Agility is an action packed event that is fun for everyone involved! The goal is to successfully direct your dog off leash through an obstacle course in a specific order,  in a set amount of time, without error. Agility started back in the 70's as a half-time entertainment for the crowd at Crufts. It has caught on like wild fire and there are several organizations that offer sanctioned trials. You will find links to them here on this page.

The purpose of this page is to help the beginner get started and to explain the equipment. I remember being very confused when I first started and it is my goal to help make agility as newbie friendly as possible!

The first step is finding an agility class in your area. If you live in a rural area and there aren't many classes close to you, you can certainly begin training on your own. There are a number of excellent recourses in books and videos available on line. One of my favorite places is Clean Run. They have a wonderful selection of books and videos for all levels and all areas of agility. They also have a monthly magazine which is full of excellent information for beginners to advanced.

If you are going to train at home you will also need some equipment. You can build your own or buy some. A search on agility equipment will keep you looking all day long! If you find a class to take in your area, you will still probably invest in some equipment of your own. It is not necessary to run an entire course for practice, in fact it is more beneficial to work on small segments designed to work on your skills as a handler/dog team.

Lets take a moment and talk about the obstacles the dogs are required to perform.

JUMPS

This is your plain old non winged jump. It makes up a good portion of most courses. It is small and compact and often breaks apart for easy storage. They are great for small backyards!

This is a winged jump. You will notice the "wings" on either side of the pole that hold the bar up. That is called a wing. It can make things a lot more challenging for the handler, because you have to be mindful of where they are and be sure you are positioned so that you will be able to avoid running into them... which is sometimes easier said than done when running a course!

Wings come in all shapes and designs, from barrels, to cartoon cutouts, to more traditional equestrian style wings. The jump in the first photo at the top is also a winged jump.

Along with the single bar jumps, there is also a double, triple and broad jump. The double and triple jumps require the dog to jump wide as well as high and the broad jump the dog must jump longer than high.

 

This is the double jump. The two top bars are set to the dogs jump height (20" in Cindy's case) and there are usually two more bars that are crossed to let the dogs know there is some depth to the jump.

 

 

 

 

Here we have the triple. This jump has 3 ascending bars with the last one being the dogs regular jump height.

 

 

 

 

The broad jump is most commonly seen in novice classes since the triple is not allowed at that level.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another jump is the Tire. The dogs must change their jumping style to fit through the opening.

 

 

 

 

Contacts

The contact obstacles are large pieces of equipment that have 2 yellow zones, one at the ascending and one at the descending end, which the dog must touch. If a dog fails to place one foot in the contact zone it is judged as a non-qualifying score.

This is the A-frame. You can see the yellow at the bottom. The length of the contact zone varies by organization. The A-frame is Cindy's favorite thing to do, so she is one happy dog in the picture!

 

 

 

 

Here is Cindy on the dog walk. Again notice the contact zone at the end of the board. The dog walk is much narrower than the a-frame and is also the longest contact obstacle there is. The dog walk consists of the ascending, horizontal and descending planks. Length and height and width can vary depending on the organization, so be sure to check the rules and regulations to know what to expect!

 

 

 

The teeter or see saw can pose some challenges do dogs. The dogs are required to again make contact with the yellow zones, as well as display control over the movement of the teeter. A dog that leaps from the end, or slams the teeter uncontrolled may be given a non-qualifying score. A fast reliable performance on the teeter must be taught slowly so the dog is confident with the movement.

 

 

 

 

The table is designed to demonstrate that the handler has control over the dog and can stop the pace. The dog must remain either in a sit or a down (The judge will tell you which one) for the judges count of 5. When the judge says "GO" you continue on! Don't forget to wait for the "GO!"

 

 

Tunnles

There are two kinds of tunnels, open and closed which is often referred to as a Chute.

 

Here is Cindy exiting an open tunnel. You will notice that this tunnel is curved. Open tunnels are often weaved under the dog walk or A-frame and can take any number of shapes! They come in many different colors from light to dark which can affect your dogs perforamnce! Be sure to practice with all kinds of tunnels so your dog will be confident no matter how dark it may be in there!

 

 

In this shot you see the chute. The chute is basically a barrel with a length of fabric attached to the end. The dogs must enter the barrel and push through the fabric and come out the end.

 

 

 

 

Weave Poles

 

 

 

 

Weave poles are often the most difficult thing to teach, but once learned is an impressive skill that is always a crowd pleaser! The dogs must enter with the first pole to their left shoulder. In incorrect entry is costly! In Novice there are no more than 6 poles, in Open and Excellent there can be between 6, 9 or 12 poles.

 

 

 

 

 

Ok so you're hooked! You want to get started who holds trials? Well there are several sanctioning bodies that offer titling agility trials. The most common is the AKC. Don't worry if you have a rescued dog, if it looks like a purebred dog you can get an ILP (Indefinite Listing Privilege) which will allow you to compete in companion dog events! There is also the United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA), North American Dog Agility Council (NADAC) and Canine Performance Events (CPE). All of their web pages offer a search feature where you can search for upcoming events in your area

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