Run, Crawl, Jump! Dog Agility 101 with Stephanie

Photo Credit: Nina Sage

What is canine agility and can your pooch do it? Stephanie fills us in on everything we need to know.

Dog agility has always fascinated me. Having your dog run around an obstacle course with you as their guide always seemed like a great bonding experience that every dog owner should have. When I first got Ricky in 2014, he was a rescue who was very scared of people, including me. I hired a trainer to help, and he recommended dog agility. The trainer thought it would help connect us and make Ricky more comfortable around me. Luckily, Ricky and I became fast friends, so I never tried teaching him agility. But it’s still something I would like to try someday. I spoke to my friend Stephanie, who does agility with her dogs, for more information on this amazing sport.

What is dog agility?

Dog agility is a sport where you direct your dog through a pre-set obstacle course. You and your dog work together as a team to perform the course as cleanly and quickly as possible as designed by the judge. 

How did you & your dogs get involved?

I got involved in dog agility for the first time around 1998 with my corgi, Pallie, while I was in college in Texas. We never competed, but I was hooked. It wasn't until 2011 that I started competing with my next dog.

Can any dog do it?

Yes, any dog that is physically and emotionally sound can do dog agility. Purebreds and mix breeds can do agility.

Go Vision! Photo Credit: Nina Sage

Is agility better with certain breeds?

Any breed or mix breed can do agility!  Some breeds are faster learners, and some breeds are more athletic in general. Some breeds are known to be more competitive in the sport, like border collies, but no breed is better per se.  There's been some mix breeds and rescues who have won national championships, so if you have a dog and want to try dog agility, don't let the breed hold you back. With that said, some breeds are just built in a way that is harder on them physically, like Great Danes, Bulldogs, and some others, so make sure your dog is physically sound for the equipment and athleticism needed to negotiate a course.

Does your dog need to be a certain age?

As far as age ranges, most young dogs are trained after all their growth plates are closed, which can be anywhere between 1-2 years old, depending on the breed. Agility can be hard on their young bodies while growing, especially jumps and weave poles, but there's a lot of other training that can be done that will be important later on, while the dog grows up. All the agility competing organizations have age requirements before a dog can compete. The length of a dog's agility career varies widely, and has a lot of factors, including breed, physical structure, training, and money! :)

Stephanie leads Ajax on an agility course. Photo Credit: Nina Sage

How can you get started?

I would first recommend some basic training with your dog, such as a manners, obedience, or tricks class, so you and your dog can learn how to learn together and build some history of rewarding your dog. For getting started in agility specifically, many of the breed clubs will have resources for getting started. Facebook is also a good resource, as there are many agility and dog sports groups that you can join and ask members for advice and trainer recommendations to get started.

What kind of training is involved?

There are a few layers to training. Not in any particular order- but first is the equipment itself. The dog has to learn how to jump over the bars without knocking them down. They have to be able to negotiate the weave poles, and perform the contact obstacles (dog walk, A-frame and see-saw) safely.

Secondly, the handling. The dog needs to learn how to read your verbal and/or body cues to negotiate the course. It takes training and teamwork to combine the handling elements and the obstacle elements.

And third, there's some training needed for the environment for a lot of dogs. It can be loud, with a lot of dogs and people in a high-energy setting, and dogs will interpret the environment differently. So some dogs need a little extra training help in order to feel safe and secure with all that busy-ness.

Vision starts to jump as Stephanie looks on. Photo Credit: Nina Sage

Do you need to go to a facility or can you do it from home?

It depends where you live and your goals. There are a lot of online agility classes you can certainly home-school your dog. And there are great trainers all around the country. For someone new to the sport, I highly recommend classes with an experienced agility trainer.  Equipment can also be expensive, and not everyone has the money or space for it - maybe a jump or two and a tunnel, but a lot of us go to classes because that's where the equipment is.

Is there any special equipment you would have to buy?

You don't have to. There is equipment you can buy to practice at home. Some of it, like the contact equipment, is very expensive. Jumps you can make yourself out of PVC or purchase if you wanted to have a few jumps in your backyard. But otherwise, most use the equipment at class.  The only equipment you really need is a good pair of shoes and lots and lots and lots of good treats for your dog!

Vision climbs up the seesaw with Stephanie by his side. Photo Credit: Nina Sage

Is there any travel involved?

Whether you travel is dependent on where you live. If you live where there's a lot of agility, then no. But if you don't, you may have to drive a few hours to a competition. I've had to travel for national events, and I've chosen to travel for a few select competitions that I wanted to attend. Traveling for agility can be fun, when it's safe to do so.

Is agility difficult for a dog?

I personally think the obstacles and handling are the easy parts. The environment can be very hard for some dogs. I have a dog who excelled in class but could not handle the agility competitions. She was too stressed out. It was a hard decision, but I ended up changing sports with her so she still had a fun activity, and we as a team still had something to bond and do together. And I have another dog who handles the environment very well, but can get a little too excited whereas he doesn't always stay on course!

Ajax flies through the air! Photo Credit: Nina Sage

Can you make money doing agility?

Well, technically, yes. There's a few tournaments for experienced dogs at regional and national competitions where you *could* potentially win a little money. But the money you spend on agility outweighs the winnings exponentially!  It's a very fun hobby! It's addictive!

What are the pros and cons?

This is a great question!

There's so many pros and a few cons!

My favorite pros is being able to play a sport where my teammate is another species! I love the bond that comes from a good relationship with a dog, the reinforcement of training together and just having fun. I also love all the friends I've made through agility!

The cons-- well, it's expensive! But worth it. But expensive.  It's also a lot of wear and tear on a dog's body so keeping a dog physically fit is necessary, just like with any athlete. Injuries happen and can be stressful.

Wow, this is such great information! Thank you Stephanie for sharing all of this amazing dog agility knowledge. Ricky, get ready to run up a seesaw and crawl in a tunnel. This looks like something fun we can do together!

Photos by Nina Sage. Used with Permission. ninasage.com