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Dog Agility
Dog Agility Equipments 
Do you love dog agility, want to get involved in agility, need info on agility? Check out this Wiki, it's packed full of some of the best agility information around.
Here we will bring you lots of dog agility information for beginners and those that have been doing agility for years. Everyone can learn something new! We'll have resources for training and equipment for both dogs and handlers; information on how to get started, as well as details on how to compete, health and fitness for both dogs and handlers, and much, much more!
The History of Agility!
Agility was created in 1977 by John Varley, a committee member of the Crufts Dog Show in the United Kingdom who had been tasked with the responsibility of coming up with a side show that would be as enjoyable for the dogs as for the spectators. Modeled after horse show jumping, and incorporating elements from police dog working trials, agility is a crowd pleasing spectacle that hones in on a dog’s natural instincts to run, burrow and jump.
What is Agility?
Since its inception, a number of agility organizations have sprung up in the United States including:
Most of these organizations provide opportunities for titling and national championships. Each was created with a specific purpose in mind. Some place more emphasis on accuracy over speed; others put more emphasis on speed over accuracy; others were created as alternative, less competitive, venues for those who prefer a less intense atmosphere. However, while there is some variation among each organization’s purpose and rules, the basic elements of agility are the same throughout. Fundamentally, no matter what the venue, agility is a race both against the clock and against other competitors in the same jump height division. Teams are placed in classes based on the height of the dog.
The judge creates a course that the handler will be required to run his dog through off leash. Until the day of the trial, neither dog nor handler has an opportunity to see the course. The course is mapped out according to rules set by the sanctioning organization but serve only as guidelines and the judge is free to come up with a great number of challenges, making each course unique. It is up to the handler to memorize the course, pick up on both the obvious and subtle challenges presented, and come up with a winning strategy. Shortly before the class is to begin, the human members of each team will “walk” the judge’s course. This “walk through” is a critical aspect of the agility competition as this is where winning strategies are often made and lost. While a fast dog has an edge, equally important is the handler’s “handling,” how he/she plans out and directs their dog through the course. Each agility course is made up of obstacles.
There are certain obstacles that are used in all venues and a few specific to only certain organizations. First, there are the jumps. There are several types of jumps including the single bar, winged, wingless, panel, spread and tire. Dogs must clear these jumps without knocking down any pole. A knocked bar can mean elimination. A dog must also negotiate the tire jump by going through the narrow center opening. He must also clear the broad jump without stepping on any of the panels. Then there are the contact obstacles. Contacts include the seesaw or teeter, the a-frame, the dog walk, the pause table and the cross-over. The key to the contacts are the yellow-contact zones. As a built-in safety measure, dogs must touch the yellow contact safety zones on their accent or decent from a contact or, again, risk elimination. The pause table can be a much greater challenge than one might think.
Just as it sounds, the tunnel is a long tube that the dog must run through. The chute is similar to the tunnel but it is
open on only one end and has a fabric opening on the other that the dog must push through. If the dog backs out of either of these obstacles, a refusal is called.
Lastly, there is, perhaps, the most thrilling of the agility obstacles, the weave poles. Weave poles are also the only obstacle that are completely foreign to a dog’s natural instincts and, therefore, take a long time to train. Weave poles consist of a line of six to twelve poles set parallel to one another, approximately eighteen to twenty one inches apart. Dogs must enter the poles on the right side and weave in and out of them without missing any.
Dog Agility - an overview!
Great training and obstacle resources!
You need equipment!
Resources for Additional Information About Dog Agility:
Dog Agility on Squidoo
Mighty Mite Small Dog Sports Forum
Mighty Mite Small Dog Info Center
Do you love dog agility, want to get involved in agility, need info on agility? Check out this Wiki, it's packed full of some of the best agility information around.Here we will bring you lots of dog agility information for beginners and those that have been doing agility for years. Everyone can learn something new! We'll have resources for training and equipment for both dogs and handlers; information on how to get started, as well as details on how to compete, health and fitness for both dogs and handlers, and much, much more!
The History of Agility!
Agility was created in 1977 by John Varley, a committee member of the Crufts Dog Show in the United Kingdom who had been tasked with the responsibility of coming up with a side show that would be as enjoyable for the dogs as for the spectators. Modeled after horse show jumping, and incorporating elements from police dog working trials, agility is a crowd pleasing spectacle that hones in on a dog’s natural instincts to run, burrow and jump.
What is Agility?
- USDAA The United States Dog Agility Association
- AKC American Kennel Club Dog Agility
- CPE Canine Performance Events, Inc.
- NADAC North American Dog Agility Council, Inc.
