Clean Run - April 2017 - 38

stronger and stay injury free while
they compete in other sports while
older or disabled dogs can still make
progress at their own levels. Not only
that, but it is one of the best ways to
strengthen your bond with your dog
and help you both to learn to trust
each other and communicate clearly," says Coyne.
Parkour can be an excellent supplement to the sport of dog agility (and
to other dog sports as well). In addition to its positive impact on canine
fitness, training and having fun without the pressure of competition in a variety of environments can help a dog increase handler focus. Plus, "cross
training has many benefits, both physically and psychologically. It can keep dogs fresher for their main sports by
giving them variety in their training sessions and letting
them use their minds and bodies in different ways. Parkour naturally strengthens the relationship with the handler
because the dog depends on the handler for support if the
dog slips or falls during an exercise. Many dogs are more
willing to try new things when they are confident that their
handlers will not let them fall," says Azaren. And since canine parkour can be done anywhere, it's easy to fit into an
agility dog's busy schedule. "Many teams do parkour at
dog shows in between runs," says Azaren.
Competitors have great things to say about this new sport:
"I do Parkour with my dogs, and also teach clients to use it
to build their dogs' confidence. It's a great sport for fearful
dogs!" -Lisa Morrissey
"What I like most about parkour is going out to different
locations and making an adventure out of exploring the
items in that location with my dog through parkour." -
Kristine Hammar
"I have found this to be a great way to keep [my dogs]
challenged and engaged." -Caroline Hunt
"Parkour is going out and exploring an area together....
Parkour is the one of the only things that can get me out
of the house. I wouldn't be as active without parkour, for
sure.... [My dog] Blaise has been doing this so long that
he often will show me what he wants to do with an object
before I even ask. We have amazing communication because of this sport.... Parkour is also my absolute favorite
dog sport. It's very different because of its noncompetitive
nature... [which] lets us enjoy the sport more without having to stress out about what we did or didn't do wrong.

At the end of the day, which I think a
lot of sports lack, it's a sense of 'Did
[my dog and I] have fun? Yes?' Then
you win. Competitive sports definitely
have that feel about them, but the Q
and no Qs definitely stress people
out." -Elizabeth Frum

Good for Reactive Dogs
Many dog parkour competitors mention that they have found the sport to
be ideal for their reactive dogs. Reactive dogs are those that tend to overreact to certain stimuli, often including the presence of other dogs. Reactivity can make competing in many dog sports difficult or impossible, but dog
parkour not only provides a sport in which reactive dogs
can find success, the sport itself can help these dogs lessen their reactivity. "Having a reactive dog (as Blaise is dog
reactive) can be completely overwhelming and stressful,
but Blaise and I are still able to go places where people
have dogs everywhere and function because of parkour.
We started indoors and moved outdoors, so we were able
to work on the objects before going out in tough environments (for Blaise), so we were able to gradually introduce
his triggers. With him working through them, they became
less of a big deal to him and he became so much easier
to manage." says Frum. Blaise is currently believed to be
the most titled dog in parkour, which speaks highly of the
success a reactive dog can have in this sport.

A Growing Game
Dog parkour is increasing in popularity as more handlers
learn about the sport's benefits. Coyne says, "The sport
is growing! Not only via the amount of titles we [IDPKA]
process (we have roughly three times as many titles to
process than we did at the same time last year) but also
in the activity on our Facebook page, and in the classes and workshops offered around the world and online.
We've sent titles to 25 states and five other countries."
Azaren agrees: "ADP has only been open since September and there are already more than 100 titles, including
four Champions and one Grand Champion."
Dog parkour may be on the fast track to become one of
the most popular dog sports currently available. It's accessible to all dogs and handlers because it can be done
anywhere, at any time, with any desired level of difficulty.
Plus its benefits can be seen not only in most dog sports
but also in everyday life. D

Brenna Fender is a freelance writer and editor who works for Clean Run. She lives in Florida with her husband, two children, a Papillon (Spark), a Beagle (Wrigley), a
Border Collie (Tessa), her daughter's Chihuahua (Chase), and a variety of other creatures. Tessa has agility titles, UpDog Challenge disc achievements, and a Trick Dog
Champion Title. Over the years, Brenna's dogs have been titled in conformation, agility, Junior Hunter, Junior Courser, rally, obedience, and Canine Good Citizen. Brenna
can be reached at brennafender@gmail.com and you can visit her website at brennafender.com.

Clean Run | April 17

http://www.brennafender.com

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