Dog Agility

Dog Agility is a sport in which a handler is given a set amount of time to direct a dog off- leash through an obstacle course.This sport is modeled on equestrian competitions. The sport has its own obstacles, scoring system and performance ideals.

Dog Agility made its debute as entertainment at the Crufts Show in 1979; it has since become a rapidly growing sport in England, Western Europe and North America. Spectators get caught up watching the dog and handlers agility in a race against the clock.

There are several national organizations in the United States for agility which sanction tests or trials held by local training clubs. Trials call for the highest level of agility both in terms of speed and physical ability to perform the obstacles.

There are obstacles such as See-Saw, Pipe Tunnel, Weave Poles and various types of jumps just to mention a few, that have been designed with both safety and spectator appeal in mind.  Shop for Dog products that are fun for both you and your dog, just remember to also keep safty in mind. 

All jumps have displaceable bars so that the animal will not be injured if he hits the jump bar. All agility obstacles that must be physically scaled have contact zones painted on the equipment, this enforces safe training techniques. All surfaces are roughened for good traction in both dry and wet weather.

In agility competition, obstacles are arranged in various configurations. The handler must direct their dog around the agility course in a sequence that has been pre determined by the judge.

The first round contains few complications, and is more of a test to see if the dog can maneuver the equipment in a reasonable amount of time. As he progresses the course becomes more complex and requires more split second timing and coordination to accomplish within the Standard Course Time.

Rules are fairly simple, handlers can give unlimited commands or signals, but cannot touch either the equipment or the dog. In the agility course there are faults for knocking down a jump bar, failing to put one or more paws in the safety or contact zone when climbing or descending contact equipment, taking obstacles out of order and running past or stopping before the next obstacle is preformed.

Time penalties are also assessed for going over the course time. Dogs compete only against dogs of similar height within a fixed number of jump height divisions, they must be at least 6(UKC), 15(AKC) or 18(NADAC) months of age to participate in agility trials.

Regardless of the organization, the dog with the lowest number of faults and fastest time wins the agility course. Dog Agility requires teamwork and trust between dog and handler. To make such split decisions requires hours of practice and patients.  Find Everything You Need For Your Pet at PETCO.com!