Some Other Fun Beardie Activities
Beardies just want to have fun! Whether you're the competitive type, or would rather just kick back and enjoy yourself without all that pressure or having to dress up, there's an activity out there for you. Here are some other things you and your Beardies can enjoy together:
Conformation Showing:
Geez, I never would have believed that I'd be getting active in conformation showing, but Dinah and I have certainly been discovering a great deal together since we embarked on her show career! You can follow our exploits and get a little information about the local show scene from our Dog Show Newbie blog. Here's some useful information about dog showing:
- Beginner's Guide to Dog Shows
- AKC Conformation Information
- York County Kennel Club of Maine, Inc.
- Northeast K9 Events -- a useful list of upcoming shows in New England
- DOG -- Dog Owner's Guide to Conformation Showing (thanks to Gail Brookhart)
- Wikipedia's article about dog showing in the USA and the UK
- The Canadian Kennel Club: The only legitimate CKC registry
Tracking:
Charlie loves, loves, loves tracking! It can be hard to find seminars and tracking tests, but here's one instance where it really pays to persevere. It's always wonderful to see a dog perform the tasks for which that breed was developed, but all dogs have noses, and all dogs derive great joy from being able to use them. Here are some resources for getting started in tracking:
- The AKC's Guide to Tracking
- Gone Tracking: sponsored by the Dog Tracking Clubs of Maine and Massachusetts
- Geoff Stern's amazing list of Tracking Resources
- The Charles River Dog Training Club's list of Tracking Resources
By the way, save all those ripped, disemboweled stuffed toys. They can make great receptacles for treats when you're starting out in tracking.
Dog Camps:
Dog camps are springing up all over the country. Some are general camps that cover the spectrum of dog activities, and some are geared toward one type of activity, such as agility or herding. Duncan and Cadence went to Camp Gone-to-the-Dogs in Vermont, and Duncan also attended Herding Camp there. Although we decided that we preferred to spend our activity time and money doing more specific things, a good general-purpose camp can provide you with a week (or weeks) of opportunities to try out all manner of activities, and to see which ones you like. Here are some camp links for you:
- Camp Gone-to-the-Dogs, Brattleboro, VT
- Camp Unleashed, Lenox, MA
- Dog Days of Wisconsin, Almond, WI
- Camp Winnaribbun, NV
- Clean Run Productions' Agility Camps , Chicopee, MA
In addition to the camps listed here, there are great lists of dog camps around the country at the Dogpatch camp listing and the dog-play camp listing.
Hiking:
Charlie loves hiking with his Dad -- so much so that he'd rather do that than any sort of dog sport. Hiking can be a great way for you and your dog to enjoy the outdoors together and get plenty of exercise. Here are some links you can use:
- Hike With Your Dog! contains links to dog-friendly hikes in the US and Canada, guidebooks, hints and tips, and a list of current regulations for hiking in national and state parks with dogs.
- The dog-play site contains an extensive and helpful list of hiking and camping resources for you and your dog.
- Camping With Your Dog, from Coyote Communications
- Dog Paddling Adventures: A Canadian adventure company that sponsors canoeing trips with dogs
- Newf Goodies has a great list of backpacking and travel resources and recommended books, including canine first aid guides.
Traveling With Your Dog:
Your vacation can be even more fun when you bring your dog with you, but it does take a good deal of research and planning. Here are some links to check out:
Canine Freestyle:
Canine Freestyle is a choreographed performance, set to music. Seamus has had some training in canine freestyle, but the rest of us have only watched it performed. If you're interested in learning more about freestyle, here are some places to get started:
- Canine Freestyle Federation
- WCFO -- the World Canine Freestyle Organization
- Dancing Dogs Video
- Musical Dog Sport Association
Flyball:
Talk about exciting! Flyball is as fast-paced as a dog sport can get. Here are some links for getting started in Flyball:
- The Flyball Home Page
- North American Flyball Association
- United Flyball League (U-FLI)
- Flyball.com -- flyball resources all over the Internet
- i-Flyball -- links for NAFA and U-FLI flyball organizations and flyball lists.
- Flyball Maineiacs
- Maine Coast Runners
TTouch and Canine Massage:
One wonderful, gentle way to bond with your dog is to perform massage or TTouch (Tellington Touch, developed by Linda Tellington-Jones). Some rescuers I know use these techniques to calm and reassure rescue dogs. Cadence and I attended an introductory class in TTouch, and Cadence was used as the demo dog. He fell asleep in the middle of the demo! Here's some basic information to get you started:
- Team TTouch -- Linda Tellington-Jones' site
- TTouch and TTEAM UK
- DOG -- Dog Owner's Guide article on TTouch and submissive urination
Dog Scouts of America
Yes, there is such a thing! Remember the fun you had hiking with your buddies and telling stories around the campfire? Well, now there's the Dog Scouts of America! The focus of the Dog Scouts is socialization and training, but you can also earn merit badges in Community Service and in Cleaning Up America -- as well as in lots of dog-related activities.
There are Dog Scouts troops here in Maine. One is forming at WAG IT in Lincolnvile. One is established in Hancock County, and their Yahoo group email is here.