If you would like to be a part of dog agility, you are not alone. This sport has become hugely popular since its creation in the 1970s. Every dog agility organization is a little bit different. Each has designed its own unique dog obstacles courses and each has its own rules and restrictions, but here are a few bits of basic information that might help those who are just starting out.
Many different obstacles are placed on the dog course, and these include jumps, weave poles, a variety of jumps, tunnels and a pause table as well as several contact obstacles, such as the see-saw, an a-frame and a dog walk. To become successful, much practice is needed. You can create your dog agility course at home using items purchased from a shop such as Carlson Agility. Here you will find everything needed for dog agility training, including such agility equipment as pause tables, dog walks, jumps, weaves, tunnels, teeter totters, a-frames and much more.
The goal is to complete a run through the course without incurring any faults. You can earn a time fault if the dog does not complete the course within the time set by the organization. Every organization has different time restrictions, and the restrictions also might vary between competition classes. Generally there will be different classes based on the size, age and experience level of the dogs. Some classes might have fewer obstacles or have more time, and this varies by organization.
You also must navigate all of the obstacles correctly, or other types of faults are given. The contact obstacles must be completed correctly, or your team (a dog and handler form the team) will earn a missed contact fault. If a dog completes the course in the wrong order, this is called an off-course fault. Turning away from an obstacle or pausing for too long in front of an obstacle is a refusal fault. If the dog passes an obstacle, this is called a runout fault. You also will earn faults if you knock down a jump or don't make it in and out of the weave poles correctly.
It's not just the dogs that can earn a fault; the handlers sometimes make mistakes, too. A handling fault is applied if the handler touches the dog or touches an obstacle, which is not allowed. Even if this is accidental, it is still a fault. Training in the ring is another fault a handler can receive, and this is a penalty that varies greatly from group to group, and some groups don't have this penalty at all. If the handler brings toys or treats onto the course, that also can be a fault as using incentives is almost always forbidden during competition.
If you wish to train and compete in dog agility competitions, simply contact the organization with which you wish to compete and ask for a set of regulations. Study them carefully and train using their guidelines. The more familiar you are with the rules, the better your training will be and the more likely your dog will be to achieve success on the agility course.
Many different obstacles are placed on the dog course, and these include jumps, weave poles, a variety of jumps, tunnels and a pause table as well as several contact obstacles, such as the see-saw, an a-frame and a dog walk. To become successful, much practice is needed. You can create your dog agility course at home using items purchased from a shop such as Carlson Agility. Here you will find everything needed for dog agility training, including such agility equipment as pause tables, dog walks, jumps, weaves, tunnels, teeter totters, a-frames and much more.
The goal is to complete a run through the course without incurring any faults. You can earn a time fault if the dog does not complete the course within the time set by the organization. Every organization has different time restrictions, and the restrictions also might vary between competition classes. Generally there will be different classes based on the size, age and experience level of the dogs. Some classes might have fewer obstacles or have more time, and this varies by organization.
You also must navigate all of the obstacles correctly, or other types of faults are given. The contact obstacles must be completed correctly, or your team (a dog and handler form the team) will earn a missed contact fault. If a dog completes the course in the wrong order, this is called an off-course fault. Turning away from an obstacle or pausing for too long in front of an obstacle is a refusal fault. If the dog passes an obstacle, this is called a runout fault. You also will earn faults if you knock down a jump or don't make it in and out of the weave poles correctly.
It's not just the dogs that can earn a fault; the handlers sometimes make mistakes, too. A handling fault is applied if the handler touches the dog or touches an obstacle, which is not allowed. Even if this is accidental, it is still a fault. Training in the ring is another fault a handler can receive, and this is a penalty that varies greatly from group to group, and some groups don't have this penalty at all. If the handler brings toys or treats onto the course, that also can be a fault as using incentives is almost always forbidden during competition.
If you wish to train and compete in dog agility competitions, simply contact the organization with which you wish to compete and ask for a set of regulations. Study them carefully and train using their guidelines. The more familiar you are with the rules, the better your training will be and the more likely your dog will be to achieve success on the agility course.
About the Author:
Cheng Bernhardt enjoys talking about dog agility training. To discover an agility equipment for dogs, or to find useful agility dog training equipment such as dog agility kit, please check out the Carlson-Agility website today.
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