Training Dogs In Dog Agility Classes

One of the favorite activities of many dog owners is dog agility, it keeps you fit and makes you feel good picking up those trophies at the end of each competition.

Dog agility training is considered somewhat harder than other training options, but can be the most fun. If you haven’t heard of dog agility it is a sport for dogs and owners. It is becoming increasingly popular around the world, with classes held in the USA, UK, and right the way Down Under.

Dog agility competition comprises of a main event, of which there are lots of different courses for your dog to run. In the courses there is a set number of obstacles. 26 is the average. Your dog has to complete the course without getting any faults in the quickest time to win. Sounds easy? Think again.

Some obstacles included in the course require a lot of training to master. There are two different types of courses, there are jumping and there are agility courses. Jumping courses are exactly what it says on the box, they are courses full of obstacles which your dog is to jump over, things like jumps (two stands that hold a pole,usually around 4ft high) which your dog has to clear without knocking the pole down. Then there are weaves (the weave is a straight line of poles .. there can be 6,8,or 12 poles in total, and your dog must weave through them - like a slalom ski event). In agility courses there are also contact points on obstacles which your dog must touch with their paws which requires a lot of dog agility training.

To enter your dog in a show you must be registered with a registered Kennel Club such as the Scottish Kennel Club (SKC),  or the AKC, the American Kennel Club, depending on your location, as well as being a part of an agility club. The members of these clubs meet up once or twice a week and train together, they set up practice courses, or certain obstacles their dog needs to practice.

Dog agility training is not permitted before your dog is one year old. Most agility enthusiasts have some equipment at home so they can start their dog from as young as six weeks, of course the poles from the jumps lay on the ground, and they don’t make their dog do anything dangerous. It is possible to buy dog agility obstacles and also training obstacles online.


Before you enter your first show there are many hours of dog agility training that must be done. Both you and your dog must be able to run a full course.

This is not to say that dog agility is hard gruelling work ... it really is fun and rewarding. The people, the atmosphere, the fun! The dog agility training is just what you have to endure to get there!

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