What is Dog Agility?

Dog Agility is one of the most popular canine sports. It is becoming ever more attractive to dog owners as a way to exercise and have fun with their dogs. There are endless surprises and countless ways that it benefits both dogs and owners.

For people who are interested in getting involved with dog agility competitions, they first have to understand the equipment involved in the sport. This is not like some other competitive canine sports where an owner can train a dog to sit, heel, and other commands independent of the environment. In dog agility, the equipment is important. The obstacles involved should be familiar to both the dog owner and the dog.

The basic obstacles include the seesaw, the tunnel, the A-Frame, the dog walk, weave poles and a variety of tunnels.

While it is not normally practical for an owner to purchase every single obstacle that their dog may encounter, they can normally get a few pieces of equipment for practise.

The tunnel is just what it sounds like. It may be hard plastic, or soft silk, but it will be a long tunnel like enclosure that the dog must travel through. It is important to familiarize the dog with this, because many dogs, on first encounter, can find the tunnel intimidating.

Some dogs do not like to walk through the tunnel, while others enjoy racing through. All dogs will feel more comfortable once they are familiar with the structure of a tunnel and they realize that they can run though, and exit safely time after time.

The tunnels may often have curves, so this is another feature that the dog should be used to in advance. The key to success is preparation, and any dog that is used to running through tunnels will be better prepared for competition.

The seesaw is an obstacle that's similar to the equipment in a children's playground. It tests a dog’s ability to maintain balance and navigate a moving space.

Some dogs are hesitant to walk across once the movement begins to descend.  It may take a long of practice before a dog is comfortable. Once the dog understands that they control the rise and fall, they will feel confident and be able to quickly traverse this obstacle.

The A Frame is a large static obstacle. The dog has to ascend and climb over and then down the other side. In training, often the A frame is taught with it very low to the ground, as the dog gains more confidence, the height is increased.

This is an obstacle where the dog must walk up and over a series of planks. It is considered a contact obstacle along with the A-Frame and Seesaw.

These are a series of upright poles which the dogs must weave around.  The fastest dogs look like they are bending their bodies to get around the poles.  This is one of the most difficult obstacles to train.  There are many different methods to training this obstacle including putting wires around the poles so the dogs have to do it correctly in the beginning and then removing the wires as they begin to understand the obstacle.  Another method is to start with only 2 poles and then increase them slowly as the dog understands the obstacle.

It is important for dog owners to understand the USDAA class descriptions. These fall under two groups, Standard class and Non-Standard class.

Standard Class is a course where the major obstacles are all utilized. For instance, a dog competing in a Standard Class will have to navigate three obstacles that fall under the category of contact. These may be the Seesaw, A-Frame, and the Dog Walk. The dog must also participate in two tunnel obstacles.

Non-Standard Classes included three subgroups. These are as follows:

In the Gamblers class the dog's handler decides which obstacles and in what order to do them for a set period of time. When the whistle blows, the dog and handler are given a special challenge to do within a certain time frame for additional points.

In Jumpers class the dogs are faced with obstacles that are almost all jumping based. Hurdles and similar obstacles make up this class. The speed and accuracy of the dog is very important. There are no contact obstacles such as A-Frames.

In Relay a team of Dogs and Trainers compete with other Dogs and their Trainers in tandem. They use a baton to pass off to one another. Dogs of the same size are often placed with one another.

In Snooker, obstacles are performed in a color-coded sequence. The colors will have different points attributed to them. In Snooker, Red is used to designate hurdles that must be performed in between the other colors. So that the sequence would be Red then a different Color and then Red again until the routine all of the Red’s have been done. Then the rest of the colors may be attempted.  You are trying to get as many points as possible.