About Dog Agility
What is Dog Agility?
Dog agility is the canine equivalent of show jumping. A handler must direct his dog around a course of obstacles and is scored for both accuracy and time. The types of obstacles used in dog agility include: jumps, weaving poles, seesaws, dog walks, A-frames, tyres and tunnels. Good agility handling requires good timing and the use of voice and body movements. Dogs of any breed can participate provided they are fit enough.
Competitions
Agility is a fast-growing, popular sport. Nowadays, agility competitions can attract thousands of competitors; while there are also popular unofficial shows held across the country.
Types of agility competition include:
Open Kennel Club Shows Competitions held under Kennel Club regulations where the number of entrants is not limited.
Limited Kennel Club Shows Competitions held under Kennel Club regulations where the number of entrants is limited to a specified number.
Unaffiliated/Independent Shows Competitions not held under Kennel Club regulations.
Breed Specific Shows Competitions where the dogs entered are limited to a specified breed.
Training
Training a dog to negotiate agility obstacles can take a lot of time and patience! At Letchworth DTC we use motivational, reward-based training methods with the onus on enjoyment for both dog and handler. Many of our handlers have progressed through the agility grades (levels of ability) at Open Shows. For more information on training, see the Agility Training section.
