It’s no question that we as people have a passion for athleticism, and some of us like to pass that passion to our furrier friends too. That’s right – in some circles people even refer to these sporty pups as “dog athletes”.
Competitions are held in various places around the country and even the world – in North Carolina the 23rd National Bark in the Park event held a disc competition at the beginning of this month. On the same Saturday, another competition called ‘The Incredible Dog Challenge’ sponsored by Purina held its national-level competition in Missouri.
Brazil even held its own “Dog Olympics” in Rio de Janeiro in September – with a nine-month-old beagle named Mima taking the gold in aquatic jumping.
Common events in these competitions include diving, jumping, swimming, and running in the Olympics, as well as agility courses, hurdles, and fetching in the Incredible Dog Challenge competition.
In certain coastal areas, an even wilder challenge has grown popular – dog surfing. That’s right, dogs on surfboards. The World Dog Surfing Championship in Pacifica awarded competitors with ribbons and raised money for pet-related charities, like the Marin and Peninsula Humane Societies.
Some lucky dogs have even been acknowledged by the Pope! During his weekly General Audience on October 5th, Pope Francis met with members of the “Federazoni Italiana Sport Cinofili”, an organization that deals with “dog sports”. He shook the hands of the trainers and blessed a few of the dogs himself – as well as petting them (even the Pope can’t resist giving head scratches, it seems).
It may seem silly, and heck, it kind of is, but people love their dogs, and they love sports. It’s inevitable that the two are combined to produce adorable results.
Madeline Haines
CMAT Sports Now Editor/Contributor
CMAT Sports Now 