Exploring Dog Sports: Agility, Dock Diving, Surfing & More | The Yap Corner Podcast

In this episode of The Yap Corner, hosts Madison Bennett and Jess Ramberg explore the diverse and exciting world of dog sports. From agility and dock diving to dog surfing and herding, they discuss various competitions and training experiences. The hosts share fun facts and personal stories, and they reach out to dog owners for insights on obedience, tracking, and more. They also touch on lesser-known sports like barn hunt and canine freestyle, emphasizing the importance of fun and bonding with your dog. Whether you're a seasoned competitor or just looking to get started, this episode offers a wealth of information and encouragement for all dog parents.

00:00 Introduction to The Yap Corner
00:40 Diving into Dog Events and Sports
01:54 Agility: A Fun Way to Exert Energy
15:28 Dog Diving: Making a Splash
20:43 Rally Obedience: Bonding Through Training
24:00 Herding: Instincts and Tests
25:38 Herding Dogs: Focus and Training
27:44 Obedience and Fast Cat
29:15 Dog Surfing Competitions
32:01 Tracking: Following the Scent
33:19 Barn Hunt: Hunting Down Rats
40:33 Bird Hunting
42:42 Rapid Fire: Other Dog Sports
44:54 General Advice for Dog Sports
47:53 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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Transcript

[00:00:00] Jess: Welcome to The Yap Corner, a podcast for dog

[00:00:09] Madison: parents by dog parents. We're your hosts, Madison Bennett and Jess Ramberg. Two dog obsessed humans who know that life is just better with a pup. I'm Madison and I have an irrational fear of clowns on stilts. And I'm Jess

[00:00:24] Jess: currently going through a nail journey, healing process, all that stuff.

[00:00:29] So this isn't your typical podcast. We're not here to talk about food debates or training manuals. Just real life. Talk about the everyday chaos and joy of life with a pup. So grab your pup, your beverage of choice, and let's yap about it All.

[00:00:40] Madison: Today's episode, we're going to jump into something. Jump ooh, jump into something really fun.

[00:00:47] Dog events or dog sports, whatever you wanna call it. And we're gonna go through a bunch of those common dog events that people out there know and love or may have never heard of. And we just wanna kind of share that information with our listeners today. And. Give people some ideas of maybe they'll wanna do with their dog.

[00:01:07] Jess: I'm gonna kick us off with some fun facts pulled straight from the Guinness World Record books Sounders for dog diving. The farthest is 11.12 meters. Zza has weaved through 60 poles the fastest time for 12.14 seconds. Geronimo has skipped 91 skips per minute in jump roping, and Abby Girl has served 107.2 meters.

[00:01:32] For the longest wave surfed, did you say jump roping? Yes. Which I've seen for like halftime shows dogs that will like jump rope but makes sense that it would also be a sport or some sort of that

[00:01:45] Madison: the more, you know, that wasn't even on our list today of sports to go through, so, and I'm sure there's so many they will need to jump in that one.

[00:01:51] Yes. Yeah. I love a pun. Today we're gonna. Start by going through some of those sports that we have tried and give, you know, our feedback, our perspective, what that's been like for us to try and then share some stories from people that have tried the sports themselves that aren't us, and give us a little insider tips on what that looks like.

[00:02:11] First off, we have agility, which I know I've mentioned a few times on our episodes that we've been practicing. We've been getting into it. With Gemini, she's had her first competition and agility for us has just been a really fun way to get the dogs to exert some energy. But I think more than anything with that sport, it's a learning curve for myself, like it is so much of understanding like a course and where to go and honestly not trip over a.

[00:02:40] A wing or, or a hurdle or something by backing up the wrong way.

[00:02:44] Jess: Yeah. The only experience I have with that are those like dog parties at like Zoom rooms. Mm-hmm. Where they have the setup and you can do that with your dog. Or even at dog events, sometimes companies or an active activation will be a popup and they have those different stations your dog can go through.

[00:03:01] And it's just like fun. Obviously we've never gone beyond that, but Ziggy's done some here and there, but. Nothing that is the intense level of like the actual sport. Like I've even seen videos and the handlers are queuing their dogs. They're saying all these things and I think there's a, I know there's a lot more to it than people.

[00:03:22] Think or see.

[00:03:23] Madison: Yeah. And it's, it's always fun at those events, like at Zoom Room or something where you're like, okay, this is completely different than being in the ring yourself. And I remember we, we even went to Pet Con and they had an activation and I was like, well, I'm gonna show you, and like Gemini would not move.

[00:03:41] And I was like. Okay. Every place is different. Like we get used to a a thing, you know, where we're at or like there's distractions and stuff. So that's always a fun event. It's fun thing about all dog sports is you really never know what you're gonna get that day for that one too. I was just gonna say with Zoom Room, it's a great starting point.

[00:04:00] Honestly, if people do wanna like get into it, there are trainers there that know it. They're doing and, and try to give you some best tips and all that. But for agility, I have a fun fact and that is the fastest agility run recorded at the Westminster Kennel Club was by a border colleague named Verb, who completed the course in just 28.44 seconds.

[00:04:22] And, um, next year's competition will be in Galloway Downs in Temecula, which is really just down the street. Wow. Yeah. Who would've

[00:04:30] Jess: thought

[00:04:31] Madison: I know, which is like famous for like horses and horse jumps. So that's fun too. And I, I think they're actually doing the Olympics there. Oh, wow. For the horses, so, wow.

[00:04:40] Cool. I was like, oh, we'll be there. And I'm like, wait, wait. We're not at that level yet. Not even

[00:04:45] Jess: close. So you say the 24, 28 seconds. I am not one to be in the dog sport world, so it's hard to know if that. The times. Yeah. Is it, are the courses standard or do they change, are they different for dog

[00:05:02] Madison: sizes or dog breeds?

