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Major Dog Agility Groups Around The County

By Cheng Bernhardt


If you are excited about getting your dog into the sport of dog agility, you are definitely not alone. Participation in this fun sport is growing at lightning speed, and dog agility groups and clubs are springing up around the United States. Dog agility provides an excellent source of exercise, the challenging activities make dogs happy and the bond between you and your pet definitely will be strengthened by these activities. When it comes to competitions, there are many out there to consider, including the following options which are perhaps the most prestigious or prominent in the sport.

The United States Dog Agility Association was the first group in the United States to begin sanctioning competitions back in 1986. This group is the largest independent authority for dog agility, and more than 25,000 dogs are registered to compete within this organization. Their yearly Grand Prix of Dog Agility is even televised. This group allows dogs of many sizes to compete and, unlike some other organizations, also allows mix-breed dogs to compete as well as pure bred dogs. The USDAA sanctions small tournaments events throughout the dog agility season, as well as regional events and even international events.

Since the late 19th Century, the American Kennel Club has been a prominent fixture in the dog world, and they host many dog agility events during the course of the year. The courses are smaller than USDAA, but the obstacles, in general, are a bit easier to tackle. Of course, there are some pure bred dogs that are not allowed in the AKC, and mixed breeds are not allowed to compete either. So if you have a mutt or a breed not recognized by the AKC, you will have to find another group, such as USDAA.

Another long-standing organization in the dog world is the United Kennel Club, which also originated in the late 1800s. This group is not quite as stringent in terms of allowable breeds, they recognize more purebred dogs than AKC and also allow mixed breed animals to compete in dog agility. However, their courses are tighter and obstacles are tricky to navigate, with the emphasis placed on the precise navigation of each obstacle rather than on precision and speed.

While these aforementioned organizations are probably the three biggest in the country, there are some other excellent groups to consider. If you are the owner of a tiny dog, you might look at the dog agility contests hosted by the TDAA, which stands for the Teacup Dog Agility Association. The CPE (Canine Performance Events) are another option, and they allow many different dogs, including dogs that are partially blind, deaf and sometimes even an amputee.

If you want to get started with agility training, you definitely will need to purchase some equipment and you can buy all the items you need easily online. Sites such as Carlson-Agility.com offer a wide variety of equipment to suit dogs of all sizes and ability levels. You can find all of the dog agility training equipment that you need, and they even have helpful dog agility kits to get you started. From there, you can create your own dog agility course in your backyard filled with a dog tunnel, agility a-frame, an agility dog walk, agility dog jumps, weaves and much more.




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