- TDAA Teacup Dogs Agility Association
- JFF Just For Fun Agility
- AAC Agility Association of Canada
- CKC Canadian Kennel Club
- DOCNA Dogs on Course in North America
- AAC Agility Association of Canada
- UKC United Kennel Club
Most of these organizations provide opportunities for titling and national championships. Each was created with a specific purpose in mind. Some place more emphasis on accuracy over speed; others put more emphasis on speed over accuracy; others were created as alternative, less competitive, venues for those who prefer a less intense atmosphere. However, while there is some variation among each organization’s purpose and rules, the basic elements of agility are the same throughout. Fundamentally, no matter what the venue, agility is a race both against the clock and against other competitors in the same jump height division. Teams are placed in classes based on the height of the dog. The judge creates a course that the handler will be required to run his dog through off leash. Until the day of the trial, neither dog nor handler has an opportunity to see the course. The course is mapped out according to rules set by the sanctioning organization but serve only as guidelines and the judge is free to come up with a great number of challenges, making each course unique. It is up to the handler to memorize the course, pick up on both the obvious and subtle challenges presented, and come up with a winning strategy. Shortly before the class is to begin, the human members of each team will “walk” the judge’s course. This “walk through” is a critical aspect of the agility competition as this is where winning strategies are often made and lost. While a fast dog has an edge, equally important is the handler’s “handling,” how he/she plans out and directs their dog through the course. Each agility course is made up of obstacles.
There are certain obstacles that are used in all venues and a few specific to only certain organizations. First, there are the jumps. There are several types of jumps including the single bar, winged, wingless, panel, spread and tire. Dogs must clear these jumps without knocking down any pole. A knocked bar can mean elimination. A dog must also negotiate the tire jump by going through the narrow center opening. He must also clear the broad jump without stepping on any of the panels. Then there are the contact obstacles. Contacts include the seesaw or teeter, the a-frame, the dog walk, the pause table and the cross-over. The key to the contacts are the yellow-contact zones. As a built-in safety measure, dogs must touch the yellow contact safety zones on their accent or decent from a contact or, again, risk elimination. The pause table can be a much greater challenge than one might think. Just as it sounds, the tunnel is a long tube that the dog must run through. The chute is similar to the tunnel but it is
open on only one end and has a fabric opening on the other that the dog must push through. If the dog backs out of either of these obstacles, a refusal is called. Lastly, there is, perhaps, the most thrilling of the agility obstacles, the weave poles. Weave poles are also the only obstacle that are completely foreign to a dog’s natural instincts and, therefore, take a long time to train. Weave poles consist of a line of six to twelve poles set parallel to one another, approximately eighteen to twenty one inches apart. Dogs must enter the poles on the right side and weave in and out of them without missing any.
Dog Agility - an overview!
Here is a great instructional video on dog agility - thanks Katherine, nice job!
How to get started in agility!
There is a lot of info on the Internet all about agility. So we're not going to attempt to start over! But we will definitely give credit where credit is due. Thanks to those who have put together such useful info. Here are some great links to get you started: (Thanks Kathleen Shaffer at PupArt.net for this great photo!)
- Intro to Dog Agility This Introduction to Dog Agility is from DogPatch, one of the most comprehensive
resources on dog agility on the Internet.
- Getting Started with Clean Run Here is my favorite resource for getting started. Not only do the have great links and information, but they have incredible equipment and training gear; and a very informative magazine, Clean Run Magazine.
- What are all those obstacles? Want to know more about the obstacles and the courses? Here is a great resource that shows a sample course and explains what all those dog gone obstacles are! Thanks Good Dog Agility Club!
- What to expect at an agility trial - thanks Good Dog Agility Club! This is a great little page that explains what to expect at your first agility trial. Thanks Good Dog Agility for putting this together!
- What to bring to an agility trial - thanks Good Dog Agility Club! Another great page that talks about what you should bring to an agility trial. Yep, we need lots of stuff!
- Agility Ability! Everything "Small Dog" in Agility! This is one of the first websites about dog agility (any size dog) and a wonderful resource for people thinking of training little dogs in agility!
- Finding an agility trainer. The USDAA website has a list of dog agility groups, you can search by region.
- Another way to find an agility trainer. Clean Run has a great spot where you can search for a club or trainer near you.
Great training and obstacle resources!
- How to paint contact obstacles. Thanks Dog Patch!
- Building obstacles at home. Thanks again Dog Patch!
- Great training info. Dog Patch has put together some great training info here - for beginners and for experienced folks. Pick up a few great tips!
