An Introduction to Agility

by Steve and Deb Shelt

gility is another way for you to work (play?) with your dog. You, as handler, direct your dog over, around and through a series of obstacles in a specific sequence or course set up by the judge. Your run on the course is timed and the object is to get through as accurately as possible, in as short a time as possible. Accuracy is the most important; a slow dog that is still within the established course time will beat a faster time that incurs faults. There are several organizations that sanction agility trials and each has some differences that set them apart. Most of the descriptions here will apply to the rules of American Kennel Club (AKC) agility, but once you learn the basics they can be applied to all agility. Two of the other popular organizations in this country are the United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA) and United Kennel Club (UKC). Differences include obstacle specifications, requirements for qualification, and in some of the regular and "non-regular" classes.

Obstacles

The obstacles can be separated into jumps, contacts, weave poles and tunnels. The jumps include bar jumps (single, double or triple bar), a solid panel jump, a broad jump, and a tire (or some-times window). All jumps except the broad jump and the tire have "displaceable bars" intended to come off the uprights if the dog hits them. Five jump height divisions permit a dog to compete only against dogs of similar height. Dogs over 22 inches at the withers all jump 24-inch tall jumps.

Contact obstacles include the A-frame, the dogwalk, seesaw and the pause table. The A-frame has two three-foot wide sloping surfaces that meet in the center. The dogwalk has ramps at each end and a three or four foot tall level portion in between. The seesaw has a pivot in the center and it rotates as the dog goes up one side and passes the pivot to the other end. The pause table is 36 inches square and the dog must get on it and either lay down or sit for a count of five seconds. Except for the pause table, each contact obstacle has an area at each end that is painted a color that contrasts with the rest of the obstacle and must be touched by the dog. The contacts that must be touched in AKC are at both ends of the teeter and dogwalk, and only the ending of the A-frame.

Autumn ran in her first Open agility class and found it a little overwhelming.  She knew there were birds around, and didn't mind visiting with some of the ring stewards.  Even gave the judge a Spinone kiss after laying on the table for the full 5 second count.  That still didn't get her a qualifying score, though.  She was the last dog in the class and the judge ran over after the run to meet her.  He said she must have thought he had cookies.

Weave poles are a series of between six and twelve poles spaced uniformly and mounted on a spring base. The dog must enter at one end and "weave" around the poles until it reaches the end. Picture a slalom skier, and you can see that the fastest way (and most exciting to watch) is not to go around the poles, but to push them out of the way to run as straight as possible.

There are open tunnels and collapsed tunnels. Open tunnels are flexible and are bent in a variety of shapes such as "U", "S", or variations of these. Collapsed tunnels, sometimes called chutes, are open at one end with a fabric tube attached to the other. The dog enters the open end and pushes through to the other end.

Titles

In AKC, there is the Standard Titling class that contains possibilities of all types of obstacles, and there is a non-regular class of Jumpers with Weaves, which has no contact obstacles and is de-pendent on speed and precision. In both classes there are three levels of agility, each level getting more difficult than the previous.

The first level, Novice, usually includes 12 or 13 obstacles and generally permits the handler to direct the dog through the course without needing to change sides and without obvious "traps" that might draw the dog away from the course. Open adds more obstacles, is longer, has traps, and is more awkward for the handler to run only on one side. The upper level, or Excellent, requires the dog and handler to work even more as a team. The number of obstacles increases to between 18 and 20, the course is longer and must be maneuvered more quickly, as the allowed time per yard de-creases. Advanced courses often include taking the same jump more than once from different sides or as part of different sequence and it is not uncommon for a handler to find himself or herself out of position, even lost on the course.

The team earns qualifying scores and "legs" towards titles. Three legs are required for attain-ing a title in AKC and to move up to the next class. A maximum of 100 points is available for each run, with 85 points required to qualify. Point deductions are for taking an obstacle out of order (a wrong course), for refusing or running past an obstacle, for leaving the pause table too soon, and for exceeding the established course time. The number of refusals or wrong courses permitted decrease and the penalty for exceeding course time increases as you move up in levels. Elimination is automatic (but the run may continue) for not performing an obstacle completely. In the case of jumps, this would include knocking a bar off. For the contact obstacles this includes missing the required contact zones. Also, in Jumpers with Weaves, wrong courses are not allowed in any level.

Getting Started

Your dog should be checked to be sure that they are sound physically for the activity, especially the jumping. Although books on dog agility are available and are helpful, it would be best to find an agility instructor to make sure you get a good foundation. The instructor doesn't train the dog, but should be able to teach you how to train your dog and ways to maneuver around a course. Starting out right will save a lot of frustration later trying to undo bad habits.

The most important part of beginning agility is proper introduction to the obstacles so that the dog will not become frightened. This can usually done at a young age, and the obstacles are lowered. There are even special "baby" obstacles that are reduced in size, but are wider than the real thing so that a puppy doesn't need to worry about where his or her feet are.

Regardless of the age, the dog being introduced to agility equipment needs to be under the control of the handler. This includes the leash and probably a hand through the collar (buckle collar only, no slip collars). As it seems to be lately in other kinds of training, food is often, if not generally, used in beginning agility training. For teaching contacts, the obstacle is loaded with food so the dog is rewarded but also keeps its head down for better balance. Continual praise from the handler also helps this process. Because of all that is happening it's best to have two people teaching the obstacle to the dog, one on either side.

Jumps are introduced later in agility, especially for younger dogs. Ends of tunnels are brought close together so that the dog can see the other end and he is not afraid to go in.  Weave poles are for more advanced dogs. The Novice titling class doesn't have weave poles and in the Novice class of Jumpers with Weaves, the dog does not get called for a refusal at the weaves (but must still complete them). Only valuable time is lost.

Advanced training

Because the dog and handler are to act as team, certain aspects of obedience are necessary from the beginning. The dog has to pay attention and follow directions from the handler. Some-times the advanced dogs seem to almost pay too much attention, following slight body movements of the handler even if not intended as direction. That's an important part of training, as the handler has to recognize what they're doing and the effect on the dog.

Every dog is different and certain breeds take to agility more readily than others do. Herding dogs, especially Border Collies do very well. Sporting dogs, and in particular pointing dogs, may perform with less intensity but can still enjoy it and do quite well. Most agility trials are held out-doors, and the desire to find birds may sometimes over power the desire to pay attention to the handler. Important to mention is that training should be kept fun for the dog (and handler).

page added 1/19/2000