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Dog Agility<\/i> is a competitive sport where a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course. The team is judged on accuracy and time. Agility is a great way to keep in shape and have fun for both pets and people!<\/p>","
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An agility course is designed by a judge and consists of a number of standard obstacles. The obstacles are marked by numbered cones, which indicate the order in which the team must complete the course. <\/p>","
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Before their run, handlers can walk the course<\/i>. This gives the handlers a chance to memorize the order of the obstacles, figure out the most likely path their dogs can run and plan how they will direct their dogs through the course.<\/p>","
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Contact obstacles<\/i> are common to all agility organizations. The bottom slopes of these obstacles are painted yellow indicating a contact zone<\/i>. A dog must place at least one paw on the yellow area in order for the obstacle to count.<\/p>","
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There are several methods of teaching a dog not to miss the contact zone. Some people teach Running Contacts<\/i> where dog runs through the zone without stopping. While this method saves valuable course time, it is not always reliable.<\/p>","
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Another way of training contacts is the 2 on 2 off<\/i> method. Here the dog is trained to stop at the bottom with