Agility Dog Competition
JUMP, TUNNEL, WEAVE
WRITTEN BY Gail Clark
PHOTOS BY Scott Butner
Jake’s leg twitches and his tail moves slightly, the only signs that he’s raring to go, as he waits patiently next to his owner. Then he hears “Jake Go hup” and he’s off bounding over the jumps, through the tunnel, up over the seesaw and on to the weave poles. He adeptly weaves in and out of the twelve poles getting a big clap of approval by his owner as he leaps past the last pole.
Dog Agility 01
The jump heights are reset for shorter legs as Poppy, the Cardigan Corgi, lines up for her turn. Wind is gusting across the course, so Columbia Basin Dog Training Club members spot Poppy as she climbs up and over the seesaw. She finishes her trot through the weave poles and wags happily waiting for a treat. Short legs, long legs, ears flying and tails wagging as one dog after another practices running the agility course. The dogs are having fun; their owners are watchful for enough discipline and experience to enter a dog agility trial. Poppy has both and is now competing. Jake is a young dog—both he and his owner need more training time.
What is Dog Agility?
Dog agility is a competitive sport that challenges a person’s skills in dog training and handling. Competitors race against the clock as they direct their dogs to jump hurdles, scale ramps, burst through tunnels, traverse a seesaw and weave through a line of poles. Scoring is based on faults similar to equestrian show jumping.
The first-ever dog agility trial in the Tri-Cities was held in March 2009 at the Benton-Franklin Fairgrounds. The event, sponsored by the Columbia Basin Dog Training Club (CBDTC) and sanctioned by the American Kennel Club (AKC), attracted 152 dogs and their handlers from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. The trial judges came from Washington and California.
At this competition, two types of agility classes were offered. The standard class included obstacles such as the tunnel, weave poles, jumps, dog walk, the A-Frame, and seesaw. The second class, Jumpers with Weaves, included only jumps, tunnels and weave poles. Both classes offered increasing levels of difficulty to earn Novice, Open and Excellent titles. Courses are changed during the competition to reflect the challenge for different difficulty levels. During the two-day event, there were a total of 568 runs.
All registered dog breeds can compete in AKC agility. From the diminutive Yorkshire terrier to Irish Wolfhounds, the dogs run the same course but adjustments are made in the run time and jump heights. The local event featured a tiny Yorkie with just enough weight to move the seesaw down, to the graceful flowing movement of the lanky Afghan Hounds. Lewis the Dachshund brought a smile to your face as you watched that long body winding in and out of the weave poles. Spirited little Papillons sped through the course, ears flying. The Border Collies were all business from the focused starting crouch, rocketing off the start, flying over the jumps and flashing through the weaves. One Border Collie ended on a gleeful note by grabbing his leash that was sitting on a chair at the end of the course and handing it to his owner. For all the dogs, handlers, and spectators alike, this was fun.
The dogs and the handlers must work in harmony to create a successful run. The handler learns the best way to direct the dog around the course. Use of appropriate hand and body movements sends the dog in the desired direction. The dogs watch their owners for direction and a movement the wrong way can give the dog a signal that costs them points. It’s not uncommon to hear an owner’s lament that they gave their dog a wrong command and caused the point deduction. The dog did just what was asked but the owner made a command or directional mistake.
Agility training is a great way to create a stronger bond with your dog while improving the dog’s conditioning and behavior. Agility is also good basic training for search and rescue dogs. CBDTC offers several types of dog training throughout the year.
Where It All Began
Agility began in Great Britain in February, 1979 at the Crufts Dog Show. This first small demonstration, loosely modeled on equestrian stadium jumpers competitions, was immediately popular with spectators. Today, agility is a rapidly growing international sport with United States participation beginning in the early 1980’s.
The United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA) was organized in 1986 to introduce the sport of dog agility to North America. They also introduced the first competitive tournament series in North America in 1988—the “Grand Prix of Dog Agility®”.
The AKC’s first agility advisory committee met in August 1993. They held their first agility trials in 1994 in Houston.
The North American Dog Agility Council (NADAC) was also formed in 1993 to provide North American dogs, purebred as well as mixed breed, and their handlers with the sport of dog agility.
Whether you are the owner of purebred or a mixed breed dog, agility training could provide a new dimension of fun for you and your dog. It takes time, patience and discipline to keep jumping, weaving and running through the tunnels, but what a great way to get outside and help your dog run off all that excitement and energy.
For information on local training classes: Columbia Basin Dog Training Club: columbiabasindogtc.org