[00:05:04] So all the different organizers do have different rules. There's the international and then there's standard. The way that the, um, jumps are measured though is that the dog's withers, which is kind of like where the V makes in their. Shoulder blades. And so a dog will get measured, and that's pretty much standard for like all a KC sports, but they'll measure the dog's height.

[00:05:27] And then, so for example, Gemini's at eight inches and I think the lowest is four inches, which would be like a chihuahua, but for um, corgi, it's pretty standard. That's eight inches. And then it goes up to, I think the highest is either. And I'm still new to this, so it's either like 16 or 18. Um, and then international could go up to like 18 or 20.

[00:05:49] I'll have to correct myself later on that, but, and then the course, it changes every time. So before you get into a competition, there's like 20 jumps or hurdles or whatever the course you're doing is, and then there's like standards, which would have like a contact. So think of that as like your dog walk or a teeter totter.

[00:06:09] A lot of. Dogs either love or hate those contact sports, like Gemini loves like an A-frame. She loves running up and down that, but she hates the teeter-totter. So that's one we've been working on 'cause it's like loud and again, a KC has their own teeter-totter. Then maybe another organization will have.

[00:06:28] Um, but yeah, it's exciting 'cause you get the course map like before the event and so you, it's always gonna change and so Oh wow. It keeps you on your

[00:06:36] Jess: toes. Yeah.

[00:06:37] Madison: Yeah.

[00:06:38] Jess: So what's your experience with different dogs and handlers and owners? Are, are the dogs usually being managed by their dog owner

[00:06:48] Madison: or is it a handler?

[00:06:50] From what I've seen, it's the owner, but I could be wrong. Like maybe at the pro level, like even with like show dogs, I know people have like a professional handler that shows the dog and, but the course that I'm doing or the classes we go every Tuesday. And it's an hour long training. And with that group is every owner has like one or some even have two dogs there in the competition that we ran a few weeks ago.

[00:07:17] Gemini was, you know, having an off day 'cause she had to hurt paw. But anyways, another lady there had a, like a bigger dog, like a poodle mix. And she had fell like she tripped and like hurt herself. And so one of the other girls from the class offered to run her dog for her. And it was actually interesting 'cause a dog actually.

[00:07:38] Like did better and went faster with this other person. And so our trainer was telling us like, Hey, you know, it's a good idea to just get your dog like accustomed to running with somebody else because if you're in the middle of a competition and you get hurt. Like, and your dog only is used to running with you.

[00:07:56] You're, your dog's not gonna run. But it is a bonding experience and that's why I really like it is like I'm getting Gemini to like understand my cues. Like, you know, your hand movements and, and it's also funny 'cause you teach 'em like there's, we'll go into like. Tricks or whatever with other dogs. Um, and so one of the ladies there had taught her dog to like do a spin for fun, and this is like the entry level class.

[00:08:23] And so, um, on the, like last day of the entry level class, the dog kept doing the spin and the trainers. That's one thing like you don't want your dog to do is 'cause if you go to like, get 'em to sit and they go in front of like a hurdle and they just start spinning like, you're gonna get disqualified. Um, and she's like, oh, but we like love doing that at home.

[00:08:45] Like, my dog loves doing this trick. So it, it starts to get interesting when you start doing like a trick dog and then you have a dog that likes this. And that's the same thing with like Rally, which I know we'll get into in a second here too, but they say like, that kind of makes some dogs like. Kind of go crazy and then you get into agility and you want 'em to do one thing.

[00:09:04] So I think you kinda have to pair 'em is what I'm learning. The sports,

[00:09:08] Jess: I mean, this seems to be a massive world that I have not been introduced, or again, it's like very surface level at a party or an event. Yeah. Or a dog park where things are at. And that's kind of like my experience level, but man, just even the little bits that you've been given.

[00:09:29] My mind is trying to follow,

[00:09:31] Madison: but it's a lot. Well, it's funny too, when I first started I was like, oh, like you know, watching the A KC agility competitions like you see every now and then on tv and I was like, oh, I can't wait, wait to be there like in a year, you know, like, so. Freaking like oblivious to the fact that like, this is hard.

[00:09:51] Like all of the sports are hard and they take like patience and practice and like, that's why I bought the set in our backyard because every time I go to agility class, the trainer leaves us with homework. She's like, you're gonna go home and you're gonna practice your weaves. You're gonna go home and you're gonna put a ironing board on the ground.

[00:10:08] Get your dog to walk on it so they're comfortable with like a teeter. And so she gave us a lot of great like things, but one of the other things that's come with it is like learning, um, like balance or your dog really doesn't know their back legs. Like they're, it's funny, like watch them learn and do these things and.

[00:10:29] Other things come with it. But yeah, I mean I'm literally so still new to it, but I'm looking forward to joining like a league in the fall and getting some more practice and kind of just continuing all of this journey. 'cause it's even like your own personal fitness, right? Like. I've tried like Pilates or kickboxing or spinning and stuff, and some things you just like stick with.

[00:10:52] And that's where I've been like trying to figure out with the dog sports. I'm like, I'll try a little bit here and a little bit there. Like, we've done herding, we've done dog diving. You know, we've, we went to a scent work and trying to figure out like what's for us and what's for not just me and, but what's for Gemini, what's for Apollo?

[00:11:10] They're different dogs. They don't both love the same thing, so. I mean, it's a

[00:11:14] Jess: lot of work. It's hard work. You're an athlete. The dogs and the owners and the handlers, you're out there learning. It's a whole new learning curve and it takes practice, like you said, and a lot of hard work, like total respect for

[00:11:30] Madison (2): Yeah,

[00:11:31] Jess: all

[00:11:31] Madison: those spaces.

