While dog agility originated in the United Kingdom, it’s the United States Dog Agility Association that has grown to become the world’s largest dog agility organization. There are more than 40,000 registered competitors within the USDAA. If you choose to compete in dog agility competitions, the USDAA-sanctioned events are one of your options.
This year marks 30 years since the creation of the USDAA and it’s grown beyond the borders of the United States. USDAA holds as many as 1,000 events each year, and while most are held in American cities, there are competitions in Canada and Mexico, as well as Costa Rica, Guatemala, Singapore, Philippines, Japan and Bermuda. There are many events where a dog can showcase his ability to use dog agility equipment; but the three biggest USDAA events include the Grand Prix of Dog Agility® World Championships, the Dog Agility Steeplechase® and the Dog Agility Masters®.
The USDAA was the first group to divide dogs up into height divisions. Any breed (including mixed breeds) is allowed to participate. Rather than focusing on pedigree, the USDAA focuses on the skill level of the specific dog and handler. In general, a good candidate for using dog agility equipment and entering dog agility competitions will be a healthy, agile and obedient dog that socializes well with other dogs and humans.
When it comes to dog agility equipment, the USDAA includes several different types of obstacles on its competition courses. There will be three contact obstacles, including a see-saw (also known as a teeter or teeter-totter), a dog walk and an A-frame. There also will be 10 to 12 weave poles, a pipe tunnel, a collapsible tunnel and the pause table. Dogs will have to jump over three winged hurdles and through a tire jump, as well.
While the aforementioned equipment will always be included in any USDAA competition, these total only 11 obstacles. Typically, you will find 14 to 20 total obstacles on a course. The extra obstacles that are added to reach this number typically include additional jumps or hurdles. The less experienced and senior dogs will have between 14 to 16 obstacles, while the Advanced and Masters classes will have between 17 to 20 pieces of dog agility equipment to navigate.
If you would like to begin training with dog agility equipment and prepare for dog agility competitions, you can begin training in your own backyard. It also can be a good idea to join a USDAA-sanctioned group, especially if you hope to compete in USDAA events in the future. To find an affiliated USDAA group near you, head to the homepage at USDAA.com and click on the General Information tab. From there you will find a section entitled “Group Locator.” Groups in the United States are divided by region and there is also a section for participants in the Caribbean as well as an International section.
Aside from the USDAA, there are many other groups that host dog agility events throughout the year. For instance, the United Kennel Club and the American Kennel Club host many dog agility events. The North America Dog Agility Council (NADAC) is yet another option to consider. If you wish to begin training, all of our dog agility equipment will prepare you to compete at any of these organizations’ competitions. At Carlson Agility, our dog agility equipment includes all types of jumps, weaves, contact equipment, chutes, tunnels and helpful training aids. We even have mini dog agility equipment ideal for puppies and small dogs.
Brad Carlson enjoys dog agility training. To find agility equipment or to find more about training equipment for dog agility equipment, please check out the Carlson-Agility.com website today.
