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Border collie clearing an agility jump at a show

Hoopers dog breeders in the UK

Breed dogs for hoopers dog breeders in the uk? Advertise here

Buyers and trainers use this page to find breeders whose lines do this work. List your kennel free, tick the industries your dogs work in, and advertise litters and stud dogs from proven working lines.

No breeders are listed here yet, so the first profiles get the page to themselves.

  • Free basic profile: your breeder or company name, website, social media, location, breeds and industries.
  • Litters and stud dogs advertised in their own sections, never mixed with puppies for sale.
  • Premium showcase for your services and prices, previous customers, awards, video, gallery and health certificates, with your phone and email shown to buyers.
  • Sponsored articles about your breed or industry, written and published by our team.
  • Featured placement at the top of this page, labelled as sponsored.

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Is it free to advertise here?

Yes. A breeder profile and your litter and stud dog adverts are free. Premium profiles, featured placement and sponsored articles are optional paid extras; see pricing.

Do I need a licence to advertise puppies?

In England you need a dog breeding licence from your council if you breed three or more litters in 12 months or breed and sell dogs as a business, and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own schemes. Licensed breeders show their licence number and issuing council on every advert. Puppies must be at least eight weeks old before they go to new homes.

Is my listing already here?

We add licensed breeders from councils' public registers. Search for your kennel name; if it is listed you can claim it and edit everything.

About hoopers dog breeders in the uk

Hoopers UK competitions are built around a low-impact dog sport: dogs run flowing courses of hoops, barrels and tunnels while the handler directs them, often from a distance. This page explains how canine hoopers works, who runs it, which breeds take part and what to ask a breeder.

What this work involves

A hoopers course is a numbered sequence of hoops, barrels, tunnels and gates set by a judge, and some classes add a TanGo mat. Dogs run through the hoops, around the barrels and through the tunnels, and there are no jumps. Hoops stand 90cm high and barrels at least 70cm. Every course includes an extra that rewards handling at a distance: a bonus box, challenge lines or, from Intermediate level upwards, a distance handling box, which earns extra points if the handler stays inside it.

Canine Hoopers UK competitions have four class types that count for progression: Hoopers (a course of hoops only), Barrellers, Tunnellers and Touch n Go, which must include a TanGo mat. There are five levels, from Starters through Novice, Intermediate and Advanced to Masters, and dogs move up by earning points in each class type. Dogs can compete from 15 months, and dogs over seven can enter as Veterans, running Starters courses for clear-round rosettes without further progression. Puppies can begin foundation training with an instructor before they are old enough to compete.

Who trains and supplies these dogs in the UK

Hoopers dogs are pets trained by their owners, and Canine Breeder does not sell, train or certify them.

Canine Hoopers UK (CHUK) was formed in 2017 as a not-for-profit organisation to standardise a UK format of the sport, after one of its founding members began training and running overseas versions of hoopers here in 2014. It writes the rules, registers dogs (a dog must be registered to compete, and shows are open to registered members), lets clubs, societies and individuals hold licensed shows, runs leagues, national finals and the 4 Nations Cup, and accredits instructors, promoting only force-free training. The Find an Instructor page on its website is the easiest way to find classes near you.

CHUK aims to make the hoopers dog sport accessible to all dogs and handlers, in particular handlers with limited mobility, and says it welcomes large and tiny breeds and dogs that need a little extra space, patience or understanding.

Breeds and lines

Any breed or crossbreed can do hoopers, and courses are designed so that dogs of every size can run naturally:

  • Border Collie: fast, responsive to distance handling and quick to learn.
  • Cocker Spaniel: enthusiastic and agile, well suited to flowing courses.
  • Labrador Retriever: steady and willing, and at home on flowing courses with nothing to jump.

Crossbreeds of every size compete on equal terms. Because CHUK designs hoopers as a low-impact sport with no jumps, it can suit dogs that should not jump and handlers who cannot run. A good hoopers dog is still a sound dog: ask for hip and elbow scores under the BVA/Royal Kennel Club schemes, eye tests and breed DNA tests, and look for a confident, biddable temperament that works happily at a distance from its handler.

What to ask a breeder

  1. Do the parents compete in hoopers, agility or another sport, and at what level?
  2. How do the parents work at a distance from their handler, and how do they cope with busy shows?
  3. What hip, elbow, eye and DNA tests have both parents had?
  4. What drive and energy level should I expect, and does this line suit family life as well as sport?
  5. What socialisation and play do the puppies get before they leave?

Frequently asked questions

What is canine hoopers?

A low-impact dog sport in which dogs run numbered courses of hoops, barrels, tunnels and gates without jumping, directed by their handlers, often from a distance. In the UK the largest organising body, by its own account, is Canine Hoopers UK.

Is hoopers good for older dogs and puppies?

Dogs over seven can enter as Veterans, running Starters courses for clear-round rosettes, and young dogs can start foundation training before they reach the competition age of 15 months. Ask your vet first if your dog has a joint or other health condition.

How do I find hoopers classes in the UK?

Use the Find an Instructor page on the Canine Hoopers UK website, which lists accredited instructors, and watch a class before booking.

If your dogs compete in hoopers, or you breed collies, spaniels, retrievers or crosses from lines that do, list your kennel on Canine Breeder and reach owners looking for their next hoopers partner.

Breeds used for hoopers

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