Canine sports and activities come in many different forms. The American Bully was developed to be the ultimate Companion dog - the UKC breed standard calls for the breed to be an athlete and states:
"Although quite muscular, it is active and agile. It's presence is a picture of tremendous power and stamina that belies it's kind and loyal temperament. The ideal American Bully possesses the athleticism to do well in performance events."
This means that they should be athletic and smart enough to be able to do any task put before them with enthusiasm and a zest for life. Their extreme versatility allows owners to participate in a wide variety of canine sports.
Sports and activities are more than just a walk down the block. Many behavior outbursts and problems in the household stem from a bored dog that is not getting adequate mental and/or physical stimulation. This is where sports come into play! In addition to giving your dog an outlet for natural desires and behaviors, dog sports keep your dog healthy inside and out, will strengthen your bond and will create a well-rounded obedient dog that is an absolute joy to share your home with. Practice and patience are required to become good at any of these sports, though some dogs are complete naturals at certain things and dive right in with minimal effort on their owner's part.
WEIGHT PULL
Weight pull offers dogs an opportunity and outlet to perform a function that comes naturally to them - pulling enthusiastically! If you are constantly working on training your dog to *not* pull on the leash, this might be a good one for you to look into. In this event, dogs are fitted with a custom specially designed weight pull harness, hooked to a weighted cart or sled and pull it a predetermined distance (usually 15 feet) within 60 seconds. Like most sports, no negative reinforcement of any kind (equipment, vocal or physical) is allowed, and no treats/food/toys are allowed on the premises in most associations - which means no baiting or luring. You cannot touch your dog once you release them to begin their pull. It truly is all about your bond with your animal by verbally asking them to pull for you, verbally telling them they are doing a great job, and then being able to give them pats and scratches once they cross the finish line. All sizes and breeds of dogs can excel in this sport and despite how it looks, it is actually more about the dog's mind than their physical strength!
Whether you want to build confidence and muscle in a safe way or you want to be competitive, weight pull is a great option for almost every dog and handler. Weight pull is the lowest impact sport available for canines. Despite what everyone seems to assume about the sport, it is actually great for elderly dogs and dogs with poor joints. It helps build muscle and is extremely low impact, so no real stress on the joints especially at lower weights. I wouldn't necessarily recommend competing with dogs with known health concerns, however there are plenty of Hall of Fame dogs in weight pull that did have bad hips and/or elbows - weight pull gave them a safe, pain free outlet for their energy and drive.
AGE RESTRICTIONS:
Typically minimum 12 months old, then capped at 10 years of age to compete.
Most associations don't allow dogs to compete until at least 12 months of age and cap the maximum age around 10 years.
BREED RESTRICTIONS:
None!
ASSOCIATIONS THAT HOST COMPETITIONS:
United Kennel Club (UKC), American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA), International Weight Pull Association (IWPA), American Pulling Alliance (APA), Iron Dog Weight Pull (IDWP)
RALLY OBEDIENCE
Rally obedience is a fun, fast-paced demonstration of a dog and handler's ability to perform basic obedience exercises. It is a course of exercises that you follow by reading the signs as you go with a time limit (usually around 3 minutes). We participate in this with all of our dogs, and we really encourage all of our puppy owners to get involved in at least one set of rally obedience classes with their puppy. Even if you have no desire to ever do it competitively, it teaches you great skills on how to work with your dog in a happy, upbeat way and we find ourselves falling back to our rally obedience foundations every time we take our dogs out for a walk or adventure.
In Novice level, the dog is kept on leash and is expected to stay in heel position (at handler's left leg).
Some examples of Novice level signs include: Sit, Down, Stand, Sit or Down and Walk Around Dog. Pace Changes (slow, fast, etc). In a competitive setting, rally obedience allows you to talk to and verbally encourage your dog throughout the entire exercise (unlike formal obedience which is quite rigid). This helps keep your dog focused on you and ready for the next sign, plus eases tension on both ends of the leash and makes for a more enjoyable experience all around. It truly is about having fun with your dog and working on skills that make them more enjoyable to own and live with is a huge perk.
