Agility is one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S. today. Its purpose is to afford owners the opportunity to demonstrate a dog's willingness to work with its handler under a variety of conditions. It requires dogs to demonstrate higher levels of training and interaction with their handlers and results in a better rounded and conditioned dog. Agility also provides good basic training for search and rescue dogs, demonstrates good training and citizenship and is an excellent outlet for all that energy!
There are several types of agility classes that you can compete in:
Standard, Jumpers,
Snooker, Gamblers, Tunnelers, Relay, Weavers, Touch N Go..... When
participating in agility trials, the dog and handler team must
successfully negotiate a course of 13 to 20 obstacles that may include a
chute, dog-walk, a-frame, see-saw, weave poles, pause table, tunnels and
six different types of jumps. The course direction is predetermined by a
judge and must be followed by dog and handler with a minimum of
mistakes. Each run is timed and the fastest team with the fewest errors
wins.
If you decide to
compete in agility, what can you expect to see at a trial? At
first it will seem ov
erwhelming with all the activity. There will
generally be two rings set up. Most commonly, one will be for
Standard/Regular competition and the other for Jumpers. Standard/Regular
runs include all of the obstacles while, Jumpers includes mostly
jumps with possibly a tunnel, chute, or weave poles. If you
are entered, your dog must be measured to determine the jump height
where he will be performing. Next, pick up your arm band and a
course layout or 'map' from the registration table. This 'map' shows you
the sequence that must be followed to complete the course successfully.
Prior to the first run, every
one will get a chance to walk the course
without their dog. This is where you plan your strategy for getting
through the course. Which side of the obstacle do you want to be on?
Where will you cross? Which obstacles should you block? It is a
lot of fun! If you have never been to a trial, go! You can find where
upcoming trials will be held in your area on the
clean run site.
Several organizations hold Agility trials and each has its own set of rules and regulations. Specific information about them can be found on their websites.