What is Dog Agility

 

Dog agility is a sport in which a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy.

The concept of Dog Agility began in 1977 when a dog training demonstration was invented as a crowd pleaser for the 1978 Crufts Dog Show. Two teams of four dogs competed against each other with such success that the sport of dog agility was born. Invented in the UK, it soon spread across the world and now there are world championship competitions.  The aims of dog agility are not dissimilar to the aims of show jumping - the completion of all the obstacles without fault in the shortest time possible. A different course is set for every competition, which the competitors are expected to walk and memorise before each event. A course normally consists of a maximum of 20 obstacles and each obstacle must be taken in the order it is numbered. Any error is faulted and eliminations for taking obstacles out of order are common. Dogs compete in classes according to their size and ability, and when they have been successful enough in any grade, they progress to the next level.

Dogs must run off-leash with no food or toys as incentives. The handler can touch neither dog nor obstacles, and the handler's controls are limited to voice, movement, and various body signals. This requires exceptional training and communication between the animal and the human.

Courses are complicated enough that a dog could not complete them correctly without human direction. In competition, the handler must assess the course, decide on handling strategies, and direct the dog through the course, with precision and speed equally important.

Many strategies exist to compensate for the inherent difference in human and dog speeds and the strengths and weaknesses of the various dogs and handlers.

Anyone can take part - there are several successful disabled handlers in the country, as well as juniors and veterans.

Here in the South West we have the choice of KC Agility shows, which are run by KC Affiliated Clubs, or the shows run by the independent organisation UK Agility. The rules differ between these. The primary difference is in Height category - dogs are measured to see which jump height they will compete at - UKA have 4 heights, KC has only 3. UKA also allow a handler to train in the ring with a toy, providing they have declared themselves "not for competition" to the judge. This is very useful when starting a young dog in competition.

More information can be found using the buttons on the left of this page, or by visiting the organisations' websites.

Paws on the Levels compete in both of these and we can explain how it works, if you are interested - just ask!

But be VERY careful: Agility can be seriously addictive. You may start out as a "just for fun handler", and before you know it, you've got eight dogs, a van and a caravan, your holiday is all taken up by shows and most of your salary goes on entry fees. Agility is a fun, very social and rewarding sport - enjoy it!