On the Same Team: How French Ring Sport Deepened My Dog Connection

Laz working on his chomping technique, photo by Francis Metcalf

I am walking in a wide open field with my dog Laz. It's just the two of us out there, the sun beating down. We are practicing our formal heel exercise where he stays right next to me, his right shoulder lightly pressing into my left leg. His gaze is soft, relaxed, and mostly attuned to me despite the natural enticements around us. 

Heeling for us is a joyful dance. We do it for fun most of the time as a way to engage with each other via training. Occasionally, we also use heeling functionally, as when we are navigating a busy urban street, or passing by a barking lunging dog on a trail, or near a person who seems a bit weary of dogs at a park. But on this day we are just out there alone, walking in unison.

 Suddenly, a man approaches us from our right. He’s boldly heading straight for us, stepping slightly in front of me, and forcing me to come to a stop as he says, “Hello.” Laz is instantly vigilant. He sits at my side, still pressing against me, but now his gaze is trained on the stranger in front of us.

 I greet the man and, after a few pleasantries, he says goodbye and walks on, heading away behind us. I say goodbye as well and resume walking with Laz. Except Laz doesn’t simply resume the walk. As I say goodbye to the stranger, Laz swings in front of me, turns to face backwards, his right hip now pressing into my left leg. His entire focus is outward while he uses our body contact to keep track of me. He is watching the guy. I don’t dare look behind me, but I know the man is now following us. I can feel the man’s presence, as well as the intensity in Laz’s body. My dog is tightly coiled, ready to pounce.

 I trust my dog and keep walking, slowly, even though it’s agonizing to walk so slow. I don’t want to lose my cool or lose the comforting feeling of Laz pressing against me.

 After what seems an eternity, it happens. The man hits me on my shoulder blade. Laz, ever my protector, springs into action. This is the moment he’s been waiting for. He doesn’t hesitate, he doesn't wait for a cue from me, he just launches as soon as the man touches me and bites the man’s leg. I spin around to watch. The man is putting up a bit of a fight, but he has also backed off. I call Laz off, but he knows to guard, to stay with the man and stay vigilant. He places himself in a down right at the man’s feet, eyes boring into this aggressive stranger. The man is frozen now, just waiting. 

I hear a horn in the distance, pick up the whistle around my neck, and blow it. Laz leaves the man and returns to my side, back into his precise heel position. For just a split second, everything is quiet and still. Then I hear another horn. My body relaxes entirely as I smile down at Laz, scratch his head, and tell him that he is indeed the very best boy. We celebrate. The man casually saunters away. There is a sudden burst of applause, hoots, and cheers. Laz and I have just successfully completed the Defense of Handler exercise in our French Ring Sport level two test!

 French Ring Sport is a working dog competition that is meant to test the mettle of dogs who are bred and trained to do the original work of their breed type. It is one way to assure that the dogs are healthy, fit, courageous, intelligent, and biddable, but not out of control or dangerous. 

There are three components to the test: obedience, agility, and protection.

 In the obedience portion, dogs must demonstrate the ability to heel and stay, even if the handler is out of site or someone is tempting them with tasty food. The dogs must perform the positions of sit, stand, and down reliably and at a great distance from the handler. They must also retrieve items and demonstrate the ability to comfortably wear a muzzle without putting up a fight or looking upset about it.

 In the agility section, the dogs must perform various jumps, including a hurdle and a broach jump. There is also a wall they must scramble to get over.

Laz and his practice wall

 In the protection section, dogs must complete several exercises that demonstrate their strength and restraint under pressure when protecting their handler or guarding a basket that the handler has left in their care.

 French Ring Sport is an intense sport, with many intricacies, and it requires years of dedicated training. And I can tell you one thing for sure. My dogs love it more than anything else in the world.

I chose to get involved in French Ring Sport for two main reasons: to honor the working heritage of my breed/type of dog and to deepen my understanding of dog training. Even as a seasoned dog pro with over 25 years of experience, it has definitely upped my game to train to a rigorous criteria set by a professional standard. In fact, I’ve probably learned more in my past six years of French Ring Sport than in the previous 10. Working as a team with my dogs in this high-level sport has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life.  

I’ve spent my entire career teaching companion dogs and their people how to live in harmony, and it is a noble profession of which I’m extremely proud. But getting out of my comfort zone and expanding my horizons through French Ring Sport has been the journey of a lifetime.

French Ring Sport isn’t for everyone. But if you’re a companion dog owner who’s interested in deepening your bond with your furry pal, I encourage you to do a bit of research. Find a sport that honors your dog’s natural inclinations or an activity that piques your interests and give it a try. You don’t need to make a long-term commitment or play at a competitive level to reap the rewards of trying something new. Any sport that raises the bar in your training game will also deepen your connection with your dog. 

And if my dogs could talk, I know they’d agree.