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AKC Jr. News
Allison Frappier - Successfully Training for Agility Competition

Allison and Kasey
Allison Frappier & Kasey running
through weave poles.
 
When you come to your first AKC agility trial and study the several dogs as they zoom through a perplexing course of complicated twists and turns, you think, 'Man, my dog could never do that!' Well, you're wrong. Any dog can do agility! You just have to start with the basics, just as each dog you watch successfully complete the course has. And how do you train the basics, you ask? First, you need to know the obstacles of agility.

There are several obstacles you may see on the agility course. Some obstacles are a bar jump, a tunnel, a closed tunnel, the A-frame, dog walk, teeter, weave poles, and more! Go to an agility trial or watch dogs run agility online and see what you are striving to accomplish. Once you can name all of the obstacles and understand how the dog performs the obstacle, look up the rules for agility competitions.

We have rules for everything, including the sport of agility. When you see a judge raise one or two of their hands, it means the dog has made a mistake. Some mistakes a dog can make in the ring are overrunning an obstacle or missing a weave pole. These mistakes are only points off in Regular Novice Agility. If the dog makes a major mistake such as missing a contact or going over the wrong obstacle, they receive an NQ, or Non-Qualifying score. This means the dog does not earn a leg. A leg means the dog has received a Qualifying score, or a Q! Every handler aims for a Q! It means you have done a good job running the agility course. When you have received three Qs, or legs, you may move up to the next level and you earn a title! Yippee! There are 3 levels in Regular Agility and Jumpers: Novice, Open, and Excellent, with Excellent being the highest level. Everyone starts in Novice and moves up as they earn titles. Every level performs offleash. Now that you understand the agility rules, you are ready to train your dog for agility competition!

Kasey clearing a jump
Kasey clears a jump in an agility competition.    
 
Start by introducing agility obstacles at the lowest height or shortest length. Put a word to each agility obstacle so they know what they're doing. Once they have mastered the short stuff, slowly raise or lengthen the obstacles. Never push your dog to do something they're not ready for. If your dog is not ready for a curved or extended tunnel, then don't force them through one. It will only make them fearful or unhappy doing agility. We want ourselves and our dogs to be having fun in the agility ring, so make it fun, fun, fun using lots of praise and encouragement! Each jump height will be different for each dog according to his or her height at the withers, so never make an obstacle too tall for your pooch. It can cause injury or stress your dog out, and when it comes to agility, having fun is the key to success! When your dog can victoriously complete each obstacle, recognize your commands, and stay with you off-leash, you are ready to get into the complications of the next level!

The next step is training for all the complicated moves you see in shows, such as front crosses, back/rear crosses, and obstacle discrimination. After that, you just keep practicing, praising, and becoming more skillful at handling. When you feel your dog is well trained, it is time to enter your first AKC agility trial!

Always study the course map and walk the course until it is memorized. Prepare your dog for what he/she has trained for and keep them focused. When you step into that ring, it is your time to shine and show off everything you've worked hard for. Who knows? Maybe you'll get first place, maybe you'll NQ. Or maybe, someone will be watching your dog maneuver through a complicated course of crosses, thinking, 'Man, my dog could never do that!' And wasn't it you who thought the same thing? Any dog can do agility... you just have to show them the basics. :)