Looking for fun ways to spend time with your dog?
Are you new to Las Vegas? Did you add a dog to your family?
Hopefully, this list will help you live the best life with your dog!
Dog training in Las Vegas
Las Vegas is home to some really awful dog training. We all start somewhere, and unfortunately, anyone can call themselves a dog trainer. Before choosing a trainer, check out my blog post/interview with professional dog trainer Deborah Manheim CCUI, CSAT, CDBC, CPDT-KA, for some tips on what to ask and how to find the right trainer for you and your dog.
Dog sports in Las Vegas
The Las Vegas dog community is pretty small, but fortunately, it is growing and we now have many options to choose from, as far as sports to play with your dog.
Lure Coursing
Similar to sniffing, chasing is something that is naturally installed in dogs, and another wonderful outlet for most dogs. Lure coursing requires minimal training and is done with one dog at a time. To get involved in lure coursing, join the Spring Mountain Sprinters Facebook group.
Disc
If you've ever wondered why it's called disc dogs and not the 'f' word, it's because the 'f' word is a trademarked brand used for playing disc. If you would like to get involved in disc, reach out to the Atomic K9 Toss & Fetch League.
Flyball
Flyball is a fast-paced relay race open to any dog, regardless of breed and size. This is a great sport if you are new to dog training because it's a team sport and you'll have an entire team to help you out. The team aspect is also a big part of what makes this sport so fun. Generally, dogs that are full of confident and full of energy immediately love this sport, but really any dog can pick it up.
There are several teams in town, and it's good to consider your reasons for playing when choosing your team. Every team has different goals, and you'll want to make sure your goals align with your team's.
If you'd like to learn more about flyball, you can check out Fly'n Aces.
Barn Hunt
Barn hunt is a sport where the dog searches for rats in and around bales of straw. Sniffing is a natural thing for dogs so it's mentally enriching for them. Honestly, I haven't played this sport before, so I don't know all the details, but I do know dogs love it.
Barn Hunt classes are available through Smarty Paws and QmeK9.
Nosework
This is another sport dogs love and is open to any dog, regardless of breed, size, and one organization, NACSW, caters to reactive and/or less confident/ more sensitive dogs.
To learn more about nosework training options in Las Vegas, check out either imPETus Animal Training, Ford K9, or Silver State K9.
Agility
Most people are familiar with agility, it's where the dog runs through an obstacle course guided by his or her handler. To learn more about agility classes, reach out to LV Dice
Dog-Friendly Restaurants in Las Vegas
Vegas isn't the most dog-friendly city, but there are quite a few restaurants that welcome dogs on their patio dining areas. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar
- Big Dog's Brewing company
- Park on Fremont (506 E. Fremont)
- Coffee Pub (2800 W. Sahara Ave)
- Egg Works (2025 Village Center Circle)
- Leone Cafe (400 S. Rampart)
- The Egg & I (4533 W. Sahara)
- Madhouse Coffee(8470 W. Desert Inn)
- Crepe Expectations (9500 S. Eastern Ave)
Dog Parks
Dog parks are popping up all over in Vegas. I recommend staying away from them. My experience is they are pretty small, with too many dogs crammed in, people throwing balls, and people allowing their dogs to run amuck and bully other dogs. When I was newer to having a dog, I used to bring my German Sheperd. He was the best-natured dog you could imagine. But after he was attacked several times at different dog parks (yes, I'm a super slow learner), he turned into a jerk.
Since then, I've learned more about dogs and behavior, and I only recommend dog parks where you have acres to walk around and your dog isn't getting bombarded by other dogs as you walk in the gate. I did a full blog post a while back on why I don't like dog parks, you can read that here.
Hiking
Most dogs love getting out and sniffing, climbing, and running around, which makes hiking a fantastic thing to do with your dog. We have plenty of dog-friendly trails. Just please make sure, if your dog is off-leash, he or she has an amazing recall, stays close to you, and doesn't approach other dogs or people. We do have some mountain lions, lots of coyotes, and in the summer, rattlesnakes.
For some of my favorite dog hikes, take a peek at my favorite dog hikes blog post.
This blog post is part of a pet photographer blog circle. To learn more about other cities, follow the blog circle by clicking the link at the bottom of each post, starting with Dog photographer Tracy Allard of Penny Whistle Photography talks about dog friendly Dallas and the north Texas metroplex area.
2 Comments
Apr 4, 2022, 11:20:13 AM
Nicole Hrustyk - Thank you, Tracy. I definitely rearranged for that order to make sense. :)
Apr 3, 2022, 7:47:31 AM
Tracy Allard - Love the action shots, they're perfect! I like that you start off with where you can TRAIN your dog (and what you can do with them) and then follow up with where you can take them. That should be the correct order of things :).