While owning a senior dog comes with its own set of challenges, it doesn’t mean your dog sports days are behind you. Participating in dog sports with your dog can provide mental and physical exercise, the thrill of competition, and a chance for you both to have fun. With veterinarian approval, there are still many sports you and your dog can participate in. In fact, there are hundreds of senior dogs competing at the 2019 AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin Dec. 14 and 15.
So how do we define senior dogs? Generally, dogs are considered seniors starting at seven years old, but how your dog ages will vary depending on what breed he is. To find out the number of senior dogs competing in dog sports at the 2019 AKC National Championship, we looked at Agility, Obedience, and Diving Dogs competitors. Of the 1,765 dogs competing in these three sports, 659 are age seven or older. That means more than a third of the competing dogs are considered seniors!
How Many Senior Dogs Are Competing in Agility?
| Age of Dog |
Number of Dogs Competing |
| 2 |
1 |
| 3 |
34 |
| 4 |
59 |
| 5 |
92 |
| 6 |
103 |
| 7 |
96 |
| 8 |
83 |
| 9 |
90 |
| 10 |
66 |
| 11 |
47 |
| 12 |
21 |
| 13 |
7 |
| 14 |
2 |
| Total Dogs |
701 |
| Total Senior Dogs |
412 (59%) |
How Many Senior Dogs Are Competing in Obedience?
| Age of Dog |
Number of Dogs Competing |
| 1 |
2 |
| 2 |
18 |
| 3 |
39 |
| 4 |
44 |
| 5 |
36 |
| 6 |
34 |
| 7 |
32 |
| 8 |
19 |
| 9 |
11 |
| 10 |
4 |
| 11 |
2 |
| 12 |
2 |
| 13 |
1 |
| Total Dogs |
244 |
| Total Senior Dogs |
71 (29%) |
How Many Senior Dogs Are Competing in Diving Dogs?
| Age of Dog |
Number of Dogs Competing |
| >1 |
9 |
| 1 |
95 |
| 2 |
132 |
| 3 |
137 |
| 4 |
116 |
| 5 |
93 |
| 6 |
62 |
| 7 |
57 |
| 8 |
39 |
| 9 |
41 |
| 10 |
17 |
| 11 |
13 |
| 12 |
7 |
| 13 |
2 |
| Total Dogs |
820 |
| Total Senior Dogs |
176 (21%) |
The 2019 AKC National Championships presented by Royal Canin will take place December 14-15, 2019, in Orlando, Florida. Tune in to AKC.TV to watch live, and see Conformation competition, plus the Agility Invitational, Obedience Classic, Juniors Classic, NADD/AKC Dock Diving National Championship, and much more.
