Agility and Links

Dog Sports and Activities - Agility

This page provides an overview of agility and some links to find out more information. It also includes "local" groups to contact in order to get involved. Check out the AAC and NADAC to see when the next agility trial is - spectators welcome!

Yep! Here he is! Dogma running the AAC Trials on July 22, 2000!

What is agility
Tips on getting started
Obstacle Commands and Obstacles
Agility Rules Comparison
Agility Clubs
Equipment and other agility sites

What is agility?

Agility is an obstacle course for dogs. It includes jumps, tunnels, teeter totters, "walls," bridges, tables and more.

The point? While considering the safety of the dog, the handler and the dog learn to operate as a team to negotiate the course. This team cannot make contact with each other.

Click here for some photo's (Hint the photo's are small but if you double click them they become bigger then just click back to continue on.
Agility Ability has some excellent explanations and links and courses and other stuff too.
Performance Agility Club of Edmonton (PACE) website for info and photos.

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Tips on getting started

You really don't need to know anything but there are some things that help. Attend a competition or fun match or demo. Attend an agility class two or three times.

This is an excellent book called Agility Training, The Fun Sport For All Dogs by Jane Simmons-Moake Click the picture of the book to order and find out more info (price reduced!). I wish I had read the book early in my training.
There are many resources and books on agility including clicker training agility and several books by C Zink on the performance dog - check them out at Dogwise.

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Obstacles and Obstacle Commands

Building directional commands early is a good option. You may see handlers say "up" or "down" to distinguish climbing up or going through a tunnel or chute. You may even see hand signals that indicate this. Right and left is invaluable.

"Go" or "Out" is used to have a dog avoid or skip the obstacle in line of sight. Some suggested alternatives:

Obstacle	Command
Dog Walk	Bridge	Walk	Up Walk	Walk up
A-Frame	Wall	Frame	Climb	Scramble
Teeter Totter	Teeter	See-Saw	See	Up See
Weave Poles	Weave	Poles
Pause table	Table	Hop up	Bench
Open Tunnel	Tunnel	In
Closed Tunnel	Chute	Push
Tire Jump	Tire	Hoop
Non-winged/winged hurdle	Jump	Hup	Over	Bar
Spread Jump	Big Jump	Big Hup	Alternate of hurdle above, i.e. Jump for the hurdle and hup for the spread

Or if you want to be really creative check out Dr. P's Common Dog Commands in Several Languages

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Agility Rules Comparison

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Agility Clubs

Performance Agility Club of Edmonton (PACE) check site for member benefits and training in the Edmonton area. It conducts AAC sanctioned matches.
Agility Association of Canada - AAC - Check out trials and info for agility in Canada
North American Dog Agility Council - NADAC - This is a really good website for general information and a copy of rules and equipment regs and so on. NADAC trials are run in Alberta.
Both the AKC and CKC may hold agility matches.
USDAA - United States Dog Agility Association
JFF

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Equipment and other agility sites

Paw-Z-TracksPro-Equipment in Calgary.
Agility Ability - Wow! Details of the sport, equipment ideas, links, rules, and a very full explanation! A must see! There are even courses you can print out and review!
Homemade equipment ideas
Need ideas for agility equipment - here are some things you can buy and some you can make and some good old fashioned ideas that can get you started thinking of your own ways of making stuff.
Paws 4 Fun - Wonderful page on agility and clicker training! Lots of tips on training including a life saving article on clicker training the weave poles which has worked well with Dogma! Thanks again Robert! He also has an excellent Links page! A good place to start!
Agility FAQs

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