The most common way to start training for agility is by doing basic obedience exercises with your dog. This will help teach them how to follow commands and also build trust between you and your pup. Once they are responding well to commands, you can begin working on some introductory agility obstacles. Be patient – remember that dogs learn at different speeds! Try not to get discouraged if your dog doesn’t seem too interested in the sport at first; continue practicing regularly and he/she may come around eventually.
In agility competitions, dogs navigate an obstacle course as quickly and cleanly as possible. There are different types of obstacles that can be used in a course, but some of the most common ones include tunnels, jumps, A-frames, dog walks and weaves.
Dogs compete against other dogs in their height category (small, medium or large), and each round consists of six obstacles. The dog with the best time wins that round; at the end of the competition, the dog with the fastest overall time is declared champion.
Arguably the most famous dog in agility, Zeus is a Great Dane who has competed all over North America. He’s also got perhaps the cutest way of running through an agility course – instead of racing through each obstacle, he leisurely strolls his way around them! This absolutely adorable method might not make him the quickest pup on the circuit, but it definitely wins him fans everywhere he goes.
The Border Collie is one of the quickest dogs in this competition, and it’s no surprise that he easily completes the obstacle course. His handler looks like she has a lot of experience working with him, and it’s clear that they make a great team.