AGE RESTRICTIONS:
Typically minimum 6 months old to compete with no age cap.
BREED RESTRICTIONS:
None!
ASSOCIATIONS THAT HOST COMPETITIONS:
American Kennel Club (AKC), Canadian Kennel Club (CKC), United Kennel Club (UKC), World of Cynosport Rally Limited (WCRL), Canine-Work And Games (C-WAGS), Canadian Assoc. of Rally Obedience (CARO)
DOCK DIVE
Dock diving is a sport where dogs are enticed to run the length of a dock and leap as far out into the water as possible to compete for height or distance. They are motivated to fly with a prized toy, which is thrown just out of reach in order to help them keep their momentum and get the best launch angle possible. Almost any dog can participate in this sport as long as they love water, know how to swim, and has a natural desire to retrieve - that being said, obviously American Bullies are not retrieving dogs designed to swim but they love it. Really the only time our dogs will retrieve is out of water - where they bring the toy out of the water to the shore (or in dock diving, the ramp).
The huge positives to dock diving is that it is relatively low impact. Swimming is great for all ages of dogs and builds muscle without putting impact on the joints. You can start your dog from anywhere on the dock so for instance if you don't want them sprinting far, you can start them closer to the edge. It is worth noting that while it is uncommon, some dock dive facilities are poorly kept so if you have a dog with past injuries, make sure to search for reviews about the facility and check out their turf on the dock as well as how their ramp is set up. If the turf is poorly made it can be slippery, and if the ramp is poorly set up/built it can cause dogs to slip as well which could irritate a past injury if you aren't careful. When you first start out with your dog they likely won't be sprinting to the edge of the dock anyway, but something to keep in mind if you are looking at competing with a dog that may be more prone to injury.
In distance jump, the judge scores your dog at the distance where their base of tail hits the water. To earn your first distance title in NADD, your dog only needs to jump off the dock - nothing fancy! The next level title is for jumps 10'-14'11" if your dog moves up and takes to it well. Some dogs skip levels entirely as well - NADD is really just about the individual dog and competing against yourself which makes it a really rewarding, fun sport that everyone can "win" at.
AGE RESTRICTIONS:
Minimum 6 months old to compete with no age cap.
BREED RESTRICTIONS:
None!
ASSOCIATIONS THAT HOST COMPETITIONS:
North America Diving Dogs (NADD)
HELPFUL DOCK DIVE LINKS FOR BEGINNERS:
A Beginners Guide to Dock Diving
How to Train Your Dog for Dock Diving
Diving Dogs 101: How to Compete in Dock Diving Step-By-Step
LURE COURSE / CHASE ABILITY
If your dog has a desire to chase things and loves to run, this event is for you! Depending on the organization this can be called different things. Lure Coursing was designed for sight hound breeds that are made to run (greyhounds for example), however any breed can practice and compete. Dogs who enjoy the chase can excel in this sport with ease, where they pursue an artificial lure (usually a white plastic bag) either in a straight line or around a predetermined course, demonstrating their natural prey drive and athletic ability in a safe environment.
When running one dog at a time in a straight line either in practice or competition, muzzles are typically not required. These are called a variety of things depending on the organization - chase ability, fast CAT, etc. If you plan on competing at higher levels, you will have to get your dog used to wearing a muzzle and running in one as they are required to wear one when they are placed on the track with other dogs to keep everyone safe.
Physically your dog should be in shape before trying to compete in this as they go from a dead stop to a full out sprint which can put pressure on things especially if they are out of shape and not used to using their bodies. Our dogs LOVE chasing the lure and it's by far their favorite sport that we have introduced to them! Plus it's the easiest for us - no real practice needed, we just show up and let them go.
AGE RESTRICTIONS:
Typically minimum 12 months old to compete with no age cap.
BREED RESTRICTIONS:
None!
