Working tests create good animal welfare

Something that is interesting and very positive is when we look at what has happened to common people's dog keeping since work tests linked to exhibition merits were introduced in some countries, we can see many benefits from a purely animal ethical and animal welfare point of view.

So what happened? Well, we have had more owners who come out and run with their dogs in one way or another. Kickbike, MTB/bicycle, wagon, ATV, sled, skis or sled, yes, it doesn't really matter as all variants lead to our dogs getting out and moving.

Modern society's biggest problem with regard to the animal welfare of our domestic dogs is that the majority of dogs in our society today get far too little outlet for their need for exercise. With the level of requirements of the working tests requiring that you train your dogs relatively regularly in order to come up in a meritorious time, this contributes to people exercising their dogs regularly to a significantly greater extent than before.

Although far from all people who exercise their dogs in a harness make it to the start line, our dogs have gained so much in terms of welfare just because they get an increased well-being and greater outlet for their need for exercise. Breeders who have been doing it for many years and previously did not run their dogs but now at least started running them in a harness a few days a week for exercise say that their dogs today definitely have a better life and well-being than the dogs they had before they started exercising their dogs in the harness. All these breeders may not yet qualify their dogs, but the working dog tests have inspired and attracted them to give their dogs a richer life. We think this is one of the biggest gains we have had through the introduction of our working dog tests.

If we are to maintain these gains for our dogs and their well-being and welfare, we must be careful about the tests we have and make sure that the requirements are always at such a level that the owners of the dogs are lured out and run their dogs regularly over time. If we create lower requirements in our testing activities that mean that people do not have to train regularly to pass the tests, the dogs will lose out in terms of welfare and physical and mental well-being. One of the prerequisites for this change in dog keeping is probably also that our polar dog tests are linked to the exhibition business. Without this connection, significantly fewer dogs would have been offered physical activity and exercise to the extent they do today.

Today we are talking in the dog world about enrichment. A topic we would like to warmly recommend you all read up on if you haven't already. In enrichment, we talk about the dog's innate needs and instincts. It is about needs the dog has and must be offered the opportunity to have an outlet on a regular basis. The need for exercise and exercise enrichment is a large part of the so important enrichment for domestic dogs that increases the dog's well-being in society.