Flyball is a dog sport in which teams of dogs race against each other over a line of hurdles, from their handlers to a box that releases a tennis ball. This ball must be caught when the dog presses the spring loaded pad, then the dog must race back to their handler whilst carrying the ball.

Teaching a dog to be able to work on both sides of the handler's body (not just the left side as in standard obedience heeling), is the first step to performing freestyle. Simple moves like teaching the dog to back up as the handler moves forward, to turn in place and to move sideways with the handler are the foundation of any freestyle routine.

Harness racing is a form of horse-racing in which the horses race in a specified gait. They also usually pull two-wheeled carts called sulkies, although races to saddle are still occasionally conducted.

Dog agility is a fairly new sport, created as merely a demonstration in the late 1970s in the United Kingdom. It has since spread rapidly around the world, with major competitions held worldwide.

Mushing is a general term for a sport or transport method powered by dogs, and includes carting, pulka, scootering, sled dog racing, skijoring, freighting, and weight pulling. More specifically, it implies the use of one or more dogs to pull a sled on snow. The term is thought to come from the French word marche, or go, run, the command to the team to commence pulling.

Pigeon racing is a sport in which pigeons are removed by an agreed distance from their home coops and then released at a predetermined time. The arrival of each bird at its home coop is carefully recorded. For each bird, a velocity, usually in metres per minute or yards per minute, is calculated from the recorded time and the distance the coop is from the release point.

Dogsled racing is a winter dog sport involving the timed competition of teams of sleddogs that pull a sled, on the runners of which the dog driver or musher stands. The team completing the marked course in the shortest time is adjudged the winner.

Polo is now an active sport in 77 countries, and although its tenure as an Olympic sport was limited to 1900-1939, in 1998 the International Olympic Committee recognised it as a sport with a bona fide international governing body, the Federation of International Polo.

Horse racing is an equestrian sporting activity which has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot races of Roman times were an early example, as was the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. It is often inextricably associated with the activity of wagering on the outcome of a race: gambling.

In places that allow gambling on greyhound racing, the owners often treat the dogs as short-term investments. This often means that the care they receive is intended only to help them perform on the track, not for their long-term health.