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.
Dogs compete on an agility field or agility course, and these terms mean the same thing. A variety of apparatus are set up on the course and these are known as obstacles. Some obstacles are contact obstacles, and that means just what you think, the dog has direct contact with these obstacles. These include dog agility a-frames, the teeter totter and the dog walk.
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.
Each pairing of dog and handler is called a team. The handler is simply the person who leads the dog around the course using only verbal commands and hand signals. No treats are allowed. The handler is usually the dog's owner, but it might also be a professional trainer. The team is presented with a score after running the field and this score is determined by calculating the faults that are received. There are time faults if the dog doesn't finish the course in time and course faults given when equipment is not navigated perfectly.
Certainly competitions have their fair share of regulations, but it truly is all about having a great time with our furry companions. They are enjoying the challenge of completing the obstacles and get some much-needed exercise and spending a bunch of time with their favorite person - you. Visit Carlson Agility and you will find every imaginable piece of agility equipment that you might need. They even have mini obstacles that have been scaled down to suit the needs of smaller dogs and, of course, puppies.
Dogs compete on an agility field or agility course, and these terms mean the same thing. A variety of apparatus are set up on the course and these are known as obstacles. Some obstacles are contact obstacles, and that means just what you think, the dog has direct contact with these obstacles. These include dog agility a-frames, the teeter totter and the dog walk.
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.
Each pairing of dog and handler is called a team. The handler is simply the person who leads the dog around the course using only verbal commands and hand signals. No treats are allowed. The handler is usually the dog's owner, but it might also be a professional trainer. The team is presented with a score after running the field and this score is determined by calculating the faults that are received. There are time faults if the dog doesn't finish the course in time and course faults given when equipment is not navigated perfectly.
Certainly competitions have their fair share of regulations, but it truly is all about having a great time with our furry companions. They are enjoying the challenge of completing the obstacles and get some much-needed exercise and spending a bunch of time with their favorite person - you. Visit Carlson Agility and you will find every imaginable piece of agility equipment that you might need. They even have mini obstacles that have been scaled down to suit the needs of smaller dogs and, of course, puppies.
About the Author:
Cheng Bernhardt loves dog agility training. To find a dog obstacle course, or to find more agility dog training equipment such as agility jumps, please check out the Carlson-Agility.com site today.
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