CAVALIERS IN SPORTS
You may wonder why you'd ever want to do a sport with your cavalier - aren't they just lap dogs?? It's true - they may love to sit on your lap and provide cuddles, but they also love to play - and play with YOU! In fact, their desire to play WITH YOU is one of the reasons they are one of the best kept secrets in the dog sport world!
Participating in a sport with your dog isn't just about them, though - it's about you. It's about building a relationship with your dog that is incomparable. Something special happens as you and your dog develop skills required to participate in a sport - you learn how each other communicates, you learn how to support each other, you learn to trust each other, and you truly become a team. It is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have.
Now which sport to choose?? Cavaliers can do it all, so the sky is the limit. Some cavaliers may have preferences for specific sports over others, but you will not be at a loss for finding a sport - your real issue will be narrowing down which ones you participate in!
A sampling of some of the sports that our club members participate in (as well as their contact info) can be found below. However, cavaliers can basically do ANY sport - for a list of all AKC sports available, you can visit the AKC Sports pages.
AGILITY
The following answers regarding agility were provided by Jessica Hillman and Victoria Babcock, members of CKCSCGA. If you'd like more information about getting your dog involved in agility, you can reach out to them directly at victoriaandjessbahill@gmail.com.
What do your dogs enjoy about agility?
“Agility and dog sports in general have become such an integral part of our lives, and it has allowed us to really bond with the dogs. Jess runs and trainings with Gigi and Victoria runs and trains with Westley. It's very clear who lays down the law with both of them and it's clear that they both love the individualized attention. It's also been really great at boosting their confidence. They don't hesitate to storm up an A-Frame or run into a dark tunnel. They know that if they work they get their chicken chips or Charlee Bears. They both love jumps, but also have their own favorite obstacles. Westley is still king of the A-frame and Gigi could spend all day running tunnels. It's really rewarding for all of us. The dogs get so excited when they're on-deck to step into the ring.”
What unique quality do cavaliers bring to the agility field?
"They're just so happy to be there. They could be dead last, miss every obstacle, and run so slow that the clock stops... but still wag their tail and act like you hung the moon in the middle of the ring for them. I think a lot of people see Cavaliers and think they won't have the drive for a sport like agility, but I really disagree. They're so eager to please, quick, and intelligent. That to me is a perfect agility dog. Breeds that are "typical" agility dogs can get really caught up in just taking obstacles and overthinking it, but in our experience we've been able to avoid that because our dogs want our attention. They do an obstacle and instantly look to reconnect with us. It's also really nice to have a breed that can “turn it off.' They'll let us have it while we're training and sprint around at the trials, but once we're back home it;s snuggle-on-the-couch-o'clock”
BARN HUNT
Barn Hunt, in the simplest of terms, is a hide-and-seek game you play with your dog! The game consists of the rats who are “hiding” in the hay (in protective tubes), and it’s up to you and your pup to find where they are. Your pup uses its instincts and powerful snoot to sniff out where the rats in the tubes are hidden. Other expectations of the game are that your pup must climb up onto a hay bale with all four paws at least once per run, as well as go through a tunnel made from hay bales at least once. If neither of these requirements are met, even if you find all the rats, the run does not qualify until your dog performs the tasks.
Cavaliers were bred to use their nose and find game, so they naturally want to run through brush and give into the hunt. With that said, does that make all Cavaliers good at Barn Hunt? Not necessarily. It just means the breed is prone to aspects that play into Barn Hunt. All dogs, regardless of breed, are unique individuals at the end of the day. While all Cavaliers do share common traits, no two are exactly the same. What one Cavalier may like, another may detest. For what one Cavalier is adept at, another may just fall a little short. I know of Cavaliers who are super into the game and little masters at hunting down rats. And I know one Cavalier who can’t stand the smell of them! There’s no guarantee that your particular pup will be a rat finder extraordinaire, or that they may have any interest in the game at all. But, I highly recommend at least giving it a try and seeing. Once more, there are predilections in Cavaliers that make them innately inclined towards Barn Hunt I feel shouldn’t be ignored. As for how will you know if they like it, and are enjoying themselves? Well… That’s even more self-evident!
If you'd like more information on barn hunt, you can reach out to Nancy Jackfert at nancy.jackfert@gmail.com.
Fast CAT
Fast CAT® – which stands for Coursing Ability Test – is a timed 100-yard dash where dogs run one at a time, chasing a lure. It’s over before you know it — and it’s nothing short of awe-inspiring to watch your dog run at top speed, ears back, eyes focused, legs strong. And if your dog is really fast, you might earn bragging rights if their name makes onto our list of top 20 fastest dogs by breed!
According to one AKC official, “The Fast CAT® provides a terrific opportunity to introduce new participants to the world of AKC sports as one of the few events where all that is needed to compete is a dog’s natural instincts.”
You may think that your cavalier that sits on your lap and sleeps so much of the day would not be interested in this sport, but you'd be wrong! They love to chase the bag and some of them are blazing fast (despite all the hair!!)
If you'd like more information on Fast CAT, please reach out to Nancy Jackfert at nancy.jackfert@gmail.com.
OBEDIENCE
Obedience is one of the AKC’s oldest sporting events, and it’s open to all dogs. From walking on- and off-leash to retrieving and jumping, or demonstrating your dog’s ability to stay, Obedience trials feature dogs that are well-behaved at home, in public places, and in the presence of other dogs. It is essential that the obedience dog demonstrates willingness and enjoyment while it is working with the handler.
Cavaliers make amazing little obedience dogs. They are genearlly eager to please and love to spend time with their human. Obedience gives the handler a forum to build a very close relationship with their dog - it's like performing a perfectly choreographed routine where both handler and dog have attention on each other and nothing else in the area matters. Outside of the fun of the performance, you build a dog that you can easily take in public and navigate the world with ease - reliable stays, focus on handler (and not whatever else is going on), and ability to follow direction under stressful circumstances (which is especially helpful in safety situations!)
If you'd like more information on getting started with obedience, reach out to Beth Lassiter at bethlassiter76@gmail.com.
SCENTWORK
Scent Work is fairly new to AKC. The original sport was developed by a different organization (NACSW) in 2006 by police dog trainers. Their intent was to bring the concept of detection-dog style training to dog lovers and their companion dogs. An enthusiastic community was soon created and the desire to have fun competitions in this new activity grew. AKC added the sport officially in October 2017.
There are four different areas (elements) that the dog must search - Interiors (inside), Exteriors (outside), Containers (boxes, plastic containers, etc), and Buried (bins filled with sand or water where the hide is buried under the sand or water). Novice levels begin with one hide per element and relatively straight-forward problems. As dogs progress through the levels, more hides are added and problems become more complex.
Cavaliers make amazing scent work dogs! If your dog can find your dinner on the table when you're eating, then they're already doing scent work! It's especially great for dogs that may be retiring from other more intense sports (like agility or Fast CAT), so they still are busy using their brains but having a little less impact on their joints.
If you'd like more information starting your cavalier in scentwork, reach out to Beth Lassiter at bethlassiter76@gmail.com