Canine Athletes 101: How to Get Started with Dog Sports | #DingleDaysPodcast 011

Canine Athletes 101: How to Get Started with Dog Sports | #DingleDaysPodcast 011

HIT PLAY OR READ THE POST BELOW:

🎧 Listen to the episode on: Apple - Spotify - PocketCast - Breaker - RadioPublic - Google

In episode 011 of the Dogs Are People Too Podcast, Geryah DIngle interviewed Sara Brueske of zoomdogtraining.com on how to get started with dog sports.

LET’S TALK ABOUT DOG SPORTS:

Background

Sara is a dog sports coach specializing in developing unique training plans and problem-solving for teams that play in all dog sports. Clear communication and utilizing motivational training are her priority and ensure that both the dog and handler are having fun.

Sara and her twelve dogs compete and train in various sports, including disc dog, agility, obedience, protection sports, nose work, and dock diving.

She started in dog training at the tender age of 11 when she convinced her parents to let her buy her Border Collie because of all the fantastic dog sports she saw on television, such as the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge, which she would work in a full-time capacity for, exhibiting her professional sport dogs as a professional dog trainer.

All About Dog Sports?

During the interview, Sara started with a few examples of dog sports available to pet parents and some of the events one can participate in to give everyone a standard reference. Some of the sports we discussed include the following: Mondioring (Ring Sport), IGP (Schutzhund) - Tracking, Obedience, Protection, Agility, Obedience, Scent Work / Nosework, Disc Dog, and Dock Diving.

Sara noted that “There is a dog sport for every dog and every person.” However, some are much easier to start right away than others. For instance, “Disc Dog, Trick Dog, and Scent Work are some of the easiest dog sports to get started in.”

On the other hand, the availability of some dog sports can vary by region. With Sara’s vast experience traveling the globe, she noted that finding someone to work in the bite suit for IGP was relatively easy abroad, whereas, in the States, IGP is not as popular everywhere.

One focus of the discussion was the various aspects of conditioning that should help foster success for a handler/dog team. Like many professional athletes, handlers should also condition their dogs for the specific physical rigors of their chosen dog sport, as well as environmental conditions.

During the talk, Geryah and Sara also touched on Sara’s work with rescue and foster dogs and some strategies for dog placement to enable a successful pairing.

Sara also discussed some great resources for pet parents, including her course offerings with Fenzi Dog Sports Academy and Consider the Dog.

Check the links below for a complete rundown on this value-packed episode.

Listen to the complete interview in the linked YouTube video above. 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD MY FREE K9 SCENT WORK SCORESHEET!

📲 Connect with Sara Brueske Online & Social Media

The ZoomDog Life Facebook Group www.zoomdogtraining.com

Fenzi Dog Sports Academy www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com

Consider the Dog http://www.considerthedog.com/?via=3c87e2

Facebook: Sara Brueske

Instagram: @zoomdog

HERE ARE THE KEY TAKEAWAYS OF THIS EPISODE:

[00:00] Intro

[01:00] How Sara got started in dog training

[05:30 ]What are Dog Sports

[09:25] Are some dog sports more regionally popular?

[13:22] Sara’s Dog Training Philosophy

[14:29] Barriers to entry for varying dog sports

[16:51] Training Dock Diving

[17:59] Conditioning Dog Sports

[24:56] Rescue / Foster Dogs

[26:05] Dog Placement Strategy

[29:26] Fenzi Dog Sports Academy

[32:22] Dingle Days Rapid Fire Questions

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

➡️ Canine Fitness Program Development https://www.bobbielyonscaninecampus.com/

➡️ Denise Fenzi https://denisefenzi.com/train-with-denise-fenzi/

➡️ Sarah Stremming https://thecognitivecanine.com/

➡️ Hannah Branigan https://hannahbranigan.dog/

➡️ Pat Stuart https://www.operantcanine.com.au/about

➡️ The Canine Paradigm Podcast https://thecanineparadigm.com/

➡️ Cato Boards https://catooutdoors.com/products/cato-board-dog-place-boards

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE

Subscribe & Review on iTunes!

Are you subscribed to my podcast? If not, what are you waiting for!? By subscribing to the podcast, you’ll make sure you never miss an episode (especially sneaky bonus ones!)

If you enjoy the content, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Reviews help other people find my podcast and it also acts as a great way to support our mission! 

Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. 

Not on iTunes? Here are other places to enjoy the podcast: Spotify - PocketCast - Breaker - RadioPublic - Google

Continue to Get After It!

– Dingle Days

Hi, I’m Geryah! I am a dog lover and enthusiast whose life is enriched every day by the company of my furry friend. I started training dogs in 2017, when I decided to make my passion a reality. I film, edit, and post training and pet photography videos with my GSD, Disney on my YouTube Channel: Dingle Days. My mission is to train dogs and teach people to enable pets to best share in our lives.

Hello, World!

Hello, World!