This page contains information on the History of Agility, Competition and descriptions of the Obstacles. Click on the thumbnails to enlarge them.
The Sport
Tate in the tunnel
One of the top recreational activities for dogs and their owners, agility is a fun and rewarding way to improve your relationship with your dog. Learning agility promotes high self esteem and confidence in the canine athlete and gives both dog and handler the chance to learn new skills. Both purebred and "All Canadian" breeds can compete and earn titles. Agility is also used as a method of training police, guard, and search and rescue dogs.
Agility has elements of both speed and accuracy, it is a race against the clock and the fastest time with the least amount of faults is the winner. Obstacles which the dog must complete include: weaving through twelve upright poles, jumping over jumps of various heights, widths and shapes, racing over bridges and A-frames, slithering through tunnels and surfing tippy teeter totters. Missing the yellow contact zone when leaving an obstacle, refusing to complete the obstacle or completing obstacles in the wrong order...etc are all faults.
The dogs run off leash in a 100x100 foot area around a course of up to twenty pieces and are directed by the handler using only voice commands and hand signals; no food, toys or other training aids are allowed in the ring. The handler must not touch the dog while in the ring and dogs must be taught not to pee/poop in the ring as this results in disqualification.
History
The first dog agility demonstration was held in England as a form of entertainment for the Crufts Dog Show audience in 1978. The course, put together by John Varley and dog trainer Peter Meanwell, contained an A-frame and tunnel combination, weave-poles and a dog-walk as well as several jumps.
The audience was hooked. It was fast paced and technical (and looked like fun!), they wanted to participate with their own dogs. Local clubs sprung up across the country and as the sport gained popularity national and international competitions with standardized equipment and rule books came into being.
In December 1979 the first Agility Stakes Competition was held at the International Horse Show at Olympia in London. And in 1980, The Kennel Club became the first organization
Go Bracken!
to recognize agility as an official sport with a sanctioned set of rules. Following England's example, other nations began forming their own clubs and organizations and agility competitions are now held around the world.
Obstacles
Tunnel: A 3 meter long tube with a
diameter of 60 centimeters, the tunnel is constructed of flexible vinyl
and wire and can be twisted into a variety of shapes.
(Pause)Table: A 1-meter-by-1-meter square table onto which the dog must jump and sit/down-stay for 5 seconds. The table can be adjusted depending on the dog's height. The pause box is a square marked off on the ground with plastic pipe or construction tape in which the dog must sit/down-stay for 5 seconds.
Weave poles: A series of 6 to 12 upright poles 1 meter tall and 50 centimeters apart, the weave poles are one of the most difficult obstacles to master. To complete them correctly the dog must ‘weave’ through the poles. He must always enter with the first pole on his left and cannot skip poles.
Jumps: Two
uprights supporting a horizontal bar(s) over which the dog jumps. The
height is adjusted depending on the dogs height. The uprights can be
simple stanchions or can have wings of various shapes, sizes, and
colors. In order to complete the Tire jump correctly the dog must jump
through the opening of the "tire."
Chute (or collapsed
tunnel): The Chute consists of a plastic barrel with a tube of
fabric 3 meters long attached at one end. The dog must enter the barrel
and push his way out through the fabric tube.
Contact Obstacles: in order to complete these obstacles successfully, the dog must touch the yellow contact zone on the down side of the obstacle.
A-frame: Two
ramps, 1 meter wide and 3 meters long, are hinged together and raised
above the ground to form an A shape. Bright yellow contact zones
are on both sides, covering 1 meter from the ground up.
Dogwalk: The dog-walk consists of three 3 meter long planks 25 centimeters wide. The center plank is raised to approximately 1 meter above the ground at both ends. The two other planks are attached to the center plank at opposite ends, forming a ‘bridge’ with ramps leading up one side and down the other. The contact zones are on the bottom of the two side planks.
Teeter-totter: The ‘teeter’ is made up of one 3 meter plank (with contact zones on
each end) which pivots on a support and is constructed slightly
off-balance so that the same end always returns to the ground.
The Barrel The Barrel is used as a training tool to increase the distance from which you can send your dog to complete an obstacle. The barrel is used much like a target in that the dog is taught to "go around" it on command and return to the handler for further instructions. After the dog has learned to do this, an obstacle can be incorporated into the exercise, for example: "go around" "jump." In this way the dog becomes comfortable working at a distance, without either one of you stressing over the correct completion of a piece. The barrel can also help the handler improve his or her directional cues as well as the dog's focus and speed on course.
As this website is being continually updated and improved, please feel free to come backoftenand see what's happening! Or drop by the field, talk to us in person and see the dogs (and handlers) in action!
1554 Hwy 101 Gibsons, B.C. Canada (across from Woodcreek Park)
