Getting Started in

Competitive Agility Trials

ALL DOGS CAN LLC

2040 N Lapeer Rd, Lapeer, MI 48448

alldogscanlapeer.com dmcbill55@yahoo.com (810)955-6258

Why is Agility Awesome?

Solve behavior problems

Exercise your dog in a way that will tire his body and mind

Improve off-leash reliability

Become better at all aspects of training and communicating with your dog

Build a strong bond between you and your dog

Have a whole lot of fun

If this sounds good to you, then agility might be right for you!

Agility training is all about building a common language between dog and owner. It teaches you to use

body language to communicate clearly and effectively.

Another benefit of agility is that it provides the kind of exercise that actually improves a dog‘s behavior.

Have you ever taken your dog for a long run, only to bring him home and find that he‘s actually more

hyper and crazy than when you started? That‘s because vigorous exercise is good for Fido‘s body, but it

does nothing to exercise his brain.

Here at ALL DOGS CAN, we‘re all about giving dogs jobs. Boredom is the leading cause of

behavior problems, because dogs were bred to WORK. All this sitting around at home with only a

daily walk or run does not make a happy dog. They need some kind of challenge, or they‘ll find their

own. And it‘ll usually be something like digging up the yard or barking incessantly at all who dare pass

the front window. Agility provides the perfect combination of physical exercise and mental stimulation

to keep Fido entertained and out of trouble.

But wait, there’s more! Agility gives you something cool to do with your dog. This is important if you

have a hard time getting your dog to do what you say. It teaches Fido that you are lots of fun and worth

listening to. The skills you learn in agility class will make you a better dog owner or trainer overall.

Intrigued?

Now what exactly IS agility?

Overview

It‘s a timed obstacle course for a team that consists of a

handler and a dog. The handler directs the dog through a

predetermined pattern of obstacles.

A course usually has 12-18 obstacles, like tunnels, jumps,

tire jumps, weave poles, and the big ―ramp‖ obstacles

collectively known as the contacts.

In a trial (aka competition or show), the dog runs the course

off-leash and the handler can‘t touch the dog. The human

half of the team relies on body language and, to a lesser

extent, vocal cues, to tell the canine half where to go.

Origins

Agility first appeared in England in 1978, as essentially a half time show at Crufts. The creators based

the demonstration on horse jumping competitions, intending to show off the dogs‘ natural speed and

agility. Dog owners and trainers looking for something new to do with their pets pricked up their ears

and said, ―Hey, MY dog could do that.‖ Thus the sport was born.

Organizations

There is an ever-growing list of agility sanctioning organizations. NADAC, AKC, USDAA, UKI and

CPE trials are booked throughout the year. Each organization has its own rules and style. For example,

NADAC courses are spread out and focus on speed. They often challenge the handler to send their dog

through the course at a distance. USDAA courses are ―tighter‖ and more technically challenging. All

events held at our training facility will be posted on the All Dogs Can Facebook page as well as listed

on our website by clicking on: NEWS & EVENTS.

What if I’m too young/too old/too out of shape?

This sport is open to people of all ages and athletic ability. At any given trial you‘ll find junior handlers,

veteran handlers, and everything in between.

As far as fitness and physical ability goes, again, agility is open to all comers. In competitions you can

see everything from people in motorized scooters to Olympic gold medalists! Being in shape is

definitely a plus, but it‘s not a requirement. Of course, agility can come with the added bonus of getting

you and your dog in shape.

My dog is a (*insert breed or breed mix here*). Can she/he play?

You will see all shapes and sizes of dogs (and people) doing agility.... this is one of the wonderful things

about the sport! You may think to yourself, "my dog can never do that, he's too small", but in agility

classes and trials, your tiny little guy will have lowered jumps, a lower table, and will be competing

against other dogs his size. For example, he might be running in the 6" or 8" jump height division, and

that class will have lower time limits (because it takes longer for small dogs to run a course than big

dogs). Large breeds also can do agility, but their bulkier size requires negotiating some of the obstacles

more carefully. Also be aware that some breeds take more patience than others. Even a bull dog can do

those obstacles, providing you find the special treat or toy that really motivates him. Some dogs are

highly motivated simply with praise.

Herding breeds like border collies are the masters of this game, which is why you‘ll see a ton of them at

trials, but they‘re not the only players. Chihuahuas, pit bulls, huskies, hounds, even Great Danes. You

name it and all breeds and mix‘s probably shown up at some point. Surprisingly, certain toy breeds like

Papillion‘s have a real knack for agility.

Most sanctioning organizations allow

mixed breeds to compete.

