What is Agility?

Dog agility is a fun sport in which a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy. Dogs must run off-leash and the handler can touch neither dog nor obstacles. Consequently, the handler's controls are limited to voice, movement, and various body signals, requiring exceptional training of the animal and of the human.

Courses are complicated enough that a dog could not complete them correctly without human direction. In competition, an agility course consists of a set of standard obstacles, laid out by an agility judge in a design of his own choosing, with numbers indicating the order in which the dog must complete the obstacles. The handler must assess the course, decide on handling strategies, and direct the dog through the course, with precision and speed equally important. Many strategies exist to compensate for the inherent difference in human and dog speeds and the strengths and weaknesses of the various dogs and handlers. Many things can go wrong, though, and for any course on any day, it is rare to be able to predict which team will perform best.

Our agility classes range from beginner through to competition level and focus on fun and building a strong and trusting bond with your dog. If you would like to know more information about agility or are thinking about attending one of our classes please attend at 8pm on the 6th of May 2010.

Dogs participating in agility MUST be under effective control, on and off the lead. If this is not the case, handlers will be asked to undergo some obedience training with their dog.

The intake for agility classes is the first Thursday night each month.