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Showing:
Conformation Dog Shows can
be participated in by the whole family, or a Handler can
be employed to take the dog into the ring. Puppies can
be entered as young as 6 months of age, but for
"practice" puppies as young as 3 months old may enter
Sanctioned Matches. Show dogs have to remain intact to
be eligible, except for Altered Classes at Specialties.
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Carting:
There are many different
types of carting. From competitive carting to
recreational carting, to actual draft dog work.
Essentially, your dog learns to pull some type of
cart. You can compete for a Draft Dog/Carting
Title, you can teach your dog to pull a cart in
which you can ride, or you can even teach your dog
to pull a wagon and help around the property.
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Visitation or Therapy:
This is an activity that
is very rewarding for dog and handler. Whether you
are visiting children at school, patients in a
hospital or the elderly in a nursing home, you will
find you are left with an incredible sense of
fulfillment. The joy these dogs can bring to
someone's eyes is amazing and the ability for them
to connect with the people that need them most is
truly a wonderful thing.
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Weight Pull:
Weight Pull is a
competition based on the draft work that many breeds
of dogs did in the past. The dogs compete in weight
classes against other dogs their size, and they must
pull a cart or sled a certain amount of distance in
60 seconds. The dogs that compete in weight pull
have spent a lot of time conditioning for the event
just like an athletes who work out and prepare
themselves. There is also a bit of training
involved because during the competition, the dog
must pull simply because it wants to as the use of
treats, toys, physical encouragement, etc is not
allowed. This sport takes place mostly during the
winter months and can offset the other activities
which are mostly done during the summer. Aside
from the basic carting instructions, training for
this event should not begin until the dog is
physically mature (about 2 years). This dog is
hauling 6900 pounds.
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Obedience:
Obedience Trials consist
of a set of exercises, which are scored, to test a
dog's ability to follow a single given command. The
dog must achieve a score of 170 out of a possible
200 points in order to qualify for a 'Leg'. They
must get 3 'Legs' to complete their obedience title.
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Rally:
Rally is like a
combination of obedience and agility. It takes the
structured exercises of the obedience course and
puts them in a course type setting. The course will
have 10-20 stations with a sign stating the skill to
be performed. The course is also timed in the case
of a tie in scores to determine class placements.
What makes this an ideal event for Mastiffs is the
ability to talk to the dog throughout, and the
upbeat pace. It keeps it fun for dog and handler.
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Tracking:
The purpose of a
tracking test is to demonstrate the dog's ability to
recognize and follow human scent. This is a
noncompetitive outdoor sport. Tracking tests take a
lot of preparation to pass but give dog and handler
a lot of enjoyment in time spent together.
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Agility:
Agility is a very
exciting sport for you and your dog to participate
in. With proper conditioning and training you and
your dog will demonstrate the ability to run a
timed obstacle course of jumps, tunnels, weave poles
and other obstacles. It is also a great spectator
sport!
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Packing:
With an inexpensive back
pack made for dogs you can take your buddy out on
the trails and have him pack your lunch. When
a big snowfall hits, a trained packdog is handy for
getting the groceries. There are no recognized
"titles" for packing, but it is a handy skill to
have that is very easy to learn, and "loads" of fun.
Note that this pack is equipped with reflective
tape.
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Family Dog:
Mastiffs are usually
patient and gentle with children of all ages. Due
to their size common sense and supervision must be
used as they are capable of knocking small children
down inadvertently. As with any animal, proper
training and socialization of BOTH dogs AND kids is
recommended for best results. In general, Mastiffs
will cohabitate harmoniously with other animals when
raised with them. Naturally protecive of their
family, Mastiffs do not need, nor should they
receive any guard dog training.
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