Dogs on Ice: A Love Letter to Curlers’ Best Friends
Curling clubs are built on loyalty, laughter, and the occasional well-timed bark from the hack. And if you’ve ever brought your dog along to league night—or come home from a bonspiel to an over-excited greeting—you know: dogs get curling.
They might not understand the rules, but they definitely understand the vibe.
❤️ The Warm Room Welcome Committee
Every club has that one dog who’s part of the furniture—usually stationed by the front door, tail thumping like a metronome for good curling karma.
You could be heading into a playoff game, or just showing up to sub in for your friend’s team, but that wagging tail instantly melts the pressure away.
They don’t care if you’re throwing 100% or missing every takeout. To them, you’re a hero with treats in your pocket and stories to tell after the game.
And honestly, isn’t that what curling’s all about?
Related reading: Why Curlers Make the Best Dinner Guests — because curlers (and dogs) both know how to make people feel at home.
🥌 The Bonspiel Buddy
If dogs could enter bonspiels, they’d win the sportsmanship award every time. They’d nap through the strategy talks, chase every moving rock, and be the first to high-five (or paw-five) when the game ends.
They’d also find the post-game snack table in about 0.3 seconds.
Many curlers already have bonspiel mascots—whether it’s a team named after a beloved pet (“The Stone Cold Retrievers,” anyone?) or a pup waiting patiently in the hotel room after a long day of games.
Some clubs even make it official. The St. Paul Curling Club once had an honorary dog member, and plenty of Canadian rinks are dog-friendly enough to make you wonder if the next Brier should have a “Best in Show” category.
🧣 The Ultimate Off-Ice Therapist
Bad draw weight? Missed the line call? Hogged your own rock?
Your dog doesn’t care. They’ll still greet you like you just won Worlds.
Curling teaches patience, humility, and grace under pressure—and dogs have been giving those lessons for free since forever. They’re living reminders that joy matters more than stats, and that no bad game can’t be fixed with a walk and a cuddle.
Related reading: The Goodest Boys on the Ice: Why Curlers and Dogs Are Basically the Same Species — because it turns out curlers really are just well-trained Labradors with brooms.
🏆 The Curling Club Mascots We Deserve
Imagine this: the club calendar features “Dog of the Month.” The annual bonspiel hosts a “Best Tail Wag” competition. Every team photo includes both human and canine curlers.
Why not? Dogs already embody everything great about curling—loyalty, friendship, and the unspoken rule that everyone deserves a pat on the back (or a belly rub) after the game.
And let’s be real—if a dog wore a shirt that said “Goodest Boy on Ice,” the internet would explode. Which, conveniently, you can now get in human sizes on our funny curling shirts page. Because we all know who the real MVP is.
🐶 A Game Built on Heart
Curling and dogs share something rare in sports: they’re both about connection. You can’t rush them. You can’t fake them. They’re slow, deliberate, and full of meaning.
Dogs don’t care who wins. They care that you showed up, tried your best, and maybe brought some snacks to share.
That’s curling energy through and through.
So here’s to the rink-side retrievers, the hack-side huskies, and every four-legged fan who makes our sport a little bit warmer.
Good curlers. Good dogs. No bad ends.
More curling laughs and love: