Dogs » Dog Activities

Dog Agility

I have never gotten involved in dog agility myself, but it looks like a lot of fun. It is a great activity that you can do with your dog. You don’t need to belong to a formal organization if you don’t want to. You can just set up some agility events in your own back yard or park and practice with your dog.

Agility is kind of like an obstacle course for dogs. Once the dogs get used to it, they really enjoy it. Here is what Dog-Play has to say on the subject:

One thing I really enjoy is the ego boost that comes from practicing in front of people who have never seen agility. They think my dog Tanith is really great. Well she is, but she is also doesn’t have the flash of some of the competing dogs. It doesn’t matter, she loves it, and people love watching it. I like running Tanith because she takes such joy in playing the game. With plenty of bobbles, glitches and spectacular failures along the way we are gradually finding our way into the top levels.

I compete in standard agility with Tanith, and Tsuki but Oso and I do agility just for fun. Possibly sometime in the future Oso will compete, but for now we just enjoy getting out on the equipment. I have watched his steady improvement and understanding of the concepts. I suppose it isn’t truly competition free. Instead of competing against another person and their dog, I compete against our previous performance. With Oso my goal is to get the best of him that he is capable of giving. Each dog gets an equal amount of time on the course. We are frequently joined by others who have no interest in competition, and who have never taken a class. Read more…

Affordable Agility tells about the commands used in agility:

When you introduce your dog for the very first time to an obstacle, it is not necessary, or even recommended, to call it anything. If your dog is shy of going in the tunnel, for example, you don’t want him to associate the word “tunnel” with something he is afraid of. But AS SOON as your dog successfully goes through the tunnel, you can greet him on the other end with treats and ecstatic praise “good tunnel!”. From then on, it is important to use consistent words for each obstacle. You can call them anything you’d like, as long as you are consistent and each one sounds different to the dog. Read more … (under Fun & FAQ’s - Helpful Training Articles)

This page also has a lot of information on how to train for the various obstacles, and other links. You can also purchase agility equipment from their site.

So give agility a try! It could be a great way to bond with your dog, and get involved in a fun activity. If you really get to like it, maybe you will start entering agility competitions with your dog - see the AKC site for details.

Click For Agility Obstacles!

Here are several books on agility training, for further information:

Introduction To Dog Agility Written especially for the beginner! Covers all aspects of the sport, from evaluating a dog’s physical fitness to training methods, basic commands, obstacles, and a detailed description of competitions and their requirements.
Agility Training: Fun Sport For All Dogs Details how to train on your own or with a group; covers training schedules, competitions and constructing obstacles (USDAA style).
Recreational Agility Think you and your dog would enjoy agility, but you don’t want to compete? These permanent stations are set up in a dog park, but you could do the same at home, or utilize existing obstacles. Any dog/handler can do it; emphasizes positive training methods!
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