Golden Retriever Training: May 24, Dog Agility -- The Fun, Fast Dog Sport

Dog agility is a fast-paced sport in which a handler directs his dog over an obstacle course, racing to finish it correctly in the shortest time.

Agility Dog It's become one of the most exciting dog sports around.

It's great fun for both the participants and the spectators.

All dogs seem to love agility!

They respond to it as if they were being turned loose in a playground paradise.

Your Golden Retriever already loves spending time with you, whatever you're doing.

Add a few challenging obstacles to his natural playfulness and desire to please, and you have a recipe for an enthusiastic agility dog.

Local dog clubs usually host agility trials. It might be a breed club, or a dog club devoted solely to agility, or perhaps a club that hosts many types of dog sports.

An agility trial is a timed event in which a dog races from obstacle to obstacle.

He must run through or over those obstacles in a particular sequence as his handler runs nearby, signaling to indicate which obstacle is next.

Agility obstacles consist of several types.

These may include a dog walk, A-frame, seesaw, tunnels, jumps and hurdles, plus weave poles and a pause table.

The judge arranges these obstacles into sequences of his own choosing.

Every dog works off-leash. The handler may give commands and direction, both verbally and by body movements and hand signals, but he may not touch the dog or the obstacles.

Agility Dog on A-frame Courses are complicated enough that a dog could not complete them correctly without human direction.

Because each dog agility course is different, handlers are allowed a short walk-through before the event begins.

This helps them formulate strategy to complete the course as accurately and quickly as possible.

Each course must be run within a set time, which adds to the tension and excitement.

With the crowd cheering the dogs on, this is probably the most rousing of all the dog sports and the most fun to watch.

The AKC (American Kennel Club) offers three types of agility classes.

The first, Standard Class, includes contact objects such as the dog walk, the A-frame, and seesaw. It also has a variety of jumps, weave poles, pause table, tunnels and a closed chute.

Agility Dog The second class is the Jumpers with Weaves.

It has only jumps, tunnels and weave poles with no contact obstacles or a pause table to slow the pace.

This is a very fast course requiring instant decisions by the handler and close attention from the dog.

The third is the FAST (Fifteen And Send Time) class.

It's designed to test a team's strategy, skill, accuracy, speed and distance handling over a variety of agility obstacles.

All classes offer increasing levels of difficulty to earn Novice, Open, Excellent and Master titles.

The classes are divided by jump heights in order to make the competition equal between the different sizes of agility dogs.

You see, there are over 150 dog breeds (plus mixes) involved in agility worldwide, from tiny Chihuahuas to giant Irish Wolfhounds. And they all love the sport!

To participate in AKC agility, a dog needs to be at least twelve months old and registered with the AKC.

The Kennel Club in the U.K. does not allow dogs to compete until they are at least 18 months old.

This is actually for the dogs' safety.

Continuous jumping at a very young age can put stress on a puppy's developing joints and muscles.

The AKC requires that dogs entering its competitions must be purebred.

However, most organizations allow any sound, able-bodied dog to compete in agility. They can be either purebred or mixed breed dogs.

The agility trial was devised in England specifically for the 1978 Crufts Dog Show.

Dogs were run around a course (designed similar to horse jumping courses) during intermission as a way to entertain the audience.

It was an instant success.

Just as the wonderful breed of Golden Retrievers came to America shortly after it was established in the United Kingdom, so this exciting canine sport made its way to the United States in 1986. The AKC held its first agility trial in 1995.

Agility is now an international dog sport with many different sanctioning organizations and competitions worldwide.

Before beginning agility training, it is recommended that your dog have basic obedience training. He needs to know how to sit, stay, and come when called (recall).

Agility Dog Clicker training is an excellent way to show your dog what you want him to do.

Once he understands how to negotiate each obstacle, it's as easy as guiding him over a prescribed course, one obstacle at a time.

The training alone, whether or not you enter a competition, is a good confidence builder for many dogs.

You can buy or build dog agility equipment and practice at home if you have a big backyard, or you can locate a club to join and use their equipment.

Dog agility is a fun and exciting sport for you and your Golden Retriever. Whether you choose to compete or just run the course for fun, it's a great way to bond with your dog and meet new friends who share common interests and love their dogs like you do.