K9 Obstacle Course Specifications

The U.S. Police Canine Association (USPCA) oversees police dog certification through a series of trials. The trials are made up of four sections -- Obedience, Agility, Evidence &Suspect Search, and Criminal Apprehension. The agility test is made up of an obstacle course comprised of five specific obstacles. The owners of working dogs and dog groups use USPCA specifications to build their own obstacle courses and hold trials.

  1. Hurdles

    • The dog must jump four of six types of hurdles on command. All the hurdles are 3 feet high and 4 feet wide and are spaced 16 feet apart in a straight line. Hurdle types are picket fence painted white, chain link fence, simulated brick wall, shrub jump painted green and board jump painted white all to be scaled, and a window 30-by-30 inches for jumping through. The dog must start within 15 feet of the first obstacle and the handler may accompany him as far as just before the second hurdle.

    Catwalk

    • The catwalk or ladder climb is a 24-inch-wide platform with a ladder for access placed at a 25- to 30- degree angle. The ladder may only have five steps, each to be 12 inches apart and 2-by-4 inches by 24 inches wide. The platform must be 6 feet above the ground and 8 feet in length. The dismount ramp must be 10 feet long and 24 inches wide. The dog must climb the ladder and stop in the center of the platform and wait for his handler's command before dismounting and returning to the handler.

    Broad Jump

    • A series of 5-foot-wide boards are placed one behind the other at a height starting at 6 inches and graduating to 12 inches above the ground to cover a total distance of 6 feet. Upon the handler's command the dog must jump over all boards together and return to his handler.

    A-frame

    • The A-frame is a solid wall 6 feet high and 4 feet wide with the sides spread 4 feet at the bottom. This obstacle must have a catch platform 3 feet high on the dismount side to help avoid injury to the dog. The dog must jump to the top of the obstacle, dismount, and return to his handler's side on command.

    Crawl

    • The crawl obstacle is 8 feet long, 4 feet wide and 16 inches high. The front and back are open and the sides are made of chain link fencing. A 4-by-8 sheet of plywood covers the top. The dog must crawl through the obstacle and return to his handler upon command.