Pets as Performance Dogs

Sporting with your dog can seem like an impossible task as a pet-owner, either with too many options for sports to become involved in, or a training requirement prior to entry that looks too difficult from a distance.

This article hopes to demystify sports, and help you get involved: even pet dogs can have fun with performance venues, and you can too!

Waiting for a turn at Barn Hunt, this Kishu was the first Kishu to earn a Barn Hunt title! Since then, a handful of Kishu Ken have joined and surpassed her!

Find the Right Sport

There are lists of sports out there to enjoy with your dog. The Kishu Ken has skills and abilities the membership have found best suited for the following sport venues:

• Agility
• Barn Hunt
• Lure Coursing
• Obedience
• Tracking

​Kishu are not limited to these venues, and there are many other titles and sports even pet dogs may complete and compete in, but this list is meant as a jumping-off point.

Sports like Barn Hunt and Lure Coursing require very minimal to absolutely no training for even the greenest of Kishu Ken and owner/handler teams, as long as your dogs are registered with the respective organizations/registries. These rely almost purely on your dog's instinct, and can be something you simply sign up for and go. Enthusiasts at these events are generally very helpful when first starting out, and understanding when approached by newcomers to the sports.

Other sports, such as Agility, Obedience, and Tracking, do have a training requirement prior to entry, but many training schools will hold classes or seminars pertaining to these sports, and there are whole additional clubs formed around these sports to help pet owners and serious competitors alike to get involved.

All of these sports can add AKC titles to your dog, and help promote the Kishu breed - but more than that, sports are a fantastic way to bond and train with your Kishu Ken!