Agility
Agility is an action–packed rollercoaster of excitement for you and your dog. It’s made up of various obstacles for your dog (not you!) to run through, jump over, and weave in and out of – and all against the clock! Not only does agility test your dog’s fitness, it also measures your ability as a handler to direct your dog through the course.
The Kennel Club website has lots of information about Agility which can be found here.
We would love to hear from owners of Welsh Springer Spaniels taking part in Agility who would be willing to share experiences with other owners. Contact Us using our contact form.
Obedience
Competitive obedience publicly showcases the training you and your dog have achieved through a set of obedience tests. General training classes will teach you the basics and then if you decide you want to progress in this discipline your dog could even end up doing such advanced exercises as scent discrimination.
There are seven levels of obedience classes at shows and dogs start in the basic introductory class. By gaining a series of 1st prizes, dogs qualify through to class C, the highest and most difficult. Exercises range from heelwork (on and off the lead), to a scent discrimination exercise. There are numerous obedience shows held in the UK.
The Kennel Club website has lots of information about Obedience which can be found here.
We would love to hear from owners of Welsh Springer Spaniels taking part in Obedience who would be willing to share experiences with other owners. Contact Us using our contact form.
Rally
Rally (or ‘Rally O’ as it’s known in the USA) is a canine activity derived from the heelwork elements of competitive obedience. However it differs from obedience, primarily in that competitors and dogs attempt a preset course with signs placed at up to 18 stations along the course, requiring them to perform one of around 80 different preset exercises. The selection of exercises and design of the course is at the judge’s discretion. Each individual round is performed at a brisk pace and takes around three minutes.
There is no direction from the judge or steward as in obedience. The signs are all the guidance competitors receive. At level 1 and 2, the first two levels, dogs compete on lead and a loose lead is emphasised. The handler may give verbal commands and encouragement throughout as necessary. More advanced levels require dogs to compete off lead.
The Kennel Club website has lots of information about Rally which can be found here.
We would love to hear from owners of Welsh Springer Spaniels taking part in Rally who would be willing to share experiences with other owners. Contact Us using our contact form.
Heelwork to Music
The discipline is divided into two divisions: one is heelwork to music and the other is freestyle. The overarching title for the two divisions is heelwork to music, which is usually abbreviated to HTM.
Heelwork to music came originally from the discipline of dog obedience and uses the heelwork elements of that discipline. It requires a dog to walk/trot at heel in any of the eight prescribed heelwork positions and the handler to choreograph that heelwork to a piece of music. The dog must be in a heelwork position for at least two thirds of a heelwork to music routine. The remaining one third may be freestyle.
The Kennel Club website has lots of information about Heelwork to Music which can be found here.
We would love to hear from owners of Welsh Springer Spaniels taking part in Heelwork to Music who would be willing to share experiences with other owners. Contact Us using our contact form.
Scentwork
Scentwork is when a dog uses its sense of smell to identify and locate a scent which it has been trained to detect.
Dogs have a highly sensitive nose, vastly superior to our own. Scentwork is a natural behaviour for a dog and essential in hunting and finding prey. As man’s best friend, this behaviour has been put to many uses – for example in police work, search and rescue, and hunting. As a dog sport, Scentwork has emerged from detection style nosework as practiced by customs and excise, explosives detection, search and rescue and medical detection dogs.
The Scentwork UK website has lots of information about Scentwork which can be found here.
We would love to hear from owners of Welsh Springer Spaniels taking part in Scentwork who would be willing to share experiences with other owners. Contact Us using our contact form.
Trick Dogs
Have fun with your four legged friend learning new tricks and behaviours to show off to your friends.
The Trickdogs UK website has lots of information about Trick Dogs which can be found here.
We would love to hear from owners of Welsh Springer Spaniels taking part in Trick Dogs who would be willing to share experiences with other owners. Contact Us using our contact form.
PAT Dogs
Pets As Therapy (PAT) is a national charity that enhances the health and wellbeing of thousands of people in communities across the UK. We strive to ensure that everyone, no matter their circumstances, has access to the companionship of an animal.
Our volunteers and their temperament-assessed pets visit establishments such as care homes, hospitals, hospices, schools and prisons, and bring smiles to many faces. People of all ages get the chance to chat to someone — and stroke and cuddle a friendly dog or cat.
The Pets As Therapy website has lots of information about PAT Dogs which can be found here.
We would love to hear from owners of Welsh Springer Spaniels registered as PAT dogs who would be willing to share experiences with other owners. Contact Us using our contact form.
