AKC Competition: What we do with our vizslas
AKC has a title for “EVERYTHING.” In other words, if you love to compete, AKC has a sport in which you can participate with your dog. For Meghan, competing with her vizslas is only part of the allure. Developing a deep, productive, and unique relationship with each dog is everything. Vizslas demonstrate a ton of personality and desire to please their humans, especially when they feel the relationship is one of teamwork built upon positive reinforcement. With their incredible noses, vizslas make phenomenal scent work and hunting dogs. Their athletic build and agility make them aptly suited for the AKC sport for which such attributes were named: agility! Facilitating that keen desire to please, AKC Rally and Obedience competition allows vizslas to demonstrate their remarkable talents in heeling, making it appear to observers that we are dancing together in the ring.
Please explore the handful of sports and activities Meghan enjoys with her dogs, and feel free to reach out with questions if you’d like to learn more about how to get started. There truly is no greater feeling than the deep, trusting relationship these activities help facilitate. Never again will you ever accept the saying, “oh, it’s just a dog.”
Conformation
A sport, yes, that showcases the vizsla and its adherence to the AKC breed standard. It is the goal of any decent breeding program to be competitive in the conformation ring, as breeders aim to bring their best show prospects to present to the judge. The preparation required to be competitive involves strengthening and conditioning exercises for the dog (and the human!) Also, practiced and refined showmanship of the handler to present the best version of the dog to the judge.
Scent work
One of the most exciting sports that exemplifies the incredible capacity of the canine nose, scent work often feels more like a game. Not only does the dog need to find a particular odor hidden by the judge, but the dog needs to indicate the find to her human so that the handler can alert the find to the judge. Depending on the level of competition, one to multiple hides need to be found. The elements of competition include containers, buried, interior and exterior searches. There even exists a handler discrimination division in which the dog needs to alert on an article that contains its handlers scent. Fun!
Jocko in an Excellent level Interior search.
Ragnar in a Novice level Interior search.
Agility
Jumps, tunnels, weave poles, and a teeter-totter, among other fun obstacles. This is another sport that requires a ton of teamwork and trust between handler and dog. It commands a healthy respect of communication between the two bodies running through the course, and one small change in body language can mean the successful completion of the course or a NQ. Regardless of the final outcome, the goal is always to leave the ring in good spirts.
Hunting Tests
AKC Hunt tests assess and grade the dog’s ability to find and point a game bird. Often, pheasants and chukar are used. In upper levels, the criteria becomes more challenging, but all the more indicative of a good hunting dog. For instance, not only must the dog find and point a bird, but in the upper levels, he must remain steady while the bird is flushed and shot. Only when asked is the dog expected to retrieve the shot bird and bring it to the handler.
Rally and Obedience
A competition that tests the dog and handler’s ability to communicate and work together to accomplish a number of different heeling and other formal exercises, depending on the level. It serves as a great way to challenge the dog to focus and learn how to have fun in a more controlled environment. This game also teaches the handler to work toward consistency in body language, be it through physical movements or verbal cues.
FastCat
This is one of those games where it remains not entirely certain who has the most fun, dog or handler. A test of the dog’s speed and prey drive, the dog is released from a start line and lured by a bag on a string down a chute for 100 yards. A purely innocent game of chase, the dog’s time is recorded and converted to points, which are then accrued toward titles. One must never keep track of the money spent for just seconds of time watching one’s dog run down a chute. However, the pictures captured of one’s dog enjoying the sport are indeed, priceless.
Therapy Work
Though AKC doesn’t have a therapy program, it acknowledges therapy teams credentialed with animal therapy programs. Meghan aligns with Pet Partners and has several animals, both canine and camelid, she uses both in and outside of her work.
