Dog Agility
Dog agility is a canine sport in which dogs have to navigate through a course that has various types of obstacles, under the direction of a handler. The competition is a test for both, accuracy of following instructions, and time taken too complete the course. Is it a sport? Although many call it such, dog agility does not fit our definition of a sport.
dog agilityIn competitions, dogs have to run the course without a leash, and the handler is not allowed to use any incentives like toys or food getting the dog's attention. The handlers are also not allowed to touch the dog, touch the obstacle, or in any way aid the dogs. Their only role is to provide various voice, movement, and body signals.
A typical agility course consists of standard obstacles like tunnels, ramps, and hurdles. Some of the other obstacles commonly used are Weave Poles and Pause Table or Boxes. In some competitions the obstacles will be marked with numbers which indicates the order in they must be completed.
The courses will be setup such that the dogs will not be able to complete them without directions from the handler. Each dog's run is judged based on precision and speed. Points are deducted based on various faults. The dog that commits the least number of faults is declared as the winner.
Similar Sports
- Disc Dog — dog frisbee competitions of distance catching and choreographed freestyle catching.
- Show Jumping — riders on horseback attempt to jump cleanly through sets of obstacles within a specific time.
Related Pages
- About Dog Sports, sports involving dogs.
- Canine Parkour: Agility Training for Dogs and Owners
- Other questionable sports
- What is a sport?
- Complete list of sports
- The Encyclopedia of Sports
Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.
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