Common Terms In Dog Agility
Dog agility is an exciting world of fun and competition, and if you are thinking about joining in on the experience, you will need to do some basic research to understand a little bit about what is involved in training, competing and equipment. Here are a few basic bits of information that will give you a general idea of what dog agility is all about.
When you watch a dog agility contest, you will see many interesting apparatus set up in various positions. This area is called either the agility course or the agility field and the apparatus are simply called obstacles. Your dog, at first, probably will be asked to navigate about 15 of these obstacles. More experienced dogs might have as many as 20 on the agility course. One category of obstacles is called contact obstacles, simply because the dog is supposed to come into contact with the apparatus, and these include see-saws, dog agility a-frames and dog walks.
There are many other obstacles set up on the course, such as the pause table. This might seem like contact equipment, but it is not classified as such even though the dog does sit and stay on this equipment for a required amount of time. Sometimes, in place of a pause table, there is a pause box. This is a square marked off on the ground. While it looks different, you practice the same skills that you would on an elevated pause table.
In addition to contact obstacles, you will see many other fun pieces of equipment such as tunnels and chutes. Chutes are sometimes called collapsible tunnels. There are many types of jumps, including tire jumps, panel jumps and spread hurdles, which is simply a longer distance jump. At home, you can simply place two jumps together or even three to mimic this distance. Weaves are challenging obstacles, and the dog must weave in and out of 12 to 14 weaves. This generally is considered to be the hardest obstacle to navigate but it is definitely exciting to watch. Some agility competitions also include unique obstacles such as a sway bridge, but these are rare.
The person who leads the dog through the course is called the handler, and that might be you or perhaps you have hired a professional handler. The dog and handler form a team. You score is based in part on the time it takes you to complete each obstacle and the entire course as well as the accuracy of handling each obstacle. Handlers can use body signals or spoken commands to lead the dog through the course but no treats or other incentives. Your score is determined by the number of faults that you receive. There are course faults given if the dog fails to navigate an obstacle or navigate it correctly, such as knocking down the bar on one of your jumps. Each course must be navigated within a specific amount of time. If you go over this time, time faults are given.
It might sound cutthroat, but really these events are fun and spirited. Obviously both dog and handler are happy after a successful run, but there are more important benefits to be gained, such as building a bond between a dog and his human companion. To get going, order some high quality dog agility equipment from Carlson Agility today. They have everything from pause tables, to dog agility jumps, a-frames, tunnels, chutes, see-saws and everything else you will find on a course. They also have mini equipment perfect for puppies and the smaller dog breeds.
When you watch a dog agility contest, you will see many interesting apparatus set up in various positions. This area is called either the agility course or the agility field and the apparatus are simply called obstacles. Your dog, at first, probably will be asked to navigate about 15 of these obstacles. More experienced dogs might have as many as 20 on the agility course. One category of obstacles is called contact obstacles, simply because the dog is supposed to come into contact with the apparatus, and these include see-saws, dog agility a-frames and dog walks.
There are many other obstacles set up on the course, such as the pause table. This might seem like contact equipment, but it is not classified as such even though the dog does sit and stay on this equipment for a required amount of time. Sometimes, in place of a pause table, there is a pause box. This is a square marked off on the ground. While it looks different, you practice the same skills that you would on an elevated pause table.
In addition to contact obstacles, you will see many other fun pieces of equipment such as tunnels and chutes. Chutes are sometimes called collapsible tunnels. There are many types of jumps, including tire jumps, panel jumps and spread hurdles, which is simply a longer distance jump. At home, you can simply place two jumps together or even three to mimic this distance. Weaves are challenging obstacles, and the dog must weave in and out of 12 to 14 weaves. This generally is considered to be the hardest obstacle to navigate but it is definitely exciting to watch. Some agility competitions also include unique obstacles such as a sway bridge, but these are rare.
The person who leads the dog through the course is called the handler, and that might be you or perhaps you have hired a professional handler. The dog and handler form a team. You score is based in part on the time it takes you to complete each obstacle and the entire course as well as the accuracy of handling each obstacle. Handlers can use body signals or spoken commands to lead the dog through the course but no treats or other incentives. Your score is determined by the number of faults that you receive. There are course faults given if the dog fails to navigate an obstacle or navigate it correctly, such as knocking down the bar on one of your jumps. Each course must be navigated within a specific amount of time. If you go over this time, time faults are given.
It might sound cutthroat, but really these events are fun and spirited. Obviously both dog and handler are happy after a successful run, but there are more important benefits to be gained, such as building a bond between a dog and his human companion. To get going, order some high quality dog agility equipment from Carlson Agility today. They have everything from pause tables, to dog agility jumps, a-frames, tunnels, chutes, see-saws and everything else you will find on a course. They also have mini equipment perfect for puppies and the smaller dog breeds.
About the Author:
Cheng Bernhardt enjoys dog agility training. To find a dog obstacle course, or to find additional agility dog training equipment such as agility jumps, please go to the Carlson-Agility.com website now.
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