Go play!

Yesterday evening I led the drop-in training session for our obedience club. As everybody was heeling around, looking extremely terrific and ready for competition, it occurred to me that not enough people have enough fun with their dogs.
There are so many events that people can play in with their dogs: obedience, rally obedience, tracking, herding, water tests, agility, flyball, disc dog, dock dog. There's really something for everybody!
The real shame is that people think that the movie "Best in Show" is an accurate depiction of the sub-culture of dogs we're part of. It's not - not even close. I'm not denigrating conformation - which is the "beauty pageant" part of the dog world. It's just not my world in dogs. I enjoy the training part - becoming a team with my dog. Even the competition part is secondary for me. I just love working with my dog and seeing the light bulb turn on when she figures out what I'm asking her to do. And we're both so proud of her when she (and I) get it right! It's fun.
I'm not saying that everybody needs to spend all their free time doing dog stuff. But I think that getting involved is good for everybody. It's particularly wonderful to see kids involved in dog training.
So, some weekend soon, go check out a dog event in your community (leave your dog at home). You may discover that Agility looks like the most fun you can have vertically. Obedience may be your "thing." Discover new ways to have fun with your dog!
Check out the American Kennel Club events here: http://www.akc.org/events/search/