about dog agility

Dog agility began as an exhibition sport in the UK and was imported to the United States in 1977.  The sport was patterned after equestrian events and combines handler control, agility, and confidence.  It is comprised of a course of various types of obstacles which the handler must successfully guide the dog through.  Agility is meant to be a fun, non-regimented sport with a lot of spectator appeal.  The obstacles include jumps, tunnels, a dog walk, a see-saw, an a-frame, weave poles, barrels, or hoops.  The types of obstacles you see depends upon the sanctioning organization behind the event.

The jumps

There are different styles of jumps in agility including winged jumps, the broad jump, the tire jump, the double jump, and the triple jump. Most dogs are natural jumpers.  The jumps' height is adjusted for the size of the dog running the course.  Jump heights are specific to the sanctioning organization.  The height your dog is expected to jump is determined by the dog's height at the withers.

The tunnel

Tunnels tend to be most dogs' favorite obstacle to perform.  Most tunnels are 15' or 20' long.  Dogs are taught how to perform the tunnel by shortening the tunnel length as far as possible.  As the dog's confidence increases, the tunnel is gradually lengthened until the dog can successfully execute the tunnel fully extended.  On an agility course, tunnels can be straight or curved.

the see-saw or teeter

The see-saw or teeter is accomplished with the dog going up the plank, using their body weight to cause it to tilt, and successfully exiting the plank by walking across the contact zone (usually painted yellow).

Dogs are taught to perform this obstacle in gradual steps.  Many trainers begin by using a wobble board and then work their way up to a lowered teeter.  As the dog's confidence builds, the teeter's height is gradually increased until the dog can successfully execute the teeter at its full competition height.

the a-frame

The a-frame is another obstacle that is typically dogs' favorite to perform.  Like the other contact obstacles (teeter and dog walk), the a-frame must be executed safely.  This means that upon exiting the obstacle, the dog is required to touch the contact zone (usually painted yellow).  

Dogs naturally like to climb up and over things.  The a-frame not only aligns with this natural behavior, but also allows them to be "king of the mountain!" once they reach the apex.  You'll often see dogs pause a moment to take in their surroundings from their "mountain" vantage point before descending.

The dog walk

The dog walk resembles a large elevated balance beam with ramps at both ends.  To successfully complete this obstacle, dogs must go up one of the ramps, move across the horizontal plank, and then descend safely.  Because this is another contact obstacle, dogs must touch the contact zone (usually painted yellow) before exiting.

Most dogs enjoy the dog walk and many are able to cross with remarkable speed.

The Weave PolEs

The weave poles are usually the most difficult obstacle to teach your dog to perform.  Dogs must enter to the right of the first pole (dog's left shoulder) and move in and out of the poles without skipping any.  It is always fun to watch dogs who are able to execute this obstacle with great speed.

The barrel

Specific to NADAC (North American Dog Agility Council), the barrel is executed similarly to barrel racing with horses.  On a course, the handler is informed as to which direction the barrel must be taken.  On some courses, the dogs appear to just run past the barrel, while others require the dog to perform a 360-degree turn around it.  

The Hoop

The hoop is also a NADAC specific obstacle.  The purpose of the hoop is to demonstrate the handler's skills since dogs can execute hoops with great speed.  Hoops are also great for training, especially puppies since they need to be more physically developed before training them to jump.

the table

Also called the pause table, the table is an obstacle found only in specific agility organizations like AKC and USDAA.  Once on the table, depending upon the organization, the dog may be required to be in a down or sitting position.  The judge will count off five seconds before the dog is allowed to leave the table to move on to the next obstacle.  The height of the table is adjusted to the dog's jump height.