From tennis to soccer to surfing, us human folk really get into summer sports. But we’re not the only ones who like to spend the season working on our fitness. 

Check out how these small sporty dogs mastered the art of basketball, obstacle courses, and “hunting” vermin. Plus, get inspired to raise an athletic pup of your own with a list of sporty dog names and nicknames.

Trick Shot Training with Aircorg

If you love seeing dogs doing human sports on social media, then you may recognize this queen of small sporty dogs. Lilo is an 8-year-old Pembroke Welsh Corgi that is insanely skilled at trick shots, fetch, and anything involving a ball. 

In 2015, Lilo found her forever family through her dog dad, Denny. He knew from day one that Lilo was a “straight-up diva”. 

“She had so much personality and was very vocal about everything. That's why we named her Lilo after Lilo & Stitch, because she reminded so much of that character,” Denny explained. 

Denny discovered Lilo’s trick shot skills during his wife’s 30th birthday party. The corgi enjoyed hitting the balloons into the air and even popping them. 

“One time, a balloon fell into a basket and we thought to ourselves ‘Did she mean to do that?’.

From there, we took her actions and turned them into a ‘hit’ command where she would hit up an inflatable ball, and after a few tries (and a couple of lost balls) she started to understand what we wanted her to do.”

Lilo became a total pro at shooting, dunking, and even turnaround jump shot. Her skills are so impressive that she’s earned the nicknames Aircorg and Steph Furry. Denny said that it's been so much fun to play with Lilo in this way and share his love for basketball with her. 

Small sporty dogs like Lilo can only show off their impressive moves when they are fueled by nutritious dog food. That’s why Denny feeds her naturally nutrient-dense Sundays for Dogs. 

“Lilo has never been a picky eater which, if we aren't careful, can cause her to gain a bunch of weight. We needed to find a food that could balance out her athletic lifestyle and quality nutrition without overfeeding her.”

Lilo loves the taste of Sundays’ USDA Beef recipe. It’s made with 90% fresh beef, organs, and ground bone, along with 10% superfoods. She eats around ⅓ cup twice a day.