Carting

Carting is where a dog needs to pull a cart between two places on a course. 

It is best suited for larger breeds, as the dog cart will likely be filled with farming equipment, camping items, food, supplies, firewood, and even people. 

If you want to do it for fun, any working breed will probably be willing to do it. However, you need to be careful with the weight of the cart and what you put in it. 

Usually, there are two types of Carting—one where a dog pulls a human in a cart, like in Dry Mushing. The person can steer the cart or use reins and commands to direct the dog. The other version is where a dog pulls a cart of predetermined goods. You are not in the cart. So, you must use commands to tell the dog where to go. 

It would help if you made sure that the cart is a suitable size for the dog, and the filled cart shouldn’t be more than three times what the dogs weigh. 

Disc Dog

Disc Dog is another hugely popular dog sport like Agility. So, you will be able to find classes, clubs, associations, and competitions to enter. 

It is also one of the accessible sports to start with because all you need to do is buy a frisbee and find an open space like a park. 

Nearly all dogs like chasing frisbees, but obviously, some dog breeds will be better than others if you want to compete. 

The good thing about the sport is that you both need to practice the skills. It would help if you practiced throwing the frisbee, and the dog needs to catch it and bring it back. 

There are different disciplines in the sport, the most popular one is where you have to throw it as far as possible, and your dog has to catch it. There are other events, though, like freestyle catching. This is where you choreograph a catching routine with your dog, where it is all about the style of the catches.

Sheepdog Trails or Herding Trials

This is arguably the oldest dog sport in the world. It was designed to show off the skills of farm dogs and their ability to herd sheep. 

It is usually a sport dominated by Border Collies as they are traditional working farm dogs and have been bred to suit this sport. You could try other breeds, but there will probably be a limited success for you. 

You will probably have seen this sport on the TV at some point, or a countryside show. 

You must guide the dog with commands and whistles, and the aim is to use the dog to teach the sheep around a course and into pens. 

This is a high-level sport and is usually only taken up by people with an animal farming background. 

Final thoughts

Whatever sport you choose for your dog, and how seriously you take it, is entirely down to you. Most sports will help keep your dog fit, entertained, increase their ability to take commands, and will build a bond between you and your dog. 

Just make sure you practice good safety, and you do not try to make your dog do anything that is dangerous or that they do not want to do.