AKC Agility Equipment Regulations

Many canine enthusiasts enjoy watching athletic, well-trained dogs jump over bars, tear through tunnels and weave between poles, all at a heart-stopping pace. Agility classes are all the rage and the American Kennel Club has a number of events all over the country year-round. If this is something you are interested in, there are some regulations to follow when it comes to the equipment used in the classes.

  1. Facts

    • Agility is a fast paced sport that is one of the more popular dog sports the American Kennel Club offers. The equipment used in agility classes is very specific and can be either made via the specifications on the AKC website (see References) or by doing a simple search for "agility equipment." All equipment must comply with AKC regulations to qualify for an agility trail class.

    Triple Jump

    • The top bar of the Triple Bar Jump should be set to a height of 26 inches. The lower bars can be set as they would be for the 24-inch height. The bars of the jump must be made of schedule 40 PVC or its equivalent. All jumps must have 5-foot bars on them.

    Dog Walk

    • This is not the teeter-totter, but a solid ramp of ascending and descending sides. The contact zone should be marked at 45 inches on each side. Contacts can be made of wood or another fabricated material that can be surfaced properly. The zones on the contact should be painted on the sides as well to aid the judge.

    Closed Tunnel

    • The closed tunnel, or chute, has open on one end as you might see with any tunnel, but the exit end is closed, or collapsed. The length of the chute should be 12 feet, which includes the entrance. At the end of the tunnel the opening is 96 inches. There should be a 4-inch rib spacing on all tunnels.

    Weave Poles

    • These are twelve poles that the dog will weave between in a serpentine fashion. Braces should be located on the right-hand side of the even number poles and left-hand side of the odd number poles. Dogs start on the right side of pole number one, so if the braces are placed correctly, a dog will never step on or over a brace. Braces should be within 4 inches of the poles. The base is a maximum of ¾ inches high and 3 ½ inches wide. Poles should be 1 or 1 ¼ inches in diameter, and made of schedule 40 PVC or its equivalent. Poles are 40 inches in height and spaced between 20 to 24 inches apart.