This sport originated as a way to identify dogs with the potential to join law enforcement, and in some cases uses real human decoys. In this competition, dogs of different abilities and experience levels compete in the division that challenges them. Ring one is the least difficult level but still encompasses agility, obedience and protection tests. The agility event in this level involves hurdles. The dogs in ring two face more difficult challenges, both in the number and complexity of the exercises as well as the intensity of opposition from the human decoys. Finally, there's ring three. This is the ultimate test of a dog's abilities. It includes all the tests from both rings one and two, plus a few more, with the intensity and complexity level turned all the way up to 11. While every competitor in this sport aspires to eventually compete in ring three, each level has its own unique challenges.

It's cross-country skiing, with skier and dog working together to navigate the course. There are either one, two or three dogs per team. The dogs wear harnesses and are linked to the skier's belt by a simple towline, which is equipped with an instant-release mechanism for the dog's safety. In skijoring, the skier is not just pulled by the dogs; they need to ski working in unison with the dogs to navigate the curvy course in the fastest, most efficient way. This is a sprint, so teams could get up to speeds of 30 miles per hour during the four-mile race. The racers start over a staggered time-table, so teams are basically out on the course alone, racing only against the clock.

These fast and furious dogs run in heats of six on a 200-yard, long grass field chasing a lure. The course is always on flat, open terrain; otherwise, the whippets will lose sight of the lure, which is pulled along the ground by an electric motor. Once on the course, it's a sprint to the finish — the first dog across wins. Over the course of the day, the dogs run in numerous heats. Finish positions are tracked, assigning points to first, second or third place finishers. At the end of the day's races, each dog's points are added up and the highest score wins.