At competition level, dogs and handlers are required to negotiate a series of obstacles (dog off-lead) in a set amount of time. A judge predetermines the placement and sequence of obstacles and the time allowed for the dog to negotiate the course.
The handler directs the dog around the course, using voice commands as well as any signals required.
The basic rules of agility are fairly simple. Handlers may not touch their dog or the equipment and can be 'faulted' for such actions as:
-dog knocking down bar jumps,
-dog failing to safely negotiate the course or the equipment.
-dog refusing obstacles or taking obstacles out of sequence.
Time penalties apply for dogs exceeding the time set by the judge. The fastest dog with the lowest number of faults wins the class.
A well trained agility dog learns to instantly respond to commands and cues resulting in a quality performance over specific obstacles so as to end up with a smooth, quick team result
There are a number of set heights used in agility to accommodate the size/type of dog, fitting them in a height/jump category so as not to over-extend the dog's abilities.
Agility can be enjoyed by people of all ages and is open to purebred and mixed breed dogs.
Agility is a lot of fun for dogs and handlers to participate in and is also a lot of fun to watch!
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Photo courtesy of S. Robinson
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