If you are preparing to enter the world of dog agility, there's much for you as the dog owner to learn and understand. Dog agility is not just an activity; it is an exciting world of fun and adventure. Once you enter this world, you will hear a lot of common agility jargon. If you aren't sure what it all means, here is some basic information for those new to the sport.
The area in which dogs compete is known as an agility course, or sometimes this is called an agility field. Either way, what you find is an area that contains anywhere from about 14 obstacles up to as many as 20 obstacles. An obstacle is simply what they call each piece of equipment on the course. Contact obstacles are one type of obstacles and the dog will climb on these pieces of equipment. They include a see-saw or teeter totter, a dog walk and an a-frame.
The pause table is another important piece of equipment, and this might seem like contact equipment but it really is in a class all its own. The dog will hop onto the table and the handler will direct the dog to sit or lie down for whatever time is required by the competition rules. Sometimes instead of a table, there will be a pause box, which can be just a square place on the ground or even just marked off. While the appearance has changed, the skill set is the same.
In addition to contact obstacles, you will see many other fun pieces of equipment such as tunnels and chutes. Chutes are sometimes called collapsible tunnels. There are many types of jumps, including tire jumps, panel jumps and spread hurdles, which is simply a longer distance jump. At home, you can simply place two jumps together or even three to mimic this distance. Weaves are challenging obstacles, and the dog must weave in and out of 12 to 14 weaves. This generally is considered to be the hardest obstacle to navigate but it is definitely exciting to watch. Some agility competitions also include unique obstacles such as a sway bridge, but these are rare.
The person who leads the dog through the course is called the handler, and that might be you or perhaps you have hired a professional handler. The dog and handler form a team. You score is based in part on the time it takes you to complete each obstacle and the entire course as well as the accuracy of handling each obstacle. Handlers can use body signals or spoken commands to lead the dog through the course but no treats or other incentives. Your score is determined by the number of faults that you receive. There are course faults given if the dog fails to navigate an obstacle or navigate it correctly, such as knocking down the bar on one of your jumps. Each course must be navigated within a specific amount of time. If you go over this time, time faults are given.
It might sound cutthroat, but really these events are fun and spirited. Obviously both dog and handler are happy after a successful run, but there are more important benefits to be gained, such as building a bond between a dog and his human companion. To get going, order some high quality dog agility equipment from Carlson Agility today. They have everything from pause tables, to dog agility jumps, a-frames, tunnels, chutes, see-saws and everything else you will find on a course. They also have mini equipment perfect for puppies and the smaller dog breeds.
The area in which dogs compete is known as an agility course, or sometimes this is called an agility field. Either way, what you find is an area that contains anywhere from about 14 obstacles up to as many as 20 obstacles. An obstacle is simply what they call each piece of equipment on the course. Contact obstacles are one type of obstacles and the dog will climb on these pieces of equipment. They include a see-saw or teeter totter, a dog walk and an a-frame.
The pause table is another important piece of equipment, and this might seem like contact equipment but it really is in a class all its own. The dog will hop onto the table and the handler will direct the dog to sit or lie down for whatever time is required by the competition rules. Sometimes instead of a table, there will be a pause box, which can be just a square place on the ground or even just marked off. While the appearance has changed, the skill set is the same.
In addition to contact obstacles, you will see many other fun pieces of equipment such as tunnels and chutes. Chutes are sometimes called collapsible tunnels. There are many types of jumps, including tire jumps, panel jumps and spread hurdles, which is simply a longer distance jump. At home, you can simply place two jumps together or even three to mimic this distance. Weaves are challenging obstacles, and the dog must weave in and out of 12 to 14 weaves. This generally is considered to be the hardest obstacle to navigate but it is definitely exciting to watch. Some agility competitions also include unique obstacles such as a sway bridge, but these are rare.
The person who leads the dog through the course is called the handler, and that might be you or perhaps you have hired a professional handler. The dog and handler form a team. You score is based in part on the time it takes you to complete each obstacle and the entire course as well as the accuracy of handling each obstacle. Handlers can use body signals or spoken commands to lead the dog through the course but no treats or other incentives. Your score is determined by the number of faults that you receive. There are course faults given if the dog fails to navigate an obstacle or navigate it correctly, such as knocking down the bar on one of your jumps. Each course must be navigated within a specific amount of time. If you go over this time, time faults are given.
It might sound cutthroat, but really these events are fun and spirited. Obviously both dog and handler are happy after a successful run, but there are more important benefits to be gained, such as building a bond between a dog and his human companion. To get going, order some high quality dog agility equipment from Carlson Agility today. They have everything from pause tables, to dog agility jumps, a-frames, tunnels, chutes, see-saws and everything else you will find on a course. They also have mini equipment perfect for puppies and the smaller dog breeds.
About the Author:
Cheng Bernhardt loves dog agility training. To find a dog obstacle course, or to find additional agility dog training equipment such as agility jumps, please go to the Carlson-Agility.com website today.
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