Photo Credit: “For the Love of Dogs”
Looking for something fun and new to do with your dog? Consider dog sports! Dogs need physical and mental stimulation which is why trying new activities is great for them. Back in July of 2024, Kristin with “For the Love of Dogs” joined us on Facebook Live to talk about their training facility and how to get involved in their many classes and competitive events!
Located in Mendota Heights, MN, “For the Love of Dogs” offers basic obedience and manners/rally classes, as well as specialized activities like dock diving, barn hunt, and nose work. They also provide certification testing for the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen (CGC). Massage, chiropractic, and rehabilitation services are also available onsite for dogs!
Photo Credit: “For the Love of Dogs”
So, if you’re looking for something fun to do with your dog, here’s a breakdown of the three activities offered at “For the Love of Dogs”:
1. Dock Diving
“For the Love of Dogs” has an onsite, indoor 50-foot pool with a 40-foot dock. Dock diving is a fun bonding activity where you toss a toy into the pool for your dog to retrieve, which provides great exercise and mental stimulation.
Your dog will probably enjoy this sport if they:
- Love swimming and getting wet
- Like to chase or retrieve
- Are toy-motivated (no treats in the pool!)
How to Get Started:
“For the Love of Dogs” offers 25-minute private lessons for one or two of your dogs. An instructor will help teach your dog safe water entry and exit, eventually progressing to jumping from the two-foot platform. These lessons will help your dog get more comfortable in the pool and on the ramp, as well as help you improve your tossing and timing as your dog jumps and dives. Learn more here!
Note: Group classes are not offered due to insufficient pool time for each dog.
Photo Credit: “For the Love of Dogs”
2. Barn Hunt
“For the Love of Dogs” has a closed-off indoor barn hunt ring that features straw bales with hidden tubes. These tubes contain pet rats (note: rats are not harmed!) and have holes so the rats can breathe. There are also empty tubes and tubes containing rat bedding to challenge the dogs. The goal is for the dog to find the tubes containing rats and alert the handler, who then identifies if the dog is correct.
Your dog probably won’t enjoy barn hunt if they’re afraid of rodents – or if you, the handler, are afraid of rodents.
How to Get Started:
“For the Love of Dogs” offers both private lessons and groups classes for barn hunting that are 25 minutes. Only one dog is in the barn hunt ring at a time. Learn more here!
Photo Credit: “For the Love of Dogs”
3. Nose Work / Scent Work
Dogs have an amazing sense of smell and a natural desire to hunt. The activity and sport of nose work is designed to develop your dog’s natural scenting abilities by using their desire to hunt and their love of toys, food, and exercise.
How to Get Started:
Nose work classes at “For the Love of Dogs” are very popular and periodically on a waitlist, but if that is the case, you can request to be added to the wait list. Learn more here. In the meantime, barn hunt is a viable alternative for nose work since both courses teach different versions of scent work.
Reactive Dogs
Barn hunting and nose work are great activities for reactive dogs! It helps them focus their energy on a task, such as finding a rat, instead of worrying about the world around them. Plus, barn hunt and nose work offer a more controlled environment since there’s typically only one dog in the ring at a time. Thus, distractions are reduced, reactive dogs can more thoroughly concentrate on their job!
Canine Performance Events (CPE)
If you are interested in competing, “For the Love of Dogs” hosts Canine Performance Events (CPE) for dock diving, barn hunt, and nose work. You can learn more about these events on their website here.
You are also welcome to come and observe these events! But be warned – if you are ringside at a barn hunt event, you may be handed a tube with a rat inside! You will be expected to accept the tube and hand it off to someone who knows what to do with it!
Keep in mind that different dogs excel in various sports based on their natural breed(s). Labradors and Whippets, for example, are great at dock diving due to their jumping ability. But any dog that loves water and toys may enjoy the sport! Meanwhile, some smaller dogs may not be as fond of water, but instead, they may excel in barn hunt where their keen sense of smell and hunting instincts can shine!
The bottom line for any dog sport or enrichment activity is…try it! You never know what your dog (and you!) may enjoy until you try it. Keep in mind that it may take a few repetitions for your dog to get into it, so “For the Love of Dogs” encourages newcomers to try one or two lessons before making any final decisions!
If you’re interested in getting your dog involved in canine sports, talk to your family veterinarian about your dog’s health and performance limitations. Then, we recommend checking out For the Love of Dogs to get started!
