When it comes to dog sports, agility is a sport that continues to grow in popularity and it’s easy to understand why. Dogs love it. People love it. It also provides many benefits for both dogs and handlers. If you are interested in getting started with dog agility, we can provide you with all of the agility equipment you need and plenty of helpful facts and tips.
What Breeds Can Compete?
Dog Agility has been around for almost 50 years, and one of the reasons why this sport is so popular is that just about any dog can compete. Any healthy dog, regardless of breed, usually can compete in agility competitions, including mixed-breed dogs. While you might think a border collie or other strong, high-energy dog is the best for agility, we’ve seen many a schnauzer and Maltese dash about the course having a blast.
Some dogs, such as breeds prone to breathing issues, might not be the best fit for agility. Dogs with very short legs, such as dachshunds, also might have difficulty with jumps and other obstacles, but we’ve also seen quite a few dachshunds out there enjoying agility.
Keep in mind that dogs complete within a specific height class and age group. This means an energetic Australian shepherd and a senior Yorkshire terrier aren’t going head-to-head in an agility contest.
There are categories for juniors, adult and senior dogs and categories for tiny dogs that require lower jump heights and smaller agility equipment. There’s even a special agility organization just for the little guys, the Teacup Dog Agility Association. At Carlson Agility, we have a full selection of mini agility equipment to ensure safe training for your small dog.
What Agility Equipment Is Used?
There are many dog agility organizations, such as the United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA), Canine Performance Events (CPE) and groups such as the American Kennel Club (AKC) and United Kennel Club (UKC) also host agility competitions.
Each of these groups, with the exception of UKC, uses the same dog agility equipment on their agility courses. These include a variety of jumps, including a tire jump as well as weave poles, an open tunnel and contact equipment that includes an agility a-frame, an agility dog walk, a teeter totter and the pause table. UKC might add items such as a swing plank or window jump.
In general, the dog agility equipment you will find on a competition course will be the same type that we sell at Carlson Agility. We handmake each piece of equipment using the finest components and using the same standards as all major dog agility organizations.
Agility Meets & Agility Trials
In the world of dog agility, competitions tend to be categorized as either agility meets or agility trials. Meets tend to be fun, more informal events and agility trials are a bit more competitive. Still, fun is always the name of the game with dog agility.
When is your dog ready for agility trials? In general, once your dog can handle a clean run in your backyard or at your local agility club, you could consider signing up for some trials. A clean run means that your dog maneuvered through the course, managing each obstacle correctly and within a specified period of time.
We recommend attending a dog agility trial before bringing your dog and competing. This is a good idea to get a feel for the sport and even to talk with other dog agility participants and gain a deeper understanding of what to expect at trials. Dogs will be off-leash and, usually, collarless while running a course, so your dog needs to be well-trained to obey your commands and a dog that likes being around many other dogs and people.
To Compete Or Not To Compete
Agility competitions can be a ton of fun, but keep in mind that even if you never set foot (or paws) on a competition course to compete, there are still many reasons to consider setting up a backyard obstacle course for dogs. Dog agility provides dogs with an excellent source of exercise and mental stimulation.
If you have a dog with a ton of energy or a dog that tends to be destructive or perhaps barks too much, agility can help them release excess energy and even lower anxiety. After a 15-minute session of agility, dogs are more likely to be able to settle down and have rest and relax.
Additionally, agility training improves the bond between a dog and their humans. Dogs and handlers must work closely together, and this improves trust and communication. Agility training can be a great option to consider with a rescue dog as the training can forge a bond between the two of you and also increase confidence and decrease anxiety.
How To Get Started With Dog Agility
You can begin to teach agility skills using any piece of dog agility equipment. Some handlers like to start with the pause table because it’s a great place to teach obedience skills. Dogs must sit, stay and lay down on the pause table, so while it’s not as exciting as jumps and weaves, those obedience skills are crucial.
Once you have trained them to sit and stay on the pause table, you can work on handling those obedience skills from a distance and with your dog off-leash. Distance training is a big part of agility training as you will be several feet from your dog during a competition. You can use hand signals and verbal commands, but from a few feet away.
Jumps also can be easy to teach, and dogs love jumps. One of our dog agility starter kits includes a pause table and four jumps, which can be a good option to consider. Jumps are the most common obstacle on a competition course, so your dog will need plenty of jumping practice.
Once you’ve mastered a few jumps and the pause table, you could add something a bit more challenging, such as the tunnel, tire jump or perhaps the teeter. The teeter can be a bit daunting because of the movement, but with patience and lots of encouragement, your dog should be able to handle the teeter fairly quickly and if they can handle the teeter, the dog walk and a-frame are usually fairly easy to teach.
Many handlers teach agility weave poles last, as this can be the most challenging agility obstacle. We do offer a training weave chute and training guide wires to help make weave training easier. Once your dog has mastered all of the agility obstacles, you can begin working on increasing speed. Be sure to mix up the course and practice your turns, as well, because you never know how a competition course will be set up and your dog needs to be prepared for any course configuration.
Purchase Dog Agility Equipment Online
You can order all of our dog agility training equipment online, including our helpful training tools. Whether you opt for an agility starter kit or decide to purchase each piece separately, rest assured that our equipment is the same high-quality equipment you will encounter on an official dog agility course. If you have any questions about our equipment, please click on the Contact tab on our homepage and send us a quick message.
