Dog agility competitions are a relative newcomer to the world of sports with the first public demonstrations dating back to a 1978 Crufts dog show in England. Today there are competitions all over the world and there are even organizations that have been developed in many countries to sanction official dog agility events. Here are a few fun facts about dog agility and agility competitions.
As with many dog sports, the dog works with a handler during the event. The handler is allowed to use certain signals and commands in order to direct the animal through the course. Toys or treats or other incentives are not allowed and every organization has other restrictions and animals are expected to complete the course before a set amount of time has passed.
There are many different organizations and each has its own rules, but generally dogs are not competing only with their own breed, but competing with dogs of similar sizes. The USDAA or United States Dog Agility Association, for example, divides dogs into four height groupings. Dogs also are not allowed to enter the main competitions until they are at least 18 months old. Not only does this ensure that their height will remain consistent, it simply isn't considered a good idea to have a dog undergo intense agility training until after their bodies are fully developed at around one year in age.
Each competition is a bit different and includes a mix of interesting obstacles. In USDAA competitions, there are 14 to 20 obstacles depending on your competition class. The novice dogs and older dogs have 14-16 obstacles, while the advanced and master class dogs must navigate 17-20 obstacles. Of course, each of these obstacles has a set height, width and length, so that when practicing on your own equipment you can practice on the same type you will see during competition.
Agility dog course obstacles include a variety of jumps and other pieces of dog agility equipment. There are usually several contact obstacles, such as a see-saw, a dog walk and an A-Frame. Dog agility tunnels also are part of the course and usually include one pipe tunnel and a collapsible tunnel. A pause table and a tire jump also are included. Dogs also must jump over several hurdles and weave through a set of poles.
There are several good reasons to consider agility training with your dog, even if you never plan on pursuing the competitive angle. Agility courses provide an excellent source of exercise for your pet. Learning the obstacles increases the level of trust and affection between owner and animal. This type of training is also a great way to improve overall obedience. To find equipment, check out online sites like Carlson-Agility.com. These sites not only sell a wide variety of jumps, contact obstacles, weaves and tunnels, they offer some great advice pertaining to training.
As with many dog sports, the dog works with a handler during the event. The handler is allowed to use certain signals and commands in order to direct the animal through the course. Toys or treats or other incentives are not allowed and every organization has other restrictions and animals are expected to complete the course before a set amount of time has passed.
There are many different organizations and each has its own rules, but generally dogs are not competing only with their own breed, but competing with dogs of similar sizes. The USDAA or United States Dog Agility Association, for example, divides dogs into four height groupings. Dogs also are not allowed to enter the main competitions until they are at least 18 months old. Not only does this ensure that their height will remain consistent, it simply isn't considered a good idea to have a dog undergo intense agility training until after their bodies are fully developed at around one year in age.
Each competition is a bit different and includes a mix of interesting obstacles. In USDAA competitions, there are 14 to 20 obstacles depending on your competition class. The novice dogs and older dogs have 14-16 obstacles, while the advanced and master class dogs must navigate 17-20 obstacles. Of course, each of these obstacles has a set height, width and length, so that when practicing on your own equipment you can practice on the same type you will see during competition.
Agility dog course obstacles include a variety of jumps and other pieces of dog agility equipment. There are usually several contact obstacles, such as a see-saw, a dog walk and an A-Frame. Dog agility tunnels also are part of the course and usually include one pipe tunnel and a collapsible tunnel. A pause table and a tire jump also are included. Dogs also must jump over several hurdles and weave through a set of poles.
There are several good reasons to consider agility training with your dog, even if you never plan on pursuing the competitive angle. Agility courses provide an excellent source of exercise for your pet. Learning the obstacles increases the level of trust and affection between owner and animal. This type of training is also a great way to improve overall obedience. To find equipment, check out online sites like Carlson-Agility.com. These sites not only sell a wide variety of jumps, contact obstacles, weaves and tunnels, they offer some great advice pertaining to training.
About the Author:
Cheng Bernhardt enjoys blogging about dog agility training. To discover an obstacle course for dogs, or to find more about training equipment for agility for dogs, please go to the Carlson-Agility.com site today.
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