Agility Courses for Dogs

Agility courses require that a dog be well-trained, attentive, and fast on its feet. Agility competitions are available all over the nation, and many dog owners are interested in what it takes to hit the course with their own dogs. If you are curious about agility courses, you should know a few things before you sign up for a competition. Agility can be fun for dogs, but it is also a challenge.

  1. Breeds

    • Any dog that is tall enough to clear a hurdle can participate in agility activities. While agility championships are usually dominated by intelligent and nimble breeds like border collies and Jack Russell terriers, you can teach your goofy lab or tiny chihuahua to do many of the same feats as those dogs. If you want to be a serious competitor, you should consider a type of dog that is bred for agility and training.

    Training

    • Training an agility dog requires hundreds of hours of effort. In most cases, the first step is touch training the dog. Touch training simply means that you teach the dog to touch its nose to the end of a wooden dowel. Once the dog has been properly touch trained, you can teach it to follow the dowel, which can then be translated into following the dowel over, through, or around obstacles. Training should be enjoyable for both the dog and owner and is almost exclusively accomplished using positive reinforcement like treats and praise.

    Obstacles

    • There is no standard agility course, but most courses contain many of the same obstacles. Ramps for going over, tubes for going through, poles for slaloming, and hurdles for jumping are all present on most courses. Some courses include teeterboards (like seesaws), hoops, a table for pausing and following commands, and an area for walking. In every competition, officials will discuss the correct order of obstacles and the necessary actions to be performed.

    Getting Started

    • If you want to train your dog to complete agility courses, you should first start with some basic obedience. If your dog cannot walk politely, sit or stay on command, or spends most of its time at the dog park ignoring your calls, you have a long way to go before you hit the course. Enroll in a local dog training class and get a feel for how the canine mind works as well as what it takes to teach some of the more basic commands. If you and your dog have a good time, move to more advanced classes and methods.