Coursing: The Coursing Ability Test (CAT) is an introductory event fashioned after the sport of lure coursing. It tests a dog’s basic coursing instinct or hunting-by-sight ability. The dog chases an artificial lure, and the test is a non-competitive pass/fail event with dogs run one at a time. To pass the test, a dog running alone must pursue a lure, completing the course with enthusiasm and without interruption within a given time. Most dogs will happily go after the lure! The CAT provides a lively and healthy activity attractive to many dog owners.
AKC: http://www.akc.org/events/coursing-ability-test/
UKC: https://www.ukcdogs.com/lure-coursing
Fast Cat: The purpose of the AKC FAST CAT® event is to provide all dogs and their owners an enjoyable, healthy activity in which they can participate. Dogs run singularly. The dog’s time to complete the 100 yard dash is converted into MPH. Dogs earn points based on their handicapped speed. Titles are awarded when a dog has accumulated a given number of points. http://www.akc.org/events/fast-cat/
Field Events: Tests for field trials were developed to encourage hunting dogs to compete, and thereby improving their field performance. These tests originated in England, around 1866. Field trials are separated into four components, based on the hunting characteristics of the breeds involved. These include Pointing, Flushing, and Retrieving Breeds, and Scenting and Trailing Hounds.
AKC Retriever Field Trials: http://www.akc.org/events/field-trials/retrievers/
AKC Retriever Hunt Tests: http://www.akc.org/events/hunting-tests/retrievers/
AKC Spaniel Hunt Tests: http://www.akc.org/events/hunting-tests/spaniels/
UKC Hunting Retrievers: https://www.ukcdogs.com/hunting-retriever-about
Title Recognition Program – these events will be recognized by AKC and UKC for title eligibility.
Barn Hunt: Barn Hunt is the new and quickly growing dog sport catching fire across the country! Barn Hunt is based on the traditional roles of many breeds in ridding farms, barns, crop storage areas, and homes of destructive vermin. Some breeds were specifically created to fill this role, and for many of those breeds, Barn Hunt provides their first true opportunity for responsible breeders to test proper working traits in their dogs.
Barn Hunt Association: https://barnhunt.com/
AKC: http://www.akc.org/events/title-recognition-program/barn-hunt/
UKC: http://res.ukcdogs.com/pdf/TitleIssueApplication.pdf
Canine Good Citizen: Responsible Owners, Well-Mannered Dogs. The AKC’s Canine Good Citizen program is recognized as the gold standard for dog behavior. In CGC, dogs who pass the 10 step CGC test can earn a certificate and/or the official AKC CGC title. Dogs with the CGC title have the suffix, “CGC” after their names.
AKC CGC: http://www.akc.org/dog-owners/training/canine-good-citizen/
UKC SPOT: Socialized Pet Obedience Test https://www.ukcdogs.com/spot
Therapy Dog Program: Therapy dogs are dogs who go with their owners to volunteer in settings such as schools, hospitals, and nursing homes. From working with a child who is learning to read to visiting a senior in assisted living, therapy dogs and their owners work together as a team to improve the lives of other people.
AKC: http://www.akc.org/events/title-recognition-program/therapy/
Alliance Of Therapy Dogs: https://www.therapydogs.com/
Therapy Dogs International: http://tdi-dog.org/
Pet Partners: https://petpartners.org/
Delta Therapy Dogs: http://www.deltasociety.com.au/pages/delta-therapy-dogs.html
R.E.A.D: http://www.therapyanimals.org/Read_Team_Steps.html
Dock Diving: Dock Diving is one of the fastest growing sports for your dog. North America Diving Dogs is an organization that has enhanced the sport by working with dock diving facilities & competitors across North America.
Dog Diving Titles: http://www.akc.org/events/title-recognition-program/dock-diving/
North America Diving Dogs: http://northamericadivingdogs.com/ – recognized by AKC
Ultimate Air Dogs: http://ultimateairdogs.com/ – recognized by UKC
Dock Dogs: https://dockdogs.com/ – not recognized by AKC or UKC
Flyball: Flyball is a dog sport in which teams of dogs race against each other from a start/finish line, over a line of hurdles, to a box that releases a tennis ball to be caught when the dog presses the spring-loaded pad, then back to their handlers while carrying the ball. Flyball is run in teams of four dogs, as a relay.
North American Flyball Association: http://www.flyball.org/index.html
Search And Rescue: http://www.akc.org/events/title-recognition-program/search-and-rescue/
SarDog: http://www.sardog.org/
Wilderness Search And Rescue: http://wsar.org/
FEMA Urban Search And Rescue: https://www.fema.gov/canines-role-urban-search-rescue
Shed Antler Hunting: This program provides shed dog owners with a family friendly environment in which to enjoy participating in an activity that promotes an active, outdoor lifestyle for all individuals and their dogs. A wide variety of dog breeds are successfully used for this purpose, and the space needed for training is minimal, making this sport accessible to everyone.
UKC: https://www.ukcdogs.com/elite-shed-dogs
North American Shed Hunting Dog Association: http://www.sheddogtrainer.com/
Brought to you by: Sand Spring Chesapeakes
References: AKC, UKC and the Associations putting on these events.