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FUN ACTIVITIES FOR YOU AND YOUR WESTIE
There are many activities Westie owners can participate in with their
dogs. Our club tries to provide information and training in many of these
areas. Check out our Club Calendar to
see when we might be participating in any of the following activities:
| AGILITY*
 
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Agility, where a dog demonstrates its versatility in
negotiating a variety of obstacles, is simply one of the most enjoyable
activities for dogs. It allows them to race as fast as they can, leap
through the air with abandon and climb to the highest peak - to exercise
many of the activities they love to do - in a competitive atmosphere.
Working with its handler, a dog races through an obstacle course designed
to showcase these natural attributes. Our fastest-growing sport, Agility
is fun and exciting for participants and spectators alike.
Success in Agility requires proper training, patience and, most of all,
teamwork. Between a course's designated start and finish lines, a
dog/handler team races against the clock. The dog is expected to climb an
A-Frame, teeter-totter over a seesaw, soar over jumps, leap through tires,
scurry through tunnels, weave through poles and pause on a table - all
with its handler urging it on, using hand signals while running ahead
setting the pace. There are different height categories so each dog is
tested fairly on the course. |
| CONFORMATION * |
Dog
shows, or "conformation" events, are the signature events of the
AKC. They concentrate on the distinctive features of purebred dogs and
help to preserve these characteristics by providing a forum at which to
evaluate breeding stock. |
| EARTH DOG * |
The roots
of the Earthdog program go back to the beginnings of small game hunting.
Farmers and hunters used the small terriers and Dachshunds to pursue
vermin to its lair and then to follow the game into to the ground. These
dogs had to possess not only the physical attributes that would allow them
to descend into the animal's den and to battle the animal on it's own
terms, but they needed the courage and mental abilities to accept the
challenge of subterranean pursuit.
The American Working Terrier Association initiated artificial den trials
in the US in 1971. Several groups, such as the US Dachshund Field Trial
Club, had tried various "go to ground" programs much earlier but
those had been discontinued shortly after they started. AWTA's program was
designed to encourage the owners of small terriers and dachshunds to take
up actual hunting with their dogs. However, many people felt the need for
a more extensive and challenging test program. In 1988, a group of go to
ground enthusiasts met in Clayton, California and decided to develop a
program which could be accepted by the American Kennel Club. |
| OBEDIENCE *
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Obedience training is the foundation upon which all canine
activities are based, whether conformation, agility, tracking, search
& rescue, service dogs, fieldwork, etc.
In 1933, when AKC Obedience competition began, the concept behind
obedience training was is to develop a very close working relationship
between human beings and dogs, while demonstrating the usefulness and
enthusiasm of dogs. This concept remains as important today as it was when
the program was developed.
There are several levels of obedience, such as the long-standing classes
of Novice (CD, Open (CDX) and Utility (UD). A higher level of competition
was added in recent years, which includes Utility Excellent (UDX) and
Obedience Trial Champion (OTCH). The newest title is to be awarded to the
winning dog at the National Obedience Invitational. The dog that wins this
AKC National Obedience Invitational becomes the National Obedience
Champion for the year. This is the only dog that can carry that
distinction.
AKC Obedience Trials were developed to foster training, as well as, to
demonstrate dogs' willingness, capabilities and enjoyment of working with
and very closely with humans.
Rally-O is the newest obedience event. |
| TRACKING * |
AKC tracking events are the competition form of canine
search & rescue. These Tracking events provide training for dogs and
their handlers to meet some human needs for tracking and finding lost
humans or other animals, as well as, demonstrating the extremely high
level of scent capability that dogs possess.
There are three levels of competition. The Tracking Dog (TD) test is the
entry level test with a short, but challenging track ending with a glove
for the dog to find 30 minutes to 2 hours after the track was laid.
The Tracking Dog Excellent (TDX) test, which is substantially more
difficult, requires the dog to follow scent over extensive terrain and
through many obstacles, such as woods and plowed fields, while
discriminating between tracks of other humans, while indicating 4
different articles left on the track 3-5 hours before.
The Variable Surface Tracking (VST) test is the newest tracking test and
is directed towards urban search & rescue efforts. The test requires
dogs to follow aged scent over several surfaces, such as asphalt,
concrete, bricks, vegetation, etc., while indicating plastic, metal,
leather and fabric articles left on the track 3-5 hours before. A dog
acquiring all three tracking titles earns the coveted Champion Tracker title.
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| CANINE GOOD CITIZEN*
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If your
dog has good manners, he or she may be eligible for an award from the
American Kennel Club….
AKC's Canine Good Citizen® (CGC) Program started in 1989. The CGC is a certification program that is designed to reward dogs who have
good manners at home and in the community. The Canine Good Citizen®
Program is a two-part program that stresses responsible pet ownership for
owners and basic good manners for dogs. All dogs who pass the CGC test
receive a certificate from the American Kennel Club and as of January 1,
1999, they are automatically recorded in the AKC's Canine Good Citizen®
Archive.
CGC is one of the
most rapidly growing programs in the American Kennel Club. T here are many
exciting applications of this wonderful, entry level that go beyond the
testing and certifying of dogs.
In a little over one decade, the Canine Good Citizen® Program has begun
to have an extremely positive impact in many of our communities. This is a
program that can help us assure that the dogs we love will always be
welcomed and respected members of our communities. |
| THERAPY DOG Therapy
Dogs International
http://www.tdi-dog.org/
Delta Society
http://www.deltasociety.org
Dog-Play provides an overview of
animal assisted therapy and animal assisted services.
http://www.dog-play.com/therapy.html
Distinction between Service and
Therapy Dogs
http://www.cofc.edu/~huntc/service.html
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Therapy dogs, perform their tasks by invitation. The
owner of a therapy dog has no more "right" of access to a
hospital, nursing home, or public place than any other able-bodied person
with a pet. (Note that the "right" accrues to the person, in
either case, not to the dog! This is a crucial distinction that many fail
to make.) As you will see in Professor Hunt's Virtual Lecture on Therapy
Dogs, below, most hospitals and some nursing homes require a lot of
paperwork before a therapy dog sets foot in the facility--the same
facility where any person with a disability has a clear right to enter
with his or her service dog.
Visiting with animals can help people feel less lonely, and
less depressed. Visits from dogs can provide a welcome change from
routine, or the renewal of old friendships. People become more active and
responsive both during and after visiting with animals.
An animal visit can offer entertainment, or a welcome distraction from
pain and infirmity. People often talk to the dogs, and share with them
their thoughts and feelings and memories. Animal visits provide something
to look forward to. Stroking a dog or cat can reduce a person's blood
pressure. Petting encourages use of hands and arms, stretching and
turning.
The pet makes it easier for two strangers to talk. It gives people a
common interest and provides a focus for conversation. Many people in
hospitals or group homes have had to give up pet ownership and they miss
the casual acceptance a pet gives them. A dog pays little attention to age
or physical ability, but accepts people as they are. The benefits continue
even after the visit. The visit leaves behind memories not only of the
visit, but of past experiences. It offers something for people to share.
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| Fun Matches |
Held to simulate a 'real' event and used to practice.
The most common fun matches are for agility and obedience. |
* As defined by the AKC
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