Bakersfield.com

Maybe you’ve seen it on TV, watched it at a local show or just heard people talking about it, but Agility is definitely jumping!

Dog Agility is a sport in which the handler navigates their dog thru a variety of different obstacles within a given amount of time. It is loosely modeled on equestrian stadium jumping competitions and has evolved with its own obstacles, games, scoring and performance ideals. Agility is never boring! Whether you play agility with your dog for fun or competition, there is always something new to learn, new courses to tackle and new moves to master. The dogs enjoy the exercise, speed and positive rewards, owners enjoy the increased bonding with their dog, the new friends they make, the physical exercise and the challenge of the courses!

The dog learns to be in perfect sync with the handler on the agility course as there is no leash and collar for control. Basic obedience and a desire to follow instructions are important for an agility dog. The order of obstacles on a course is different each time and the pathway between the obstacles has many twists and turns. Dogs and handlers must learn to become a team, communicating with body language and verbal cues.

Almost any dog can do agility. The most popular agility breeds are the dogs that are active, quick on their feet and agile, but almost any dog, including mixed breeds, can learn, and enjoy, agility. Your dog should be healthy, should you have any concerns about your dogs physical condition (overweight or structural problems etc) be sure to discuss your plans with you dogs Veterinarian first. Your dog should not be aggressive towards other dogs or people.

Dogs gain confidence in their abilities as they learn to climb, jump, weave or crawl through agility obstacles. It benefits many dogs who need to boost their confidence and/or come from an unknown background. There is little as satisfying as seeing a dog that is very insecure, become a very confident and capable dog in all aspects of their life, by doing agility. Dogs can do Agility for years as long as they stay in shape and remain willing to play.

Agility is a race against the clock, but accuracy and safety come first. Training for agility should first and foremost be fun! Handlers should learn positive training methods from instructors and never force their dog to perform obstacles. Agility is about becoming a team with your dog – and he/she should be a happy willing partner. Puppies can be started in training as early as 4 months of age with regular walks to build stamina, obedience basics and playing with their handler.  Naturally, there are precautions that will be taken with puppies. Young dogs should not jump over formal jumps as landing on immature forelegs and shoulders can cause injuries.

When dogs are old enough to begin working on Agility equipment, they must be taught not to rush the obstacles before they have learned to perform the obstacle properly, as they can injure themselves by falling. Some obstacles on an agility course have yellow contact areas painted across the bottom; dogs must touch these contact areas on the way up and down the ramps to prevent jumping off from too high. Ramps also have slats to provide traction as the dogs scrabble up the incline.