Working Shorty Bull

Canine sports require a healthy sound dog. Even when you have a healthy Shortybull sports injuries may happen. Remember to start when you Shortybull is full grown, in good shape and healthy. Training a bully breed to compete in sports such as obedience, agility or fly ball is specific to bully breed’s unique traits. Shortybulls have high play drive and a desire to please so they excel in sports.

AGILITY:

Timed obstacles race - it is fun to watch and even more fun to join. If you want to train for agility you should get your dog to master basic obedience first. Then take a class on agility where you can practice on the equipment. Recall training is very important. Shortybulls do not shy from equipment. Shortybulls can compete for titles or just for fun.

PULLING:

Shortybulls can excel at pulling. The size of the cart has to be appropriate to the size of the dog. Shortybulls can earn titles in organized competitions or they can compete for fun. To train for pulling you need to introduce your Shortybull to the harness. Let your Shortybull to wear the harness for awhile before you introduce him to the cart. How long it will take depends on your Shortybull’s age, willingness and health. Some may progress to pulling the cart in days other may take weeks or months.Once your Shortybull is around 15 months and its bones and joints finished growing let him wear the harness until he seems to be comfortable with it. Later attach some object to the harness to make your dog used to dragging something behind. You will need to teach your Shortybull commands for starting to pull, turning and stopping.

OBEDIENCE:

Competitive obedience comes in many forms, from very formalized competitions to informal matches. To train for competitive obedience start with basic obedience class and work from there. Find a trainer that is experienced in competitive obedience and begin attending trails when your shortybull mastered basics necessary for CD:

- healing on and off lead at different speeds

- coming when called

- staying with the group of other dogs on command

- standing for examination by the judge

For less pressure you can earn Canine Good Citizen certification this is non competetive demonstration of basic obedience.

To acheive CGC Shortybull must pass ten tests:

1. Accepting a friendly stranger

2. Sitting for petting

3. Permitting physical inspection and grooming

4. Walking on a loose lead

5. Behaving while walking around the crowd

6. Sit, Down and Stay commands

7. Coming when called

8. Reacting appropriately to another dog

9. Reacting appropriately to distractions such as noise

10.Behaving appropriately during supervised separation from the owner

CONTROLLED PROTECTION SPORTS:

Protection sports are sports that test a dog's ability to protect himself and his handler. All protection sports test the complete temperament of the dog, not just his protectiveness. The dog must be safe for his handler and for the public. He must be able to control himself upon command. All protection sports are modeled to some extent on the way dogs are used in police work.Keep in mind that because of their size Shorty Bulls cannot do “real” protection work but they can participate in PROTECTION SPORTS because the desire to play the game is in them.

RALLY:

This is part obedience and part agility sport in which dogs and handlers move through a course performing different movements at each station. The courses change with each competition but some examples include:

heeling, stopping, sitting, right turns, left turns, U-turns or heeling through a figure eight or other walking patterns.

The handler and a dog move at the normal speed and they can take as much time as they want to complete the task. This competition is not timed. To train for rally take a basic obedience class and start attending the events. The low pressure fun environment is great for absolute beginners so organizers encourage all pet owners to get involved. For Rally Events that accept all breeds check Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) http://www.apdt.com/

FIVE IMPORTANT COMMANDS FOR SPORTS TRAINING

Watch me - this is how you get your Shorty Bulls attention

Leave it

Sit/Stay

Down/Stay

Recall/ Come

SHORTY BULL EVENTS

Check this websites:

http://www.abkcdogs.org/

http://www.bbcr.info/