Dog sports are great tools for maintaining this mental and physical energy and developing a strong bond between owner and dog. The German Shepherd is a versatile dog, built for learning and action.
O'Gun of the Chateau de Werde in the practice of the French Ring
Among the most famous dog sports :
- Obedience / rhythmic obedience: precision, attention and teamwork.
- Agility: timed, fun and challenging obstacle course.
- Tracking/utility research: enhancing flair and concentration.
- IGP (formerly RCI): complete discipline combining tracking, obedience and protection.
- Ring, Mondioring, Campaign: highly codified sporting biting work, which requires balanced dogs, with very good physical qualities and combativeness, very motivated, and well supervised
- Sporting herd: reconnecting with the sheepdog's driving instincts
- But also of course cani-cross, cani-mountain biking etc.
Even without aiming for competition, it is entirely possible to practice dog sports at home, such as scenting, tracking, obedience, controlling prey instincts or simple crossings.
Defender Del Camino Duro (property of Des Crocs Véritables))
Let's remember that the German Shepherd is not a Malinois: as a puppy, it may seem less precocious in its bite, more thoughtful, slower to "light up." This in no way presumes its future potential. No doctor was trained in first grade. Let's let the dog grow, mature, and let's get away from the "everything, right away" mentality.
