Outside the Ring at Cynosport 2024
Enjoy agility 101, rally, dock diving and disc dog.
The 2024 USDAA® Cynosport® Dog Agility World Games Presented by Purina® Pro Plan® is scheduled for November 6-10, 2024, in Tucson, Arizona. In 2003, the first Cynosport brought together agility, flyball, flying disc, canine freestyle and the North American introduction of “Summer Combined Competition,” a paramilitary sport from Eastern Europe. Twenty-one years later, the 2024 Games continues to host a range of events for you to experience firsthand with your well-behaved dog.
Dogs of all breeds, sizes and skill levels are welcome to enjoy the activities – but all must be wearing a buckle-type collar and on a leash no more than 6 feet in length. (Please, no retractable leashes or prong collars.) We pride ourselves on promoting responsible pet ownership at all times, so besure to bring plenty of water for your dog and please pick up after them. Besides watching the world’s best agility competitors, you and your dogs are welcome to try many other fun dog sport activities.
Agility 101
Saturday and Sunday, November 9-10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Under the supervision of expert trainers, you and your dog will be guided through some basic agility obstacles and learn how fun the sport of dog agility can be. Cost: $5 per turn.
Rally Obedience
Wednesday and Thursday, November 6-7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Host: CynoLogic Dog Sports (San Tan Valley, Arizona), an affiliate of World Cynosport Rally Limited (WCRL)
Watch the competition as dog-and-handler teams navigate a course at a brisk, continuous pace, with numbered signs indicating different exercises to perform such as Sit-Down-Sit, Figure 8, Send Over Jump, Spiral Left, Sidestep Right, and Down on Recall. Connect with local handlers and learn how to get involved in the sport.
Rally trial at CynoLogic Dog Sports
Dock Diving
Wednesday through Sunday, November 6-10, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Host: North America Diving Dogs (NADD), Mountain West Mobile Dock (Grand Junction, Colorado). Try-its will be allowed as space permits and during Splashes if no competitors are waiting to jump. Cost: $10.
Imagine a dog bounding down a dock, launching itself into the air with boundless energy, and gracefully plunging into a pool of water in pursuit of a toy or simply for the sheer thrill of the jump. North America Diving Dogs (NADD), a premier organization dedicated to promoting this exciting sport, provides a structured and inclusive platform for dogs of all breeds, sizes and skill levels to participate in various disciplines:
- Distance Jump – dogs compete to see how far they can jump from the dock;
- Air Retrieve – dogs showcase their vertical jumping ability to snatch a bumper suspended over the water;
- Hydro Dash – a fast-paced race where dogs retrieve a toy from the 37’ mark in the quickest time possible.
Mountain West Mobile Dock-NADD (photo: Tayllor Pittman)
Disc Dog
Friday through Sunday, November 8-10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Host: Anthem Disc Dogs Club (Anthem, Arizona)
Disc dog is an exciting, fast-paced sport that takes the basic game of fetch with a flying disc and expands it into many fun games. Dogs of any breed, type, size or shape can play and be successful as long as they can fetch! There are a variety of classes to compete in, including:
- Toss and Fetch – also known as Throw and Catch or Distance/Accuracy; a short distance event that has a set time limit to throw a disc as many times as possible with increasingly longer distances;
- Freestyle – pre-choreographed routines set to music ranging from 90 seconds to two minutes are judged on difficulty, creativity, showmanship and discipline as dogs vault and twist in the air, even jumping off their handlers’ bodies and weaving between their handlers’ legs;
- Long Distance – an elimination-style competition that pits teams against each other to see who can successfully throw and retrieve the longest distances.
Anthem Disc Dogs is a member of the K9 Frisbee Toss & Fetch League, which offers several five-week-long competition seasons throughout the year. During each season, more than 70 clubs worldwide offer weekly “play days” for their local members to earn points toward the league’s global rankings.
Anthem Disc Dogs (website photo)