The Many Attractions of Trialing

Just training your dog for general obedience is a great idea, but taking them to the next level and regularly participating in trialling adds a new dimension to the training. Trialling involves taking your dog around a course of obstacle and tests your dog's obedience against the accuracy with the obstacles course. The reward is a strong sense of achievement from knowing that you can successfully train your dog and improve their character. Your dog also admires you more as the pack leader.

Trialling benefits both owner and dog as it tests the working relationship and ability on a competitive basis. Dogs are creatures of habit, so teaching them to walk alongside you in varying conditions - on or off the lead and with or without distractions - is a useful skill they will have for life.

Trialling is a good way to teach you and your dog how to develop the competitive spirit and is one of the few sports where males and females compete against each other. Training and trialling bridges the gap between you and your dog by creating a common bond of understanding and cooperation. Because your dog tries to please you it helps to ripen their personality, devotion and ability.

Training clubs help to spread the good word on the right training and treatment of dogs as well as some good care techniques. It's also important to mention that it is an enjoyable leisure activity for owners as well.

Another great element to trialling is that it allows you and your dog to visit various trials around the country and introduces you to another group of dog owners. It is also the human way in which the basic characteristics of any breed can be polished and preserved.

I personally get a glow out of my involvement.