As guardian to a Great Dane, I never imagined a dog sport that would be suitable for my gigantic Furchild……but I think I’ve found one. The recent Hoopers workshop at the Pet Professional Guild Australia 2024 Conference has me inspired to put on my joggers and have some fun with my dogs through the exciting world of Hoopers. The workshop, titled ‘Hoopers For Inner City Trainers’, gave everyone a delicious taster of this fantastic sport. Helped by Noomi, Wendy, Luna and their humans, Shelly Aukett and Louise Newman braved the torrential rain to show the delegates who attended the Workshops how fantastic this sport can be. Hoopers is a fun and rewarding activity for dogs and their guardians
What is Hoopers?
The exciting world of Hoopers is an agility-style sport where dog guardians guide their dogs through a course consisting of hoops, barrels, and tunnels. Unlike traditional agility, Hoopers emphasises distance handling and smooth, flowing movements. Hoopers courses are designed to create a flowing motion for the dog, with equipment spaced 5-7 meters apart, giving plenty of room for those larger breeds.
Why dog parents might want to try Hoopers
- Low- impact exercise: The course design promotes fluid movements, reducing the risk of injury for dogs.
- It’s inclusive: With minimal running required from guardians, it’s accessible to dog guardians of all ages and fitness levels.
- Builds strong bonds: Guardians use verbal cues, arm signals, and body language to guide their dogs, strengthening the human-canine connection.
- Hoopers is adaptable for all breeds (even Great Danes): Equipment is designed to accommodate dogs of various sizes and abilities.
- No pressure environment: Hoopers focuses on enjoyment rather than competition, allowing teams to progress at their own pace.
What you may not know about Hoopers
The emphasis is on distance handling – guardians learn to guide their dogs from a distance, developing communication skills and trust while building confidence. Course skills are progressively built – training starts with basic concepts like “hoop value” and gradually introduces more complex sequences and directional changes. Course designs are versatile – as skills develop, courses can incorporate curves, diagonals, and more challenging patterns. The focus is on the dog’s preferences – training methods are tailored to each dog’s individual style and motivation meaning that they have plenty of wins. It shows the importance of timing and cues – guardians learn the critical skill of timing their cues to maintain the dog’s speed and flow through the course.
Hoopers offers a fantastic opportunity for pawrents to engage with their dog in a fun, low-pressure environment. It’s not just about completing a course – it’s about strengthening your connection with your dog while developing new skills together. Offering a new way to exercise your dog or seeking a rewarding activity to do as a team, Hoopers provides an exciting and accessible option.
You can find a trainer close to you who offers Hoopers classes at the Pet Professional Guild Australia. Or, if you’d like to read some of my other blogs then head here
