West Michigan Dog Sports
Teach
Train
Unite
That’s what we will offer to you and your best friend. West Michigan Dog Sports is a 501( c )( 3 ) organization working to teach, train, and unite dogs and people in a supportive community by delivering our vision.
WMDS aims to fill the LARGE DEMAND in West Michigan for dog lovers who would like to train, compete, and participate in activities with their dogs. And our facility will be indoor, year round!
Help us reach our goals!
West Michigan Dog Sports
Our Purpose:
- Introduce and welcome new dogs and
their owners to dog training! - Offer a blend of services for both beginners who have never trained a dog before to highly successful competitors.
- Bring in the best instructors for classes and seminars.
- Hold training seminars in areas of behavior (reactivity, others), and health clinics.
- Support rescue owners to be successful, reducing return rate to shelters.
- Offer “Try it Days” to expose people to new activities they can do with their dogs.
- Offer education and job shadowing to youth and people interested in careers in the dog services industry.
- Offer a wide array of activities you can do to enhance your dog’s life as well as your own!
Upcoming Events
Learn about training, competition, and education events at WMDS and at other dog organizations in the area.
Coming Soon
Future Class Offerings
Stay tuned for more details!
Agility
Dog agility is a sport where you direct your dog through a pre-set obstacle course within a certain time limit. Courses typically have multiple obstacles which can include tunnels, weave poles, jumps, and teeters.
Conformation
Confirmation is the official term for "Dog Shows" of purebred dogs registered with a particular registry. Dogs are measured by how closely they conform to a preset breed standard.
Scent Detection
Also known as Nosework, Scent Detection is based on the work of professional detection dogs (such as drug-sniffing dogs) used to detect a wide variety of scents and substances. Teamwork is necessary. When the dog finds the scent he communicates the find to the owner.
Flyball
Flyball is a sport in which teams of four dogs race against other teams over a line of hurdles, to a box that releases a tennis ball when the dog presses a pad, and then returns back to you while carrying the ball.
Obedience
An obedience-trained dog can walk calmly beside you and knows basic obedience commands including sit, stay, down, come and stand, even when distracted and at a distance.
Rally
Rally is a team activity where you and your dog navigate a course together, side-by-side, at your own pace. You move through a course with signs where the dog performs different exercises that include various turns and commands such as sit, down, stay, etc.
Why Dog Sports
Dog sports provide numerous benefits to both you and your dog!
Regardless of whether you compete in dog sports or simply train for the fun of it, you’ll both benefit from participating in one or more sports together. Check out our future training courses and dog-related events in the area.
Give your dog an activity to do
Without a job for some dogs, they will develop behavioral problems such as incessant barking, digging, boredom and feeling unfulfilled. Activities can increase confidence and sense of well being. When your dog has an outlet to practice their instincts and use up their high energy levels, common behavioral problems tend to decrease
You'll have a closer relationship with your dog
The bond between you and your dog will become stronger as you continue with dog sports. You’ll develop your own unique way of communicating with them and learn the best way to handle situations for your dog.
Keeps your dog (and you!) in great physical shape
High performance sports will keep your dog in great physical shape, just as sports do with people. They’ll experience fewer health problems overall and live longer lives.
