What is dog agility training?

Posted On April 18, 2021

If you’ve ever been to a dog agility competition, you know it’s a fast-paced sport for doggos with a lot of talent. It’s impressive seeing dogs and their humans work together so harmoniously – does the dog speak human? Does the human speak dog?

What is this witchcraft?! 

Nevertheless, if you’ve caught a dog agility competition, you’re no doubt wondering how you and your dog can get into the sport. It takes a lot of training and commitment, but it can be done – and in this blog, we’re going to walk you through everything you need to know before diving in head first. Keep reading.

The history of dog agility training

The first dog agility competition was held in England in 1978. The goal was to entertain the crowds – I mean, there were two teams of four dogs dressed in matching tracksuits and that’s just damn adorable. 

I wish there were photos, I really do.

The ideals of the competitions were to be fun, not be dangerous, and have spectator appeal. Apparently, it achieved all these things because the sport caught on quickly worldwide.

As soon as 1984, dog agility competitions were introduced in New South Wales. By 1986, it was a national sport governed by the Australian National Kennel Control (ANKC). 

As popularity picked up worldwide, a second organisation called the Agility Dog Association of Australia (ADAA) was established and a rule book was created to suit international competitions.

Apparently the original rule book had a “distinct Australian flavour”. I hope it was a Bunnings sausage sanga slathered in tomato sauce and onions.

As of 2002, the governing organisation is NADAC which ties in with the United States and Canada, because we all love a good ol’ fashioned English dog-off. 

What’s involved in a dog agility course? What equipment do I need?

The dog agility course consists of:

• Weave poles

• Standard jumps

• Dog walks

• Pause tables

• Tunnels

• Tyre jumps 

• Teeterboards

These items make up a course where your doggo can run, jump, and weave. The number of faults will be scored up to create a competitive ranking for the course.

Dogs of all shapes, breeds, and sizes can have fun with agility. The course is set up based on the size and weight of the dogs aiming to tackle it – making it a fair sport for everyone involved!

The jumps are set at different heights ranging from 200mm (Papillon doggos can jump these) to 600mm (German short-haired pointers can jump these). So long as there aren’t any medical issues, most dogs can have fun with agility. 

Getting involved with your local dog agility training group is the first step towards agility success, but you might also be looking for some bits and pieces to train your pupper outside of your training sessions. 

You can get a surprising amount of affordable dog agility training equipment on Amazon Australia, including weave poles, tunnels, jumps, and so much more. Once you’ve received your equipment, set a mini course up in your backyard and take your dog for a super fun run.

You might even want to put your doggo to the test before going to your first dog agility training session to get them used to the concept ahead of time.

Dog agility training for beginners: is puppy agility training a thing?

Dog agility training is a great way to: 

• Solve behavioural problems due to boredom

• Exercise your dog’s body and mind 

• Improve their off-leash reliability

• Build a strong bond between you and your dog

• Get better at training and communicating with your dog

• Learn cool tricks to show people at parties

• Share a fun experience with your dog

No matter your doggo’s breed, there are a few things you can do to introduce them to the sport and make sure they’re feeling comfortable with the obstacles in their way. 

 Puppy “agility” training

One of the first steps is to start training when they’re young. Dogs are usually ready to start tackling hurdles when they’re around one or two years old – unfortunately, puppy agility training isn’t recommended because puppies are, well, a little bit un-coordinated and they’re likely to hurt themselves trying the jumps.

If they’re too young to take on dog agility equipment, you can start with some basics obedience training like teaching them how to sit, lie down, come, heel, and stay. These are the basic building blocks of an agility champion. 

I’d also recommend getting your puppy socialised, like taking them to puppy preschool and taking them to the dog park where there are lots of people and other dogs. This will get them used to having lots of movement and action happening around them, preparing them for the competitions ahead.

Essentially, you want your pupper to be a good boy or girl ahead of agility training so they’re comfortable and confident for competition.

Slowly introduce new obstacles to their training

Once your puppy is gaining confidence, start introducing “contact” obstacles like A frames, dog walks, and teeter totters. This equipment is considered “contact” because there are one or more sides where your dog needs to touch with one paw.

You can teach your doggo to make this contact by leaving treats in the contact zone, but only allow them to eat the treat if their paw touches the zone. Everyone loves a snack – your dog will learn that touching the thing = snack time.

Also, be sure to keep the obstacles low to the ground so it’s not too challenging. You don’t want your puppy to injure themselves on the obstacles – besides, they’re only just getting used to the process.

With the thumbs up from your vet, bring on the jumps!

Before getting into the more complicated stuff, be sure to check in with your vet and let them know you’re keen on teaching your dog more agility training. If your puppy is old and healthy enough, you can start introducing jumps – but only if they’re one or two inches off the ground.

Naturally, your doggo is going to want to go around the hurdle – if it was you or me, we’d probably do the same. The trick is to keep your dog on a leash so they can’t avoid the jump and approach the hurdle at a brisk pace, so your dog will get the vibe it’s time to do or die (metaphorically, of course). 

This is also a great time to teach your dog how the “jump” or “big jump” commands. Be sure to give them a treat afterwards – jumping hurdles is hard work!

Move on to tunnels and weave poles

After your pupper has started mastering the hurdles, introduce tunnels and weave poles. 

Tunnels are pretty easy to master. Start off with a short tunnel where your dog can see the other side and encourage them through with a treat or their favourite toy on the other side. Meanwhile, start teaching them the command “tunnel” so they know what to do when they get into big boy-or-girl training.

Weave poles, on the other hand, are a little more challenging. It takes lots of practice to get the hang of it – but it’s not impossible. Start by spacing the poles out by a shoulder length so it’s not so tricky for your dog to weave.

Put your furry friend on their leash and guide them through the wider poles. After a few tries and once they seem to be getting the idea, start moving the poles closer together. This will encourage your dog to bend his or her body a bit more to make it through the obstacle course. 

If it’s taking your doggo a little while to learn, don’t stress – this one can take several weeks to master!

Stop: pause table time

MC Hammer has got some moves, but you want your doggo to sit still on the pause table. It’s all a matter of teaching your dog the “sit”, “stay”, and “down” when they’re young – the pause table is no taller than your couch, so if they haven’t gotten a hang of these basic commands, you can encourage them with a treat.

While most dogs are happy to sit, lie down, or stay for a treat, the challenge is getting them to follow this command when they’re itching to head to the next obstacle on the dog agility course.  

Start by teaching your dog how to wait for one second, then two, and so on. The aim of the game is to reach five seconds and then you can move onto distractions to ensure they stay seated on the pause table in the competition with lots of movement around them. 

Keen to get started with your doggo?

Dog agility training is a super fun way for you and your dog to bond and get fit together. If you’re excited to enter the world of agility training, consider working on some basic commands with your puppy, introducing obstacle courses in the backyard (slowly and steadily), and get involved in a local agility training group.

Before you know it, you and your pupper will be taking on the champions in front of cheering crowds. 

Got some more q’s about dog agility training? Get in touch to get a firsthand account of what it’s like to teach Poppy the Dalmatian the basics of agility training! With a short attention span and a wicked personality, her human Amy knows a thing or two about getting a silly doggo into shape for agility.

Image: Chicago Tribune