Even the American Kennel Club (AKC),

for many the very symbol of purebred

snobbery, has opened up some agility trials

to the mutts.

The time commitment per dog

might be:

1 one-hour class per week, about six months out of the year. Getting started in a class will be

discussed further.

15-20 minutes of at-home training per day

1 trial per month

The cost of this competitive Dog Sport

One of the drawbacks to training competitively is the cost. Between class fees and trial entries, this can

be an expensive sport. That doesn‘t have to deter you, though. Many clubs offer significant discounts

on training and entries if you work at their trials. Some clubs may offer additional discounts for first

time you register, so watch for such coupons on our Facebook page.

And the key word to this is training competitively.

You don‘t need to compete to reap the benefits of agility training. You can take an agility class or two

to get your feet wet and then continue training on your own at home. Or you can go it completely

alone, ―homeschooling‖ your pup with some homemade agility equipment. But with the convenience

of our training center, why not take advantage of our safe agility equipment and experienced

instructors!

The Game in a

Nutshell

Each organization has their own rules about

faults, but the ones you’ll find in most rulebooks

are:

Knocking down jump bars

The dog failing to place at least one paw in the contact

zone on the down ramp of the contact obstacles

The dog failing to complete the next obstacle (this is

called a runout or refusal)

Taking the wrong obstacle

Going over the time limit

If a dog has a clean run without any faults, it’s called a qualifying run or a “Q,” and they‘ll get

points added to their official record. If they get a good score, they may also receive a placement ribbon.

Winning a first place is a lot of fun, but in the grand scheme of things placements don‘t matter until you

reach high levels of competition. However, the Qs are important – with enough points, your dog will

earn a title. A title is a certificate of accomplishment. As you earn each title you stick it to the end of

your dog‘s name, so Fido‘s name can eventually start to look very snazzy.

How to Get Started Age of dog

Two common questions people have is "Can I start training my puppy?" and "Can my older dog do

agility?" The answer is yes to both questions, within reason. To compete in agility your dog needs to

be at least a year old, but you can start to train your puppy earlier than that. Each club has their

minimum age ranging from 6 months to 14 months. Keep in mind, however, that your dog's joints are

still forming, so jump heights should be about elbow height for the first year. Puppies will also be

more awkward and their attention span shorter. So be very patient and keep the lessons brief. The

same principles apply to older dogs. Their joints are weaker, and they will tire more easily, so lessons

should be shorter. The jump heights might have to be lowered. Many of the organizations now have

special classes for older dogs. AKC calls these "preferred" classes, which is a class that feature

lowered jump heights. But be careful that you do not get so caught up into competing that you are not

sensitive to your dogs aging needs. Dogs are so anxious to please that they may push themselves one

day, and pay for it the next.

It is not necessary that your dog has formal obedience training if you want to do agility just for fun. If

you want to be more successful at dog agility training, however, your dog must know some basic

obedience commands such as stay, sit, and lie down. We suggest a basic obedience class first if your dog

has not mastered those basic commands.

All Dogs Can suggests you start with one of these classes first:

Puppy Kindergarten Class (Obedience) – age minimum 8-10 weeks

Basic Obedience

Agility Foundation

Beginner/Novice Agility

One might want to look into our support classes before advancing to a master/competition class:

Fun with Agility Equipment

Agility Skills

Agility Games

Our classes run continuous every 6 weeks throughout the year in our indoor, safe and comfortable

training facility.

If you want to take classes, attend a live agility trial, or just find local people who can introduce you to

the sport, then join us the ALL DOGS CAN training facility in Lapeer, MI!

We offer a variety of agility classes to get you started. We also have some ‗just for fun‘ classes too!

You can check out our class schedule and sign up online @ https://alldogscanlapeer.com

Call us at (810)955-6258 or email dmcbill55@yahoo.com with any question you might have and

we can design a training class schedule around your specific needs.

About the Clubs

Many US agility organizations offer optional pre-novice classes. Some have titles available and others

offer placements and/or experience only. All are less difficult than their entry-level counterparts, often

with certain obstacles removed and jump heights and A-frame heights lowered. None of the pre-novice

options are required—you may bypass them and enter directly into the novice classes.

You can also visit the organization’s webpage to view their rules and regulations and gather more

details information on the specific club.

North America:

United States Dog Agility Association - USDAA

North American Dog Agility Council - NADAC

American Kennel Club Agility - AKC

Canine Performance Events - CPE

UK Agility International – UKI

ALL DOGS CAN LLC – Lapeer, Michigan

(810)955-6258