Why are fun and titles in our dog activities important to us? I’m sure many people wonder why we are always taking classes and entering events, so I thought I would give you our thoughts.
Fun!
Do you remember why you got your dog in the first place? Hopefully you got a dog for companionship and for fun! Never lose sight of the fun thing! If you and your dog don’t have fun, there is something wrong.
Dogs don’t need to be involved in sports to have fun. Katie never did dog sports, but she had a lot of fun doing lots of activities like walking, running, traveling, and hanging out with her sisters and Mom. Fun always makes a dog and their human happy. Fun doesn’t need to be complicated and can be as simple as a belly rub or it can be a long term process involving dog sports you train for.
Sometimes fun involves dogs playing together without the human being involved. Humans often have their fun watching dogs play. Dogs love to learn, so taking classes, learning dog sports can be a fun time for you and your dog, and it will help you bond even more.
Titles!
If you are having fun, why do you need a title? Answer: you don’t. You can do dog activities and sports for a lifetime and never compete and that is perfectly fine. My mom likes the competition thing, so we have tons of fun learning and training, and the title is just another layer of fun. We love how excited and proud Mom gets when we title in something.
One thing to watch out for is to make sure fun and titles are working together. If you and your dog are not having fun, like Mom, Bailie and me with Barn Hunt, then it’s time to quit. Find something else that is fun to do.
If you are competing first and foremost, have fun. If you are having fun, the title will come. There is nothing worse than seeing those few people who want the title at all costs, and there is no fun involved. Competition is a chance to be with your dog doing what you love to do together. Title or no title, it is all about spending that time together, trying to achieve your common goal.
For us, a title is more than just bringing home a ribbon and the title. Titles are something that will be there forever, long after the dog and human are gone. A title says that the dog and their human worked together hard enough to achieve a common goal. No one can take away a title. The above photo was Mom and I with our first ever nose work title. We were both so proud!
Being a rare breed, titles are even more special as we are often the first ones of our breed to achieve a title in a sport. Years down the road when someone looks up NACSW nose work titles by breed, they will see my name as the first one of my breed to achieve the title, Bailie as the second dog, perhaps Madison will be the third.
Whether you do activities with your dog for fun and titles, or just for fun, remember, fun is what makes it all worthwhile! Are you having fun with your dog?
I always have fun with Katie even walking in the rain. That’s because I love her so much but I don’t think we will get a title for that.
Fun is the most important thing around! Titles are not necessary, but if you do try for one, you need to have fun doing it, or don’t do it at all. You should come here. We have plenty of rain to walk in!
I’m definitely in the FUNS camp, I’m always making my peeps laff!
Loves and licky kisses
Princess Leah xxx
PeeS I’m rather good at hugs and snuggles as well
Fun is awesome!
Fun is a big part of our household. We have fun and play all the time with mom
Lily & Edward
That work thing gets in the way of fun some times for us, but we still manage to have lots of fun.
you said it well… it is a part of togetherness and of having fun together… and you can learn from others, you can make friends and you see some other places you maybe will like… or not ;O))) … so to do something sporty together is a part of being a furmily, like the parts of a cake, where all together make that thingy round and tasty… and the title is a kind of topping, you will get one or even not, but your “furmily-cake” is great anyway :O)
The whole process of trying is fun and the title is just a result of all the fun you had trying…or the cake topper 😉
I love it that you are the FIRST GBGV to be titled in NACSW nose work! You go, girl! You are all fabulous and have such fun-filled lives. I really had fun earning my CGC. I have fun every single day. XOXO, Sparkle
I bet you have a lot of fun with your mom. Titles are great to have, but they are not what it is all about. It’s all about the fun and the titles can be a result of all the fun. You can be proud of your CGC at such a young age!
We always have fun watching all of you having such a good time!
We are fortunate to have so many opportunities for fun.
We just enjoy being together without any competitions. Mom says that she had her fill of competing as a cheerleading coach. She is way too competitive so we are glad to not compete. We are always soooo proud of y’all! XXOO ♥
Mom is really competitive too, so she gets really frustrated sometimes, but that drives her to try even harder with us. Competition is definitely not for everyone.
We always make put a little fun in every day!!
I think you guys have lots of fun and lots of adventures.
You and your sisters make my day fun, you are all so beautiful and it’s interesting to read about all your adventures
Thank you. We love to make people happy and we enjoy sharing our stories.
I couldn’t agree more. Fun is what it’s all about. I train Shyla and R to do all sorts of things but we’ve never competed. I don’t think that it would be fun for Shyla to go to a trial so, unless she makes a big transformation, we probably won’t. But, if it’s fun for you, go for it!!!!!! You are amazing people-dog teams!!
One doesn’t have to compete. Competition is tough, but we like it and Mom loves the challenge. As long as one has fun, it’s all that matters.
We agree…fun and dogs go hand and paw together!
Dogs and humans are a perfect match for fun and companionship.
Great post! I love titles and ribbons too, a title junkie! And I have fun doing it as well as the pups.
Mom says she has decided she is a dog sports addict and is proud of it!
We would like to congratulate you on your titles! Yes, we have fun together every day.
xo Jeanne and Chloe
Thank you. We know you have tons of fun and lots of love, and that is always the most important thing.
Any time learning is made fun – for human or canine – it’s a WIN!
Fun always needs to be goal one.
Dogs need walking and exercises every day and it is a great motivation for us, dog owners, be more active as well. We have a lot lo learn from dogs. They are happy with any weather, rain, sun or snow. it is important for us also to enjoy oxygen and outdoors each day and any weather. Thank you my dog for helping me be more acitve! My blog: http://www.fordogtrainers.co.uk
We never actually competed for a title, but for me it was always about the fun. And the bonding, because playing and learning with your dog also helps strengthen your bond.
Good job on the titles!
It doesn’t have to be about titles. First and foremost is our having fun with our mom, but for us the titles just add more fun to the whole thing.
I think I disagree with you on the importance of titles. Titles are an objective measure of a dog’s ability to do something. Many titles do not involve completion. Some do and some do not. We prefer to stick with titles that are important to our breed (conformation which is competitive and hunt test which is not). Both are evaluations of our dog’s fitness to do the things they have been bred to do. I kind of hate that the AKC has dumbed down a bunch of their titles. Trick dog? I would say these are giving titles just to give them and they are meaningless. If I am looking for a dog for a purpose, I want to see titles with meaning.
I agree with titles that have meaning. We are only interested in tracking, and nose work, both of which we are bred for as scent hounds and for some fun rally and agility, but some of the titles are ridiculous.
It’s true; the main thing is to have fun, then the title comes the second. My old JRT+Whippit mutt LOVES to roll on the grass and hunting for cats, while he’s so lazy when sick. It’s all fun and play to him, but he’s a trained dog, so we won some competitions on the past. Unlike any others, we both have fun doing it.