Prepare for unexpected vet bills
Obedience training of and by itself is an excellent exercise for both your dog’s physical well-being as well as their mental well-being. Unlike regular obedience classes, rally obedience (also called rally-O) is a course consisting of 10 to 20 stations at which you and your dog will stop, obey the posted sign command and then proceed to the next station. Neither a judge nor teacher gives instructions, and you are permitted to guide and instruct your dog as you walk the course. Being a relatively new organized canine activity of less than 10 years duration, there are increasing sanctioning entities for it, beginning with American Kennel Club, World Cynosport (formerly Association of Pet Dog Trainers), Canine Work and Games (C-Wags), Canines and Humans United (CHU), United Kennel Club (UKC) and Swedish Working Dogs Club (SBK). This movement has birthed other organizations, and those entities increase every year. The competition has three levels of recognition: Novice, Advanced and Excellent with Australian National Kennel Council adding a fourth level of Masters. Novice is the only level which one can do the course with the dog on a leash. Price and availability vary by region, but both the cost and the travel distance are well worth it as your dog will get some much-needed exercise for their body and opportunities to work those highly intelligent minds.
Tracking activities, whether practice or training, are an optimal way to exercise the natural hunting and tracking skills of your dog. This activity is a type of canine search and rescue and gives both you and your dog all the practice and experience needed to fill those search and rescue shoes in your future. One of the encouraging things about tracking events is that a dog only needs to complete one course to earn a title, unlike obedience events which require completion of 3 courses before obtaining a designation. Your dog earns awards like Tracking Dog (TD), Tracking Dog Urban (TDU), Tracking Dog Excellent (TDX), Variable Surface Tracking (VST) and Champion Tracker (CT). While this activity might be a little more costly than some, the benefits of bonding and watching your dog use their innate skills is priceless. Are you someone who likes to hike or spend time outdoors, try these tracking events with your dog. It can be loads of fun and gives you bundles of bonding time with your beloved pet.
Flyball for dogs consists of the dog running the length of the course, tapping a lever or button to release a tennis ball. The dog then catches and retrieves the tennis ball and brings it back to the starting point.
What could be more fun and relaxing? A warm, sunny day, soft, warm sand and clear water, gently washing the shore - and whom better to share this experience with than your favorite furry friend?
Your Welsh Sheepdog is a tracker at heart. They love to search and retrieve virtually anything. You can get as creative as you like with those hiding places because your dog is that good!
There are probably hundreds of various types of retrieval games which you can play with your dog, and most likely hundreds more that you can use your imagination to create. Since they are trackers and herders, we can think of no better way to keep those skills honed and well-tuned.
So, now that we have discussed some creative fun things to do with your Welsh Sheepdog, where do you start? If you’re away from your beloved pet all day at work, we recommend incorporating one of these things into your daily routine to prevent the boredom that accompanies being left alone. Some of those annoying and destructive behaviors that develop can be eliminated or reduced by spending quality time with your pet every day. Enjoy the time you spend with your pet and do something from which you both can benefit.