About Agility
The sport of dog agility began in London, England, in February 1978. John Varley, a member of the committee for the Cruft's Dog Show asked a friend to come up with a set of obstacles similar to those for horse show-jumping as a fun event for the dog show.
The first Agility competition took place in February, 1978, and has spread throughout the world as a fun sport for dogs and handlers to share.
There are 10 basic obstacles in agility. (The pictures below are clipart and used for explanation purposes only. The obstacles used by Austin K-9 Xpress and other clubs may look slightly different.)
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The jump
Dogs jump various heights, depending on the size of the dog and the venue (AKC, NADAC or USDAA). And there are a variety of jumps. There are panel jumps and double jumps as well. |
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The broad jump
The length of the broad jump is again dependent on the size of the dog and the venue. |
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The tire
Once again, the height of the tire depends on the dog and the venue. |
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The dog walk
A contact obstacle, dogs must touch the yellow portion of the ramp (the contact) going both up and down the dog walk. In NADAC, the up contact is not judged. |
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The A-Frame
Another contact obstacle, dogs must touch the down contact in all venues. In NADAC and AKC, the up contact is not judged. |
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The See-Saw
Another contact obstacle, dogs must touch the up and down contacts as well as maintain control of the board, not leaving the obstacle until it has hit the ground. In NADAC, the up contact is not judged. |
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The Table
Dogs must jump onto the table and sit or lie down (depending on the venue) for 5 seconds. |
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The Tunnel
Dogs enter one end of the tunnel and exit the other end. |
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The Chute/Collapsed Tunnel The Chute is similar to the Tunnel, except that the material lies flat, and the dog must push through to the exit. It is also called the collapsed tunnel. |
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The Weave Poles
The dog enters to the right of the first weave pole, then weaves in and out of the remaining poles. |
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