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Dog Sports terms
Dogs in competition: agility and field sports, greyhound racing, and dog awards and contests.
Dock diving A sport in which dogs run along a dock and leap into a pool, judged on how far or how high they jump, often chasing a toy. Dog agility A timed sport in which a handler directs a dog over an obstacle course of jumps, tunnels, weave poles and ramps, open to purebred and mixed-breed dogs. Earthdog A test in which small terriers and Dachshunds follow a scent through a tunnel to reach a caged quarry, showing their instinct to hunt underground. Flyball A relay sport in which teams of four dogs race over hurdles to a box, catch a ball it releases, and run back to the line, judged on speed and accuracy. Herding trial A competition in which a dog gathers, drives and pens livestock such as sheep or cattle under a handler's direction, judged on control and ability. IGP (Schutzhund) A three-part working-dog sport of tracking, obedience and protection, formerly Schutzhund and IPO, that began as a breed test for the German Shepherd Dog. Lure coursing A sport in which dogs chase a mechanically pulled lure across a field in a pattern that simulates running prey, mainly for sighthounds. Mushing Travelling or racing with a team of dogs that pull a sled, cart or rig, from short sprint races to the long-distance Iditarod in Alaska. Nosework A dog sport in which dogs search rooms, vehicles, outdoor areas and containers for a specific trained odor and alert their handlers. Obedience trial A formal dog sport that judges how precisely a dog performs set exercises such as heeling, recalls, stays and retrieves, in classes from Novice to Utility. Rally A dog sport in which a handler and dog move through a course of numbered signs, each showing an exercise to perform, with talking and encouragement allowed. Scent work Any activity in which a dog uses its nose to find a target odor, from backyard hide-and-seek games to trained detection jobs.