Netizens

There all types of animal shows and all types of animals participating in them.  Some of these animals in these shows are show pets and some are not.  Some show animals are treated like property, often valuable property, but kept at arm’s length and used to win championships at shows.  But a lot of these pets show’s participants are treated like show pets and not show animals.  Show pets are a rare breed of animal and so are their owners and handlers.  Show pets are special because they embody all the best physical and psychological traits of their breed and they are loved and loving pets.

Pet shows and a pet show circuits can be very stressful.  Pets who participate regularly need to be able to handle that stress.  Show pets can lead a difficult life. Show pets have to travel a lot to spend a lot of time on airplanes and trains and traveling in cars.  Show pets have to be able to adapt to strange environments filled with strange sights, strange sounds, strange smells and strange people. Show pets have to be able to not only deal with all the stress, but have to perform to the best of their abilities under the stressful conditions and win shows.

Show pets must put up with a lot of handling both from their owners and from others.  Show pets spend a lot of time being groomed. Show pets not only have to hold still for grooming but show pets have to do it week in and week out when they’re on the pet shows circuit. Show pets need to display a lot of patience.  Show pets have to have a lot of love for and trust in their owners and handlers so the owners and handlers have to show a lot of love for their show pets.

Show pets can become quite valuable if they become champions.  Once they are champions their offspring are sought after.  When show pets are champions their breeding services can be quite expensive because others want show pets that are champions. They feel that the champion show pet genes might ensure them of a superior show pet that might also win championships.  The whole world of show pets can be a bit strange.  The stress and expense can seem a bit pointless and some people are just in of for the money hoping to create a valuable show pet champion or they’d do it for the glory because they think it makes them look good.  But most just do it because they love their show pet and they’re proud of them and they want everyone to see how great their show pets are.

Many animals are adopted and trained for the purpose of participating in sports. The animal can be completely or partially involved in the sport they are trained for. The most popular sports animals are dogs and horses. Some sports called the blood sports also exist which are very harsh and they put the life of the animal at risk. Many organizations are against such kind of cruelty and also it is against the law in many countries.

Animals were first domesticated for the purpose of hunting in the beginning. This necessity later turned into a sport, but the animals were still involved. This sport was meant for the rich people and the royal family, in the medieval period. Hunters rode horses and dogs accompanied them. The sport was sometimes dangerous when lions and other exotic animals were hunted. While the horses chased the animal, the dogs and hounds were trained to actually attack the animal. But now hunting is banned in almost all the countries.

The most common sports involving pets is horse riding. In some events a human rider mounts the horse and in others the horse competes without the human being. This modern sport is a derivative of the chariot race which was held in the Roman and ancient Greek times. Dogsled racing is another racing event involving dogs. It is a timed winter sport, where dogs are tied to sledges, which pull it, while the driver stands on the sledge. They need to run on a marked course and whichever team finishes first is declared as the winner.

Greyhound racing is also another animal sport. Actually, in the 1800s, greyhounds were brought from Europe to the United States to control the increasing hare population. Breeders then thought of involving this animal in racing and hence, this was how greyhound racing started. Also, there are camel races involving camels. But this race is sometimes objected because the riders in such races are small kids. Pigeon racing is a not so popular sport, involving trained racing pigeons. The pigeons are taken away from their loft and then they are made to race. Whoever reaches the home first wins the race. Beatle races are also popular in Asia.

Jousting sport was developed in the fourteen century, where knights ride on the back of the horse and compete with each other. Horses are also trained for the sport polo. There are two teams, which compete with each other. The competitor rides the horse and at the same time hits the ball with the help of mallets. The team, which makes the highest score, is the winning team. As the start of the twentieth century, polo involved elephants and it was considered as a royal sport back then. Pole bending involves a horse and a horse rider. The horse has to run on a serpentine path, which has six poles in one line. If the horse knocks down any of the pole, the rider and the horse are immediately disqualified.

Show jumping also involves horses. The horse has to jump over fences with the jockey on their back. Horse ballet is another sport involving horses. Dogs are given training to participate in sports such as dog agility, and sheepdog trails. Dogs also participate in dog shows. It is a competition where dogs of certain breed compete with each other. Things such as looks, intelligence, grace, etc, of the individual dog are considered. Sports involving animals, which are cruel are bullfighting, camel wrestling, cockfighting, and cow fighting.