Training Services | Agility

Agility Training

You may have at one time or another seen an amazing dog on TV or at a show hurling itself through a sequence of obstacles consisting of jumps, tunnels, frames, and poles at incredible speeds. If you’ve seen this, then you’ve seen one of the fastest growing dog sports in the nation. Welcome to agility!

What is it?

Back in 1977 a gentleman by the name of John Varley was given the task of providing entertainment during a break at the Cruft’s Dog Show in London. John knew how much people enjoy watching horse jumping, so he designed a dog event along the same lines with similar obstacles. Mr. Varley’s show was a hit. More and more people wanted to get involved doing agility because it was so fast, exciting, and fun.

In the 1980’s Peter Lewis and John Gilbert brought agility to the United States, where what had now had evolved into a sport really started to thrive.

Agility came under the AKC umbrella in 1994, however to compete in an AKC agility event your dog must be a purebred. If your dog is not a purebred you can still compete in U.S.D.A.A. (United States Dog Agility Association) and N.A.D.A.C. (North American Dog Agility Council) events.

A typical course is laid out within a 100x100-foot area, with roughly 10 to 20 feet between obstacles.

The Obstacles

Although different organizations specify different rules for the construction of obstacles, the basic form of the obstacles is the same where ever they are used. Obstacles include the following:

1. A-frame: Two panels, typically 8 feet long by 3 feet wide, hinged together and raised so that the hinged connection is between five and six-and-a-half feet above the ground (depending on the organization), forming roughly an A shape. The bottom 30 to 40 inches of the A-frame is painted a different color (usually yellow) designating the contact zone, into which the dog must place at least one paw while ascending or descending the obstacle.
2. Tunnel (or chute): A solid tube, 10 to 20 feet long and about 2 feet in diameter, through which the dog runs. The tunnel is constructed of flexible vinyl and wire so that it can be configured in a straight line or curved.
3. Collapsed tunnel (also called chute): A barrel with a tube of fabric attached around one end. The fabric extends about 8 to 12 feet and lies closed until the dog runs into the open end of the chute and pushes his way out through the fabric tube.
4. Jump (or hurdle): Two upright bars supporting a horizontal bar over which the dog jumps. The height is adjusted for dogs of different heights. The uprights can be simple bars or can have wings of various shapes, sizes, and colors.
5. Double and triple jumps: Two or three sets of uprights, each with horizontal poles. The Double can have parallel or ascending horizontal bars; the triple always has ascending bars. The spread between the horizontal bars is sometimes adjusted for the height of the dog.
6. Panel jump: Instead of horizontal bars, the jump is a solid panel from the ground up to the jump height. This is usually constructed of several short panels that can be removed to adjust the height for different dog heights.
7. Broad jump: A set of four or five slightly raised platforms that form a broad area over which the dog must jump without setting feet on any of the platforms. Length is adjusted for dog's height.
8. Dogwalk: Three 8 or 10 foot planks, 9 to 12 inches wide, connected at the ends. The center plank is raised to about 4 feet high, so that the two end planks form ramps leading up to and down from the center plank. This obstacle has contact zones.
9. Teeter-totter or see-saw: Yes, that is exactly what you think it is. This Obstacle also contact points.
10. Table (or pause table): An elevated square platform about 3 feet across onto which the dog must jump and pause, either sitting or in a down position, for a certain period, usually about 5 seconds. The height ranges from about 8 inches to 30 inches depending on the dog's height.
11. Crossover: Picture a 4-foot-high table obstacle with dogwalk ramps coming down from the center of all four sides. This has not been a commonly used obstacle and not all organizations have allowed it.
12. Tunnel maze: A new obstacle (as of 2004) consisting of several interconnected tunnels through which the handler must guide the dog by voice commands. In the United States, only CPE currently allows this obstacle.
13. Weave poles: A series of upright poles, each about 30 inches tall and spaced about 20 inches apart, through which the dog weaves.
14. Tire jump: Just what it sounds like: A tire suspended in a frame. The dog must jump through the opening of the tire. The height is adjusted for dogs of different heights.

Agility Scoring

Each organization has its own rules about what constitutes faults and whether you can earn credit toward agility titles with faulted runs. In most cases, you must have a clean run (no faults) to earn credit.

Completing a run that earns title credit is referred to as a qualifying run.

Faults can include the following:

• Refusal: The dog makes an approach towards the correct obstacle, but then turns away or hesitates significantly.
• Run-outs: The dog doesn't directly approach the next obstacle, instead running past it.
• Wrong Course: Dog takes the wrong obstacle on a course in which the obstacles are numbered.
• Pause Table Faults: Leaving the table before completing timed down or sit, anticipating count by the dog releasing himself after count instead of handler releasing him.

Mandatory Elimination (NQ) would occur when any of the following happens:

• Handler or dog knocking down any part of any obstacle or jump. Handler jumps over, goes under, or steps on top of any obstacle.
• Displacing bar(s) or panel of a jump.
• Failure to clear the span of the broad jump.
• Missing a contact zone, however missing the upside of A-Frame is not faulted.
• Teeter fly-offs.
• Leaving the table and engaging another obstacle before being released.
• Failure to complete all obstacles that are part of the course.
• Handler touching an obstacle.
• Running the wrong course.
• Physical contact between handler and dog.
• Excessive handling.
• Exceeding refusal limit of that class.