Hoopers is a relatively new canine sport. Therefore, you might have never heard about it. Obstacles are designed with minimum requirements for the musculoskeletal system of both the dog and its handler. So, it’s also good for older four-legged pets as well as not very sporty dogs.
Hoopers is a new separate discipline based on agility. It comes from the USA and you might have seen it in the Czech Republic only in the last couple of years. It’s time actively spent for dogs even though the obstacles are not very demanding. The advantage is that a handler’s physical disability doesn’t stand in the way of enjoying this activity with the dog.
It’s because the dog runs around and through the individual obstacles on its own, guided by visual and voice instructions of the handler. At the same time, the obstacles are completely safe and have minimum requirements for the musculoskeletal system of the dog. Therefore, it’s a sport suitable not only for dogs of all sizes and age groups but also for those with physical abilities who can’t jump anymore.
Training and the whole learning process makes use of non-coercive means. Clickers are used a lot. The objective is to teach the dog to understand and then also to respond to voice and visual instructions in a way it could go through the track on its own, i.e. independently on the movement of the handler. All obstacles are on the ground level. The dog has to either run through, around or along them.
Doing this sport, the dog moves a lot and the handler a little. So, if you are too slow for your dog when trying agility, you can try hoopers! It is also a great opportunity for example for dogs who have been excluded from agility races due to an injury, but which have not lost their active sparkle and miss obstacles. Last but not least, it can also be an option to tire indefatigable dogs without being totally exhausted yourself.
Does it seem interesting? There is at least one dog school in practically all regions of the Czech Republic that trains this sport, so it won’t be a problem for you to find one in your vicinity.
If you have decided to buy a purebred cat, you still have a lot of questions ahead of you. Which breed should you choose? A female cat or a tomcat? A kitten or an adult? Only if you consider everything carefully, you'll get the right companion for...
Lots of rabbit lovers choose this breed mainly by its appearance. The cuter, the better. But maybe they don’t know that a certain kind from the order of lagomorphs lives in nature, and hardly any domestic rabbit can match it in its cuteness. The same...
If you've noticed that your fluffy friend excessively licks and nibbles at his paws, you should not leave it like that. It might have several causes. Whether it's a psychological problem, allergy, yeast or other problem, the situation must be...
Did you know that our senses include the perception of the magnetic field? While we have almost lost this ability already, dogs still have it and use it every day. Do you know for what?
The British Shorthair cat is without a doubt the most popular cat breed not only in the Czech Republic, but also in the rest of Europe. This is caused not only by its appearance of a small Teddy bear, but also a mild, trouble-free nature.
In individual rodents, we’ll find breeds that are more popular with breeders than others. One of those is the American Teddy, typical with its peculiar hair structure that gives it the appearance of a teddy bear.
There is certainly no doubt that the Labrador belongs among the best known and most popular dog breeds. The reason is his extraordinary versatility, adaptability, intelligence and loyalty. Like the British Shorthair cat, the Labrador Retriever can be...
To spend a few days outside of civilisation - in the forest, on the ridges of the mountains - away from the hustle of the cities, in the wilderness and ideally with your dog. An imaginary return back to nature is the trend that did not avoid even the...
Hunting and exercise. If the dog loves both these activities, then coursing is the perfect activity for it. This cross-country race is based exactly on the desire of the dog to catch its prey.
No matter how thorough we are with the prevention, a situation might come up when a dog or a cat will get to a poisonous thing, whether it’s by our inattention or it's somebody else’s fault. That’s why it’s not off-topic to prepare yourself for the...
Under the name of dogtrekking, imagine an orientation walk with the dog. Official rules rank it among extreme dog endurance sports.
There may be more causes of dog fear. And the first step to eliminate it is to find out its origin and cause.