[00:11:32] And I, and I think too, what's like people don't realize it's hard is like finding a, a place or a local organization or how to find and. I mean, we have friends that are in the dog sports communities, right? And I kind of had to ask them, but they found they know it's local for them. And so for me, I remember I was like in Petco and this woman walks up to me and goes, oh, like you have a Corgi.

[00:11:57] Like, do you guys do any like dog sports or anything? I don't remember how the conversation exactly started, but she had like dogs that you knew. Maybe it was a border collie or something like that. And I was like. Oh, that's a sport dog. And she's like, yeah, we go to this place in whatever city and we do this training, and this woman is a dog dolphin trainer.

[00:12:19] Do you remember the first time I went to this place? No. Oh gosh. So then I was like. Oh wow, that's crazy. Like, I'm gonna look her up. And she was like super old school, like had a website and I was like, okay. I signed up and I went to her house. 'cause she, a lot of these places are like at people's like ranches or whatever and they have a fenced area and I pull up and not to like crap on this lady, but it was a dump.

[00:12:46] It was like, I was like, Ooh, like. This doesn't seem like safe and like it was really like flies all around and just sturdy. And I was like, maybe this is just how they all are. Like I've never been to one of these outside of Zoom Room, like, which is a clean establishment. And um, I go in there and she's like, yeah, just so like, this is your first time, right?

[00:13:07] And I'm like, yeah. And she's like, okay, yeah, just go get on the equipment and, and you know, go do that. And I was like, oh, okay. Like again, didn't know anything immediately Gem gets on the teeter and goes. Boom. Like slams it down and makes a noise. And she's like, ah, okay. And then like I keep doing it over there.

[00:13:24] And I went back, I think one or two more times 'cause it was like $15. I was like, what's the, what's the hurt of trying it? And then while I was doing that, I tried to dock diving lesson, which we'll talk about, but. Yeah. Um, that lady was like, oh, there's a, like another trainer I know of Agility in Temecula.

[00:13:45] That's great, and whatever. So then I looked up her page and her credentials, and she had a wait list and all this. And I was like, okay, all right, this lady's legit. I'm gonna go check out one of her classes. And now I'm like stuck in with her and she's, she was like, the lady just like light you on equipment.

[00:14:01] Like, no, no, no. Like then now Gemini's scared of the teeter of course. So you know, you don't know what's to do. You like, you don't know what's wrong or right. And, and so it's really like hard to find those resources and that information. That's kind of why I wanted to talk about this today is just get people like aware of how to find stuff or.

[00:14:22] Who to reach out to.

[00:14:23] Jess: That's amazing. I mean, I'm sure you can use like Facebook groups and like mm-hmm. You know, search on the website, but really having those conversations with people in it and kind of sharing word of mouth, so hopefully, yeah.

[00:14:38] Madison: And a lot of these people are really old school, like I said, like these trainers have been doing it for so long.

[00:14:43] Like our agility trainer the other day, she was like saying something about, oh, like how. Like I was like, I tried Googling you or something and you weren't the first to come up, right? And she's like, oh, I should be. And I was like, well, you also don't have like Instagram. She's like, oh no, I won't. And I'm like, look, like if you want our generation and the next generation and that, like you kind of have to get on social media, which, I mean, everyone has their preference.

[00:15:09] So I was trying to like, just like, I'll set it up for you and take some pictures and just post it so people know how to find it. Because I could not find her when I first like. Was looking for an agility place and she should have popped up immediately. So. But

[00:15:25] Jess: well,

[00:15:25] Madison: what other

[00:15:26] Jess: sports do we got here?

[00:15:28] Madison: Yeah, so I think I've referenced a few times.

[00:15:30] The next one that we've done is dog diving, and that one I do with both dogs as well. That one I kind of got into with the fun of just going to the dog pool that we have near us. I know we've been to, um, a lot. There's this dog place that you essentially can rent out a, uh, pool, which. You can have birthday parties at, or a friend of ours use it more of like a water therapy place for her dog to get her dog to go swimming and.

[00:15:59] I think I was there and we saw like, uh, one of those cars, they do, she does like classes there. And so her car was parked outside and I was like, oh, interesting. Like dog diving, like, and so Apollo, whenever we take him to the pool, everyone knows he's obsessed with jumping in the pool. And like, I'm like, okay, this has to be like a thing.

[00:16:21] Like, you know, it's not, and of course I can't just like. You know, have it not just be a thing. I'm like, this has to be something I commit my life to. Um, and so I reached out and contacted her and she's like, yeah, I do like classes to more so train you how to do it right, to get your dog to go in the pool.

[00:16:40] And so with dog diving, you find something essentially the dog is interested in. We use this like, it's almost like a foam ball. I, I literally think it's called foam balls.com, no joke. And then it has this like rubber, um. Thing attached to it. Anyways, you throw, I use that to throw in the water and that dog just goes and jumps off a dog and gets it, and it's an above ground pool that they're actually jumping into.

[00:17:07] And so then they measure, like on the pool, there's like a measuring stick. And how they essentially measure them is they'll jump and they get, you get three jumps, including a practice jump if you wanna do it. But wherever their butt lands in the water is actually how they, how they like measure them.

[00:17:26] Because every dog is a different length, which makes it fair. Um, and so we had done the competition with both Apollo and Gemini. And Gemini actually jumped farther than Apollo, but for his breed and his. The dogs, again, same way they measure for, um, agility, they measure for dog diving is how tall they are.

[00:17:50] And so they're actually considered lap dogs, which is funny, but it's anything under 16 inches, otherwise you're just in the other category. And so he was only one inch off of the like title. His breed, which is a Pembroke. And then for Gemini, she was like a foot off. But I was like, we can keep practicing this.

