DOG SPORTS
The Great Dane traces its historic roots to running down large game, particularly boars, across the natural terrains of Germany. He was bred to be a powerful hunter with stamina. That design is evident in the Great Dane of modern times. He is an athletic, powerful, intelligent and highly versatile dog. The American Kennel Club (AKC) and other organizations have a wide variety of activities to participate in at which the Great Dane is known to excel. Here are some descriptions:
Conformation Showing
The official term for dog shows is conformation – as in, the act of conforming or producing conformity. While a dog show may look like a beauty pageant, it’s not: Dogs are not being compared to each other; they’re being measured by how closely they conform to the standard of their particular breed. Why? Because the closer a dog’s appearance is to the breed’s standard, the better that dog’s ability will be to produce puppies that meet the standard. The size of conformation events range from large all-breed shows, with over 3,000 dogs entered, to small local specialty club shows that feature only one breed. Each dog is exhibited (“handled”) by its owner, breeder or hired professional (“handler”). Most dogs compete toward their AKC championships. It takes 15 points to become an AKC “Champion of Record.” The maximum number of points awarded at any event is five. Males and females compete separately within their respective breeds.
For more information visit: Get Started in Conformation Dog Shows – American Kennel Club
Rally and Obedience
Two similar and related performance competition activities in which you work with your Dane on healing, sit, down, stay, recall, retrieve, sending over a jump, etc. Rally and Obedience both have different levels of competition that are challenging and fun for you and your Great Dane at any age!
For more information on obedience visit: Obedience Trials for All Dogs and Owners – American Kennel Club
For more information on Rally visit: AKC Rally® Dog Sport for All Dogs and Owners – American Kennel Club
Agility
A performance competition activity where you guide your dane through an obstacle course that may include tunnels, weave poles, jumps and other objects like an A-frame, balance beam and teeter-totter. This activity truly challenges the Great Dane’s physical capability along iwth working as a team alongside you!
For more information visit: Agility Sports for All Dogs and Owners – American Kennel Club
Barn Hunt
A performance competition activity where your Dane uses its instinct to locate a rat in a container that is hidden on a course with straw bales that imitates a barn environment. The course also includes a tunnel. This activity also has different levels and can be fun for you and your Great Dane of any age!
For more information on barn hunt visit: Barn Hunt Association
Lure Coursing
A performance event that tests your Great Dane’s natural instinct to chase prey. Here, plastic bags are tied to a line that is pulled along the ground by a motor through either 100 yards (Fast CAT) or 300-600 yards (Coursing Ability Test). Great Danes love this activity because the love to run and to use their natural instincts to hunt! Fast CAT is also timed and converted into miles per hour and the dogs are ranked across the nation.
For more information visit: Coursing Ability Test (CAT) – American Kennel Club
Trick Dog
An activity where your Great Dane learns and performs tricks. There are several levels of trick dog to test in and earn titles. This activity is wonderful for mental stimulation and to form a working bond together with your Dane. Great Danes are smart and do very well at Trick Dog!
For more information on Trick Dog visit: AKC Trick Dog – American Kennel Club
Scent Work
A performance activity that requires your Great Dane to use his nose to locate different scented oils (such as Birch, Clove and Anise). Like other dogs, Great Danes have a powerful sense of smell and excel at this activity. It is also mentally challenging and lets you and your Dane work together as a team. This is a great activity for your and your Great Dane of any age!
For more information visit: AKC Scent Work – American Kennel Club
and
NACSW | NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CANINE SCENT WORK
Dock Diving
Did you know that many Great Danes love water and swimming? Often, if the Dane is introduced to water at a young age, they really enjoy it and are good swimmers. They also love to chase toys. In Dock Diving the Dane learns to jump from a wooden dock into an above ground pool to fetch his favorite toy! Sometimes they like it so much its hard to keep them out of the water! Doc Diving is a competitive activity where the jump is measured and ranked nationally!
For more information on Dock Diving visit: NORTH AMERICA DIVING DOGS
Trailing and Locating, Urban Locating and Shed Dog
In addition to Barn Hunt, Great Danes can also use their instinct to find rats in an urban environment (Urban Locating) rather than a barn as well as track rat scent to the source (trailing and Locating). Shed Dog is a competition where your Great Dane finds antlers of animals like Deer in a natural-type environment.
For more information visit: North American Sport Dog Association – Celebrating Canine Versatility