ASSOCIATIONS THAT HOST COMPETITIONS:
American Kennel Club (AKC), Canadian Kennel Club (CKC), United Kennel Club (UKC)
HELPFUL LURE COURSE/CHASE ABILITY LINKS FOR BEGINNERS:
The Beginners Guide to Lure Coursing
AKC Fast CAT (Coursing Ability Test)
BARN HUNT
This sport is based on traditional roles of many breeds of ridding farms, barns, etc of destructive vermin. Some breeds were specifically created to fill this role, but many breeds (like American Bullies) who were not designed for it end up really enjoying and excelling in it. The rats used in Barn Hunt are beloved family pets - they jump eagerly into their safe, comfortable aerated tubes to be hidden within the bales for dogs to "find" them. Most dogs love using their noses, so this is a great outlet for them to have a safe, fun, engaging way to do it.
There are a ton of rules to keep the rats safe and things fair - no collar/leash is to be left on the dog during the search, handler cannot touch the dog, etc. In a competitive novice level run your dog must have a successful climb (climb on top of bales), tunnel (go through a tunnel made out of bales), and a "find" (alert the handler to a rat tube where the handler calls out "rat") - this may sound relatively easy, but there is also an empty tube and a tube filled with soiled rat bedding hidden in the bales as well, so it's not as simple as the handler just visually seeing a tube and asking their dog to alert to it. The dog has to use their nose to correctly indicate which tube holds a live rat - not just soiled bedding or jumping on any tube they see.
Woodsie is by far the most intense over this game - he has head butted bales out of the way before and I have to be right on his tail to make sure he doesn't rough house the rats as that is totally unacceptable and not allowed. The rulebook for BHA is extensive since another animal's life is involved in us enjoying a sport, so if you plan on competing make sure you get familiar with it. Things such as not allowing tubes to fall from any distance or get lifted at an angle are things that not many might think about. Saying any sort of bad word (think any four letter word lol) in the ring will also get you DQ'd even if your dog does everything right!
AGE RESTRICTIONS:
Typically minimum 6 months old to compete with no age cap.
BREED RESTRICTIONS:
None!
ASSOCIATIONS THAT HOST COMPETITIONS:
Barn Hunt Association (BHA)
Google Provided Images
NOSE WORK
This is a great game for every dog who loves to use their sense of smell. Modeled after working scent detection dogs, this activity provides a safe and enriching scenario that can be easily performed anywhere and builds a trusting and lasting relationship between the handler and dog. Dogs are taught to "mark" a scent such as birch oil, pine oil, or clove oil (each association is a little different) when they find it. This can be done at home for fun/practice, or in a formal setting that mimics competition. If you have no desire to do this competitively, you can also just do a fun "go find it" game where you hide treats for your dog to seek out. This is extremely rewarding for them and mentally tiring.
Each association runs competitions differently but depending on the level, your dog can do a "box search" where there is a hidden scent in one of up to 10 boxes or storage bins with a hole cut in the top for ease of smelling, and move up to doing vehicle searches where a scent is hidden in a bumper of a specific car or an exterior/interior search with multiple hides and multiple objects. Higher levels will include multiple hides, some on the ground and some elevated. The concept of competitive nose work is that all handlers, and all dogs, regardless of physical structure, should have the opportunity to participate and experience success. Dogs need to correctly indicate to the hide(s) in the allotted amount of time, however certain things can cost them points - did the dog stay focused? Did they have to be reminded multiple times to keep searching? Was the dog disruptive to the search area? These things can deduct points and cost a dog a qualifying run even if they correctly indicate the scent.
AGE RESTRICTIONS:
Typically minimum 6 months old to compete with no age cap.
BREED RESTRICTIONS:
None!
ASSOCIATIONS THAT HOST COMPETITIONS:
American Kennel Club (AKC), Canadian Kennel Club (CKC), United Kennel Club (UKC), Sporting Detection Dogs Association (SDDA), Canine-Work And Games (C-WAGS)
Google Provided Images
HELPFUL NOSE WORK LINKS FOR BEGINNERS:
AKC Try Barn Hunt or Nose Work With Your Dog
AKC Teach Your Dog Scent Work at Home
Learn About Scent Detection & Nose Work