- What the heck are crosses? Ever wonder what the heck those front and rear crosses are? Here are great explanations!
- Beginner problem solutions. Every beginner has a few problems at their first trials. Well here a few ideas about what you can do!
- Sample agility courses. Here is a great page with all kinds of agility courses to study and review.
- Great agility training videos! Clean Run has a great page with links to all kinds of training videos. Thanks Clean Run! (Please note: Clean Run is currently revamping their website and this link is temporarily unavailable - so check back, K?)
- Need training plans? Clean Run has another page with links to exercises you can work into your training plans. (Please note: Clean Run is currently revamping their website and this link is temporarily unavailable - so check back, K?)
- Weave pole training. Agilityability.com put together this page on ideas for training the dreaded weave poles.
- Snooker - The Agility Game. The USDAA website has a great article on Snooker rules and regulations -- a nice cheat sheet!
- USDAA titles abbreviations. What do all those titles abbreviations mean in USDAA. Well, here's the answer.
- How do you get all those USDAA Titles? Here's a great pdf of the requirements for all USDAA titles. Nice reference to keep on hand!
- CPE title requirements. A great reference for qualifying runs for CPE Titles.
- Agilitynerd.com - searchable database of Clean Run articles. Now this is a find! The great folks at Agilitynerd.com have put together a wonderful searchable database of all articles in past issues of Clean Run Magazine.
- AgilityEvents.net What a great site - sometimes it's difficult to easily find agility trials near you - this site has them all, in all venues. Check it out!
- Agility Record Book This is a must have (as long as you're using Windows, that is)! You can keep track of all your runs, trials, results, yards per second, double Q's, MACH points, placements, and more with all the venues? It's a great software program for Windows users - and has great printouts to take with you on the road!
- Canine Palm Pilot Page For all you Pilot users here's a great page! It includes all kinds of Pilot aps to help you not only keep track of agility results and runs - but lots of other great dog stuff!
The best agility Internet resources from Yahoo!
Yahoo has a great bunch of groups you can subscribe to with a wealth of information on agility - from training and equipment, to rule changes and finding an agility dog. Subscribe - you'll be happy you did.
Yahoo has a great bunch of groups you can subscribe to with a wealth of information on agility - from training and equipment, to rule changes and finding an agility dog. Subscribe - you'll be happy you did.
- USDAA Sounding Board Yahoo Group All about USDAA.
- AKC Yahoo Group All about AKC.
- Agility Rule Changes Yahoo Group All about rule changes in all venues.
- Agile BC Yahoo Group Just for Border Collies.
- Agility Products & Equipment Yahoo Group All about products and equipment.
- Baggage Agility Yahoo Group for Rescues All about agility with rescues.
- CPE Yahoo Group All about CPE.
- Clean Run Yahoo Group All about Clean Run and other great info.
- TDAA Yahoo Group All about TDAA.
- Agility Dog Placement All about finding that great agility dog through dog rescue.
You need equipment!
Dog agility, like any sport, requires equipment. We've put together here a great list of equipment resources - from training, obstacle and trialing gear -- everything you need is rights at your paws.
- All kinds of agility training and gear. Clean Run is one of the best sites for anything you need for agility - from training gear and clothing, to travel and first aid necessities, and of course toys, treats, books, DVDs, and much, much more! Check it out -- all of us dog agility enthusiasts shop there!
- Need obstacle equipment? Here is a great resource for equipment.
- Tents, Dog Crates and Trialing Equipment. Mighty Mite Dog Gear sells the Super Set Up Screenroom Awning tents and dog tents for dog agility trials so you and your dog have shade while at the show site!
Health and Nutrition
Health and nutrition are foundations for any athlete. Even us dog athletes! Here you'll find some great links to keep your dog healthy, fit, and running in top condition.
- How to find the best food for your canine athlete. All natural foods and treats are essential to our wellbeing. Here is a great site that has all kinds of foods and treats with all natural, organic ingredients.
- Why all natural foods and treats? Only Natural Pet Store has a great library of nutritional and health information. Try it out if you want to learn more, or find information on all kinds of health conditions.
- Great list of resources for holistic veterinary information. Another great resource from Only Natural Pet Store, where they have links to a wide variety of veterinary, and alternative/holistic veterinary organizations and information. Not to be missed for us agility athletes.
- Finding the right veterinarian for you and your canine athlete. The right veterinarian is critical to your canine athlete. Injuries can happen, since we are so active. Here is a great site to help with your search.
Resources for Additional Information About Dog Agility:
Dog Agility on Squidoo
Mighty Mite Small Dog Sports Forum
Mighty Mite Small Dog Info Center
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