[00:18:09] But for us, I'm just like pulling them back and I'm like, okay, go. And they run and jump and I throw the thing. But again, it's so much on the human of like. You throw that thing too far and the dog's like, I'm not getting that. Or you throw it too close and the dog's like, okay, I just gotta dive off right here and then, so that's what I'm trying to learn still.

[00:18:29] Jess: It's amazing. I've seen at different events where they bring in the trailer, the, uh, like the pool that's above ground, and then they have stands and people are just. In it, and I love on the side it has the measuring tape. Yeah. So you can see from like your perspective where the dog lands and you're just like, whoa.

[00:18:51] And the dog like jumps into the water and all different sizes from like tiny little Jack Russell Terriers to like those big German shepherds and it's incredible. From just, you know, as a perspective, like watching from the distance that the owners have the dogs and these dogs are just like ready to go.

[00:19:10] Mm-hmm. And then, you know, they cue the release and they just start sprinting. And obviously I feel like after time, after time of practice, they just, they know exactly what to do and they just run and jump. And I'm sure just like everything, it just. You know, takes practice and they keep going and they get farther and farther.

[00:19:28] Some of 'em, I'm like, they're gonna jump and miss the water. Oh

[00:19:31] Madison: yeah. I, I swear last time I was like, I, is that not gonna, like the pool's only, I don't know, like 36 feet. I don't know if that's like a regulation, like the same. This dog jumped like 30 feet. It was a whippet and I was like. Oh my God. Like what if the dog just jumped too far one day?

[00:19:49] Like do they know? I don't know. That would be scary. It would be scary, but I mean, Apollo, just to put it in perspective, jumped nine feet, six inches, and this dog is jumping 30 feet, and I'm like, all right, we can't even compare. But people are like, oh my God, look at that flying loaf. I was like, yeah, yeah, the Corgi would look really funny.

[00:20:09] He was like running and boop. I was like, if only they could get them to jump together one day, like the whip and the corgi just like, eh, just so funny. Our goal obviously is to get 'em to go back as far as you can kinda speed them up and, and jump. There are uh, three types of dock diving though, and those are big air, which is distance, extreme vertical, which is height, and then speed retrievers, which is.

[00:20:36] So they'll measure how fast they actually go and do it. So right now we're just doing the distance jumping and it's fun.

[00:20:43] Jess: Another sport is called rally or rally obedience. I have only done this very on like a novice, fun level. We were in St. Louis one time and went out to the Purina farms and they had like a rally course on the spot that you could sign up and I had never done it, but they had trainers on site and had all the different stations with a different obedience, like sit.

[00:21:06] Lay down, like walk in a circle, kind of weave through. And Ziggy, I think, from the fundamentals of puppy training and doing all these training ex exercises, she was able to do a whole bunch of 'em. There were some that I wasn't super familiar with and neither was Ziggy, but it definitely was a great bonding experience.

[00:21:27] It was fun to like, you know, you're just one-on-one, you two in this circuit doing the exercises and going through them together. Um, I had, we had a lot of fun doing it, and, um, it

[00:21:39] Madison: was, it was cool and I think it's a great sport from what I hear too, for like, like all breeds and, and entry level dogs too that are really, you just want that.

[00:21:49] You don't, you don't want that like, craziness of a sport. You're just like, we want to entertain the idea of a dog sport and get them to learn. And listen to me. It's one of those sports too where you can actually praise your dog. Like a lot of the sports, you're not like supposed to talk and interact and pet like that one.

[00:22:07] You can. And so Ziggy definitely is good at it. I mean, even the last weekend we went on a walk with her and you forgot her leash and she just stayed right by you. I'm like, that's in a rally obedience dog. My dogs would be like, how fast can we run and get the ball?

[00:22:22] Jess: Well, she's very treat driven too. So if I've got like a treat in my hand or my pocket.

[00:22:26] She knows like she, she will definitely be way more obedient. Yeah. When there's like a reward. Yeah. One of the things you mentioned earlier is we reached out to people on Instagram with their experiences in dog sports world. We reached out to Cuddles with Kimber and Kimber. The dog rally was their first A KC sport.

[00:22:45] The owner was really looking for something to challenge. Nothing like too intense. So they found Rally as a great success. She loves being able to like have that bonding experience with Kimber, seeing Kimber be challenged and learn. Their greatest accomplishment was getting the Rally Master title, which I'm sure as you're going through these different sports, getting these titles.

[00:23:07] Everyone has seen those big ribbons that all these dogs collect and their ribbon boards. But, uh, Kim Kimber and the owner said it's not just about the ribbons or any of that. It's that bonding experience, being challenged, learning new things, spending time with your dog. Like that's what it really comes down to for them and, and what they really enjoy.

[00:23:28] Do you know where they

[00:23:29] Madison: like practice or. Do that.

[00:23:31] Jess: She uses her local San Diego Dog sports club, which I'm sure there's many organizations like that out there. And they have a lot of fun doing the classes and the courses and really just having that community with other dogs and dog owners. And then just to wrap up rally here with a fun fact, a KC introduced rally in 2005, so it really hasn't been around for that long.

[00:23:53] Well, 20

[00:23:53] Madison: years now, but I guess, but in comparison to, to some of these

[00:23:56] Jess: sports that have been around

[00:23:58] Madison: in

[00:23:58] Jess: the 19

[00:23:59] Madison: hundreds. Yeah. Which we're gonna get into next is herding. I mean, herding is, you know, a, a dog sport itself that people still use it to today, like for working on farms and those working breeds.

[00:24:13] That one's been around since 1906, which that was started by the International Sheep Dog Society in 1906. We both done herding tests or herding instinct tests, they call them. And those are put on by a lo lot of like local dog chapter organizations, whatever you wanna call it. And. Like to get started with herding.

[00:24:35] Really, you have to pass one of these instinct tests, and that's to see if your dog is bred to herd and, and wants to herd the sheep. I know for our dogs, they're definitely herding dogs now. They still herd the cats today in our house, so that's fun.

[00:24:51] Jess: When we took Ziggy to the Herding instinct test, she had interest in the beginning, and again, she was like two years old, so she was young and my husband and I.

[00:25:02] Because he was in holding the rope to the sheep. Yeah. And I just stayed out and we, all of a sudden Ziggy just stopped and started looking at the people around her and he is like walking out and we look at each other going, she definitely did not pass. She definitely did not pass. But sure enough, they gave us a OR certificate, I'm sure, because they want us to come to their courses, but I don't

[00:25:23] Madison: know, I've seen a lot not pass.

[00:25:25] So she had it like.

[00:25:27] Jess: She had some interests, but then definitely lost it. Yeah. Compared to like some of those that you can tell they have the instinct and they're are running and it seems like they're doing it with a purpose. Yeah. But there are totally a handful that. Have no idea what they're meant to do in that ring.

[00:25:44] Madison: Yeah, I've seen, I've seen it both ways and it's hilarious. But with like a border collie, which are really known, I mean, they're the like smartest dog alive, I believe. Those dogs like you get in there and they're just like, so focused and they like lay down and they wait for their sheep and then the lady's like, go get your sheep.

[00:26:02] And then they're like, pull 'em all together and, and those dogs can pull up to, or like any herding dog that's well-trained can pull over like a hundred sheep together, which is. Crazy, but it's just like a whistle or a hand movement.

[00:26:14] Jess: It is crazy. I've seen those viral videos of those time lapse where the owner will send the dog, give the cue, and then you see how the dog and multiple dogs, sometimes there's multiple dogs a lot of times.

[00:26:27] Mm-hmm. And they're working together and you see the time lapse of all the sheep or the cows coming in to where they need to be.

[00:26:34] Madison: Yeah. It's remarkable. So we did herding. For the sake of after the test, like I was like, oh, my dogs pass with flying colors. Or, well, actually no, I don't say my dogs. I've only done it with Apollo.

[00:26:46] I haven't done it with Gemini yet, although I think she had passed. But Apollo was just like in there focused on the sheep. It stuck here. And then we found a local chapter to like practice that and she had cheap and ducks to practice with. But man, those were. Early morning calls, like we had to go on like Saturdays at 7:00 AM wasn't the sport for us for that reason, but I really wanted to give something for Apollo to like work his mind and it was really like cool to see him like so focused and have a job.

[00:27:20] So he built up his

[00:27:20] Jess: confidence too.

[00:27:21] Madison: Yeah. I'm like one day though, whatever he's doing, I'm like, one day I'm gonna have a a farm for you buddy and we're gonna get some sheep and you're gonna. Go to work. He's like, but why? I am a, I'm a a dwa dog now. I don't need that now. I'm a couch potato. Now. I'm a couch potato.

[00:27:41] I get treats by just coming inside.

[00:27:44] Jess: Another dog we reached out to was Levi's Adventure Club, who is a Corgi who loves obedience and fast cat. The owners were on a training journey with him and kind of just fell into the sports of obedience and fast cat, and it's really just been a good experience for them.

[00:27:59] Not only having a stronger relationship and bond with Levi, but they also have the community. They follow people on social media. They've met people along the way. They've, they've picked up titles and competitions and, you know, she talked about. One of their moments of the first obedience competition, like walking into the arena, being nervous, your heart pounding, and then being able to do this with your dog and, and accomplish it was a huge just accomplishment for them.

[00:28:30] They, you know, I think their biggest advice and through the experience was just a very, it's just a positive one that they now have this stronger relationship with their dog. The dog has, you know, a great foundation of the obedience and the fast cat. I think they just have a lot of fun seeing, um, they just have a lot of fun seeing Levi running these fast cat trials and just trying to push to always get better.

[00:28:55] Yeah.

[00:28:56] Madison: That's awesome. I, I'm sure it's interesting, like I said, going from especially obedience to Fast Cat, where it's like, go get this lure thing, like now you're sending your dog, like as long as you have that obedience to go and come back and, and have the recall that I don't have, that'd be cool to see.

[00:29:15] Jess: So now let's talk about dog surfing, being in California. There are tons of dog surfing competition opportunities. I've even been at Del Mar Dog Beach and have seen some of these rock stars. Just, you know, they're training, they pull their surfboards out into the water, and when I say they, yes, I'm talking about the dogs.

[00:29:35] Wow. Themselves, pull their surfboards out. And they have handlers and their owners, but even I've been to dog surfing competitions at Huntington Dog Beach. Delmar Dog Beach. The first dog surfing competition actually happened in Imperial Beach here in San Diego. Wow. Fun fact for you. But they have all these different categories, obviously for the size of the dog, but then they also have tandem multiple dogs, human and dog freestyle.

[00:30:04] Just all these different categories and these dogs, I mean they go from pugs to chihuahuas, which I don't know how they're heavy enough. They're obviously on like much lower. Yeah. But then Bulldogs Labs are a really popular one. Um, it's incredible. Those low center gravity dogs, it's just a classic thing in California for the dog surfing competitions.

[00:30:27] But I also know that they happen in Hawaii, Florida, and internationally

[00:30:32] Madison: as well. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. If only I could even just balance on a surfboard. I mean, you're getting into surfing, so maybe you can try that again with Ziggy.

[00:30:42] Jess: Yeah, we tried that with Ziggy and it didn't go well. Again, she was younger and I think the waves are a little too intense for her,

[00:30:48] Madison: so for me too.

[00:30:49] Jess: She was like, it's a no for me. Yeah. And I was like, I don't blame you, but it's also cold. Yeah, it is amazing. The dog's on there and they balance, and they'll even like turn around and they'll put like a little GoPro or a camera on the front of the surfboard. So it's pretty cool to see. Do they wear life jackets?

[00:31:05] Yes. Yep. They have life jackets or wetsuits maybe. I mean, I've seen like jerseys on them and, okay. Like, I mean, people go all out. They'll have like brands like sponsor them as well and it's on their, on their lifeguard or on their lifeguard on their life jackets or their, their rash guards for the dogs.

[00:31:22] Madison: I think they just recently had the Purina Pro plan.

[00:31:25] Incredible dog Challenge, right?

[00:31:27] Jess: Yes, they did. And that is a circuit. Of dog sports and competitions that they'll have across the country and it travels all around. They have agility, dog diving, dog surfing, competitions, weaving, weaving, all these different things, and they have 'em all over. And it's aired on like I think ESPN two and it's a whole thing that people train and, and compete in.

[00:31:49] Madison: I haven't actually tried dog surfing with the dogs, surprisingly enough, living in Southern California. But I think I'm too much of it myself to get in the water. So that's one. Hey, if you wanna try, go for it. Next, we're gonna get into tracking, which is one that was really new to me when we were researching this episode and reaching out to people.

[00:32:09] I, I've seen this with like police dogs. I, I believe this is kind of how they get into it, but it's incredible. It's like. Finding a, they follow like a human scent all through a path, like of a long distance. And so we actually reached out to Elaine from the handsome Mutts who shared some of their experiences with their pups, shadow, and Lumi.

[00:32:31] I mean, these dogs have done it all. They've done agility rally fast. And even hunting, but tracking, they found out to be like their, their favorite of 'em all. And they first discovered it back in 2021 when they were living in Houston. They took a six week obedience class with some friends and started like laying tracks and, and really trying this out with.

[00:32:54] Some friends and it became their new passion. Tracking is all about falling a scent trail, and they said it starts small. So they started with a food scent and even got into bigger things with gloves or cloth and then started getting bigger trails and harder fines and, and what they're really proud is she was really proud of.

[00:33:14] Is both of our dogs, uh, did the course and, and passed on their first try.

[00:33:19] Jess: The next sport is called barn hunt. I'm not familiar with this one, but it's for dogs to hunt down rats. And the rats are in these insulated tubes and you're timed to see who can find the rats in these like hay bales. Oh, the fastest.

[00:33:36] So we chatted with Tina with her pug Milo. And their handle is Milo Pugs life and being a pug. They're not typically sports dogs per se, but they came across an event, a barn hunt event, and she decided to sign Milo up and he ended up loving it. So she kind of explored it or has been exploring it a ton more.

[00:33:58] And something fun she says is usually dogs when they find the rat, they'll paw at the tube, but she says Milo just stares at it. So she gets confused, like, uh, is he still trying to find it or not? Um, but for her, she says like, their biggest thing is to just. Have fun. They know that it's a good activity and it, you know, like all these things just strengthens that bond with them and, and the owner and the dog.

[00:34:23] But for her, it's just all about having fun in these competitions. So she's new to the space, but Milo, uh, is a black pug and he's taken up barn hunting.

[00:34:33] Madison: Wow. Yeah. I've seen a lot of labs do that. And I think there's even a. Like a group in San Diego that does it. And I've, I've been interested in trying that one too, but I'm like, man, I bet those people that actually own a barn or have like hay bale that they wanna scare rats out.

[00:34:51] Like, what a great thing to teach a dog.

[00:34:53] Jess: Oh yeah. We ha We have a like stray cats and rats in our backyard, unfortunately. And I've come home to the stray cats leaving the rats in the backyard, which I'm like. Thank you, but Ew.

[00:35:05] Madison: Yeah.

[00:35:06] Jess: But yeah. Hey, maybe you need to train Ziggy to

[00:35:08] Madison: catch the rats and then Well,

[00:35:10] Jess: unfortunately, I've also had a mouse in the house and hey, that's a rhyme.

[00:35:14] And he did find it and she was like on it and then chased the mouse downstairs. And then we were able to like strategically plan that the mouse comes up the stairs and I'll hit it with the broom out the front door. Oh my god. Success. So like, he maybe

[00:35:28] Madison: has like

[00:35:28] Jess: a little bit of like a comic

[00:35:29] Madison: book or a, a video.

[00:35:31] Like I can't, that's hilarious. But she probably does have it in her. I've been to actually, um, to watch one of our friends, um, do one of these competitions. I, I was just interested in exploring it and seeing maybe if this is for my dog. So I just went out to a. A local event. They had a competition going on, and, and I got to observe a friend and poor thing, I, I made her so nervous.

[00:35:55] She's like, I don't know. I've never had anybody like here watching me. And like she had asked the judges in each room, like, if I could watch, because of course it's a competition like. You're supposed to go into each of these blindly, so how it kind of works is there's boxes and they're like, have different scents.

[00:36:14] And so I believe it first starts with food when they're training, but then they also put like scents, like scented oils. So then it's just like a topical on the box. And so they're trained to find like that scent and the dog will go up and. And like paw at the box or stand on it or, or sniff it or whatever, and then look at the owner and be like, yep, this is the one.

[00:36:35] So it's like hidden in, in the boxes and they, it was crazy. I know when they get to the detective level of this sport, they'll be in like whole auditoriums and they'll put like a little scent on behind one of the chairs in this area and then a scent under this table. And the dogs will go around. It's like.

[00:36:56] I don't know how many square feet, but a huge room and go and like find the scent in this whole, who knows how smelly that classroom is or that auditorium or wherever they're, they're doing this at. It's really cool to watch.

[00:37:10] Jess: Well, the dog's nose is very strong.

[00:37:12] Madison: Yeah, that is true.

[00:37:14] Jess: But it's probably very cool to see it in action.

[00:37:16] Madison: Mm-hmm. Yeah. And I'm like, oh, maybe we'll try this. And, and it was funny 'cause I was asking them, I'm like, Hey, like what really is, you know, what is the point? Like what do you get outta this? Like with herding, I'm like, I can treat them herd my cats. Or if you have kids you can treat hurt your kids or people doing, um, or with agility, it's, there's again, really no point aside from like just fitness of our dog.

[00:37:41] And so I was like, are you guys trying to become like. You know, uh, police dogs, like, what is your point, like purpose behind scent work? And they were like, you know, it's just again, a, a stimulation thing going back to keeping our dogs active and they don't really intend to advance to detective unless the dog gets there, which would take a lot of training, but I'm.

[00:38:05] Okay. Like just another thing. So that's one that I'm like, maybe in the fall I'll try with Apollo or something. So we also heard from Rough Coast Dogs who those pups names are Kaya and Iris, and they got into scent work after doing Rally for a bit. And they're a rare Dutch breed dog called. Hold on a minute, and I'm gonna have a guy pronounce it for you because I do not know how to say this.

[00:38:34] That sounds Dutch to me. Nice song, Uhhuh. I'm like, yeah, we have a Corgi. Like I cannot imagine being like I have a,

[00:38:46] yep. Well anyways, there's only about 150 of these dogs in the US and. Iris is one of those that's making waves in this a KC scent work field. Um, and they got into it first by volunteering at a scent work event, which I thought was cool. 'cause I'm like, Hey, I kind of did that. And they've now earned their master level title and now working towards that detective title.

[00:39:09] So they're really high in the level of the sport, which is. Really cool to see, especially after doing obedience and rally. And then they did the cany cross and fetch and even pointing dog training and so they wanted to share. Lastly, one proud milestone that they've had. Iris was the first ever breed to title through all scent elements at the master level, and now four other Dres, oh, that's what they call them.

[00:39:33] Dres have followed inner paw prints, funniest moments. She once nailed a detective search until she unexpectedly peed in the search area and automatically disqualified. But she said it's also a good reminder that dogs always keep us humble. Yes.

[00:39:51] Jess: Unexpected on your toes.

[00:39:54] Madison: All the

[00:39:54] Jess: things.

[00:39:55] Madison: And it's funny 'cause our agility trainer actually does, um.

[00:39:58] Sent work too. And as part of her classes, and she has these two Aussies that are detective level. And so after every single trial she, she posts her, um, like her video of her trial on her Facebook. And some days she's like, yeah, my dog's nailed it. And some she's like. I totally thought my dog was like telling me this was something and it was not at all.

[00:40:23] And you just, you just never know what you're gonna get. But I mean, you might have your dog pee. I'm like, good for you for, you know, just recognizing that it's your dog and you don't know what to expect.

[00:40:33] Jess: The next sport we're diving into is bird hunting, and we're gonna learn that through beezer, the Vila.

[00:40:38] Their Instagram handle is Zeke the Vila and their handlers talked about when Beezer was four months old. They went to observe, um, you know, there's a course indoors and outdoors in the field and you're given the different exercise to do, and Beezer was immediately hooked. So they got connected with their local club, started doing the competitions, the bird hunting, the different pointer organizations, and really just.

[00:41:05] Being connected in that community space. And now he has accomplished getting all four of his titles in the Junior Hunter and their goal is to go into the senior Hunter league and that, that level of the sport. But their biggest advice on how to get involved is go and observe a test first. It seems very intimidating at first, but.

[00:41:28] After you just see it and get into it and just kind of get over that intimidation part of it. They have a lot of fun doing the bird hunting with beezer. Another thing the owner said was Beezer had this instinct of chasing and hunting. He would chase the pigeons in the city. And so that was another reason she thought, oh, let's get him into something active.

[00:41:51] And one of her like favorite things is seeing Beezer and even just seeing like a breed do what their instinct is meant to do. Gives her goosebumps every time and just a feeling of the dog being like, thank you. Like I really am having a lot of fun. And so she loves that experience. Every time that they're training or doing these tests.

[00:42:12] And again, back to just getting into those spaces, she has just asked a lot of questions. People have been really helpful. They provide lending her gear, so she says, just take a step forward and try it. And you just never know. Yeah.

[00:42:27] Madison: I totally understand that though, where she's coming from, of like seeing your dog work and do what they're supposed to do.

[00:42:32] That's why I did herding for a bit. 'cause I was like, wow, it's just so cool to see them. That's what they're ready to do and they just go for it. Like. That's amazing. We're gonna wrap this up with some rapid fire, other dog sports that are out there for people to get ideas on what to try. There is canine freestyle, which is dancing with your dog.

[00:42:53] Yes. You really do. I've seen that on America's Got Talent. Oh yeah, there's a lady that like did, oh my gosh, it's incredible. I wish. There's also Canine Cross, which is a like a cross country running, but with a dog attached to you via bungee. I just imagine some of those like really fast dogs, like a Greyhound or something,

[00:43:12] Jess: and a bungee that's like aggressive, like if the dog like runs fast and

[00:43:17] Madison: is

[00:43:17] Jess: pulling

[00:43:17] Madison: you.

[00:43:17] I had to remember one of our trainers telling us to try that with them, and I was like, I don't know about that. I'm gonna get pulled down. Even though that they don't run that fast, I don't know. Anyways, then there's disc dog. Disc dog, which is like Frisbee on steroids with your dog. A lot of, a lot

[00:43:34] Jess: of like halftime entertainment shows

[00:43:37] Madison: with the Frisbees.

[00:43:38] That's right. Yeah. And those dogs jump high. And it said like at the highest level, dogs can jump over nine feet in the air to catch a disc and they can run fast like distance and go really far. Yeah, it's crazy.

[00:43:52] Jess: Gemini's, like, I wanna try that one next. Or even maybe this is the same thing, like they'll have multiple discs and they're just like throwing them behind the back onto the legs and the dog is just like going around, catching them.

[00:44:03] Madison: I think a lot of times they're choreographed, so there's like music and dancing and they'll like do a whole routine with it, which is so cool. One day. And then there's fly ball, which is like a relay race with a tennis ball. So just think chaos. But your dog is like running to get up. A ball back and forth.

[00:44:21] Jess: We've been to a couple events where they have fly ball active and different teams and the dogs going and you just watch it. It's really cool.

[00:44:30] Madison: I wonder how you like pick your team. I wonder if it's like kinda like in a local league and then you just keep going with them. Or if they put you with a random dog, like I have no idea how that works.

[00:44:40] Jess: And each team I've seen 'em where they've been all different sizes, all different breeds of dogs. Oh

[00:44:44] Madison: gosh. And it's fun. You got like a, a pug going and then you gotta whip it going and then you got a chihuahua. That's hilarious. I need to go watch that one day. So some general advice for all sports really is start small.

[00:44:59] Don't need a ton of gear or experience. Just go volunteer at an event or go watch one and just kind. Get an idea for it. Get a feel for it, see if it's your thing.

[00:45:10] Jess: Another is finding a good local club. There are many out there, and you can find those by, find some people on Instagram or social media or Facebook, or obviously do research on the website, and don't be afraid to just ask questions and see, or even ask others what clubs they join or what they've heard.

[00:45:28] Madison (2): Mm-hmm.

[00:45:29] Madison: And I think the A KC website actually has a lot of those resources as well. If you're trying to find a specific one like Rally or Obedience or Rally Obedience or Agility, um, you can go on the A KC website too, but always make it fun for your dog. You know, you don't need to put 'em in a stressful event or make them do something they don't want to do just to.

[00:45:49] Do it, but like how about a bonding moment? Have it fun?

[00:45:53] Jess: And I think that's what we heard from everyone we chatted with was it all just came down to having a fun experience with your dog, growing your bond, strengthening that bond with them and doing something new. And not just for the dog, but also for yourself as an owner.

[00:46:10] Madison: Yeah. And remember, like any dog can play like. There can be, you know, puppy like, I mean puppies as in past shots or whatever, but six months old to senior level. Like there's really something out there for everybody and every dog size, like you said, and, and you know, whatever really your dog likes and like you like and who you like to surround yourself with too.

[00:46:34] 'cause at the end of the day, you're always with humans at these events too. And so you do build a. Community and a group of friends around it a lot of the time. So,

[00:46:45] Jess: and a reminder that there are many different levels of experience with these. Mm-hmm. I think as you have been on this journey, finding these different sport events for the dogs and, and even just trying it and maybe it doesn't work out.

[00:47:00] Maybe it's a little too much for you or whatever it is. Or for us, we just love to be involved, like on a very fun level at events or birthday parties or different organizations or companies out there that have just fun popups. That's kind of the level that we love. Mm-hmm. And we have fun with it, and it's just cool to.

[00:47:19] Do it with your dog.

[00:47:20] Madison: Yeah. And I, I think we've shared stories today from people all levels. Like we've had people that are like, oh, I'm, you know, brand new to this and I'm learning it and figuring it out. Or those people that are master dog levels or detective level scent work, like they've put a lot of time and energy and, and much respect to them.

[00:47:38] Like, that's awesome. So really, if you just wanna do it for fun. Do it for fun. If you wanna, you know that to be your thing that you're traveling around the world. You can travel around the world. The dog serving competitions, we know people that do that too. So, yeah,

[00:47:53] Jess: and a reminder, we're not experts in these sports or these spaces.

[00:47:57] So our general goal with this episode is just education awareness and just, you know, information sharing of connections that we've made and, um, you know, there's so much to learn and so much more of the specifics of each sport. And I mean, those could be probably. Individual episodes and entire books.

[00:48:20] Mm-hmm. Oh yeah. On the rules and guidelines and expertise of these sports. So,

[00:48:25] Madison: and I'm sure they change all the time. Mm-hmm. And I'm sure if we did this episode in like 10 years again, because you know, we're not our podcast forever. Yeah. We would be like. I could be at that point, like I did my first a KC on TV competition.

[00:48:39] You know, I'm just putting it out there. I'm just gonna, yes. Yeah. I love that for you. Yeah. And we'll be cheering you on. You gonna cheer me on? Yes. I'm gonna be like, that's Ziggy. She's our, she's our cheerleader and Jess.

[00:48:51] Jess: So regardless of what it is, dogs are talented. Mm-hmm. Humans are talented and we've just only touched on.

[00:48:59] A tiny, tiny bit of all of that and, and all those incredible stories. Mm-hmm.

[00:49:04] Madison: If you have a sport that you've tried or one that you're wanting to try, write to us on the Yap It Out form, which you can find in our link in our bio at the yap corner pod, or in our episode

[00:49:16] Jess: notes. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok.

[00:49:19] You can listen on Spotify, apple, and YouTube, or wherever else you listen to your podcast.

[00:49:25] Madison: That's all for today.

[00:49:27] Jess: Thanks. Thanks for yapping.