AGILITY
Agility is a fun-filled, fast-action sport in which a handler navigates their dog through an obstacle course designed to test their ability to jump, climb, weave and follow directions. Agility has become a very popular dog sport in the United States. Dogs of all shapes and sizes can enjoy agility training and competition. It is a great way to be active with your dog.
Agility has its origin in the United Kingdom where people at horse shows would run their dogs through the jumping courses. As the sport became more popular, different obstacles were added and regulations evolved, but the courses still resemble a Grand Prix equestrian course.
Like most dogs, Paws Zone's "Q" loves running through tunnels on an agility course.
Agility obstacles consist of jumps, tunnels, weave poles, contacts and a pause table or box. There are many organizations that offer competitive agility programs and each venue has its own set of obstacles including the specifications for how they are constructed and performed. A jump can be a single, double or triple spread and can be a solid-looking barrier or a single bar. Dogs are also asked to jump through an enclosed circle, which is commonly called a tire. The height of the jump is adjusted for different sized dogs, allowing all an equal chance at success.
Ace Maneuvers through the weave poles" the hardest obstacle to teach a dog to execite.
Tunnels are common on agility courses and most dogs love running through them. Tunnels can be variable in length and color. A collapsible tunnel or chute has a round, rigid opening that is attached to a fabric sleeve which opens up as the dog passes through it. An open tunnel is round for its entire length and is made of a flexible material which allows it to be configured into different shapes.
The weave poles are the hardest obstacle to teach a dog to execute correctly because it is not a natural activity for them. The goal is to have the dog weave in and out between each pole in a fast, continuous pattern. There are between six and twelve poles per set, with poles spaced 20 to 24 inches apart. Spectators love to watch dogs as they work through the weave poles and they will not hesitate to cheer for excellent performances.
The contact obstacles generally consist of an A-Frame, dog walk and seesaw (teeter totter). They are called contacts because the dog is required to make contact with a specific portion of each obstacle in order to perform it correctly. These areas are called the contact zones and are usually colored yellow. Some dogs are taught to stop and perform a specific behavior in the contact zone (for example: having the front feet on the ground and the back feet on the obstacle) and wait until they are released to perform the next obstacle. Others are taught to run all the way across the obstacle without stopping, touching the yellow as they go by. Whichever method is preferred depends on the dog and the trainer.
Bonus makes contact with the yellow zone of the teeter to perform his "contact obstacle" correctly.
The pause table or box is put in an agility course to test a dog’s ability to control its action in the middle of a highly energized situation. The dog must get up on the raised table or into the box which is on the ground and assume a sit or a down position. They must stay in that position while the judge counts down from five. The handler is free to move in any direction while the dog is staying on the table, setting up the next portion of the course. Many handlers of fast dogs find the table to be a difficult obstacle to perform when they are new to the sport.
An agility competition is a judged and timed event: the dogs are faulted for incorrect performance of an obstacle or the course. The dog with the least amount of faults with the fastest time is placed the highest. Handlers compete for placements and qualifying scores which are used by the different venues to award titles and championships.
Floyd shows excellent form while jumping
Agility courses are designed by the judge of the day and are not revealed to the exhibitors until the morning of the trial. Handlers are allowed to walk the course without their dogs to learn the proper sequence of obstacles and plan a handling strategy. A handler may give multiple commands and encouragement to their dog, but they may not touch the dog or any of the equipment once they start the course.
Agility is a fun and challenging dog sport. Aussies and Border Collies are well suited to the sport of agility because of their moderate size, high degree of trainability and natural athleticism.