All dogs are good agility dogs — that was the message of the Otago Canine Training Club’s 60th anniversary weekend.
More than 180 dogs — and about 160 dog owners — participated in the weekend’s event at Forrester Park, which included a range of agility and obedience activities on Saturday and yesterday.
"Any dog makes a good agility dog.
Ms Smith said the club began with a focus on obedience, but had branched out over the years to focus more on agility activities.
The weekend’s events featured a mix of jumping and tunnel exercises, as well as some stricter obedience courses.
"Some of the obedience dogs are really impressive — they’re able to keep far more still than humans.
"A large part of what we do is our canine companion course, but we run a whole lot of dog sports that have a mix of everything.
"We sometimes have an event that’s a bit like snooker for dogs — where the dogs herd big balls into select areas."
It was the location and the general variety that was the secret to the club’s longevity, Ms Smith said.
"It’s a really good way to build a relationship with your dog.
"Dogs really like mental exercises as much as physical exercises, so any kind of training is really useful for making your dog a more pleasant family dog.
"Most of the dogs here are as comfortable slouched on the couch as they are running around doing lots of crazy things."
Nikki Steyn, who was competing with her dog Nitro, said the event was a "blast".
She had been training with various dogs in agility courses for 10 years.
"We’ve got our national agility course [in Upper Hutt] in October — that’s a huge event ... When you get it right, it’s a great feeling for you and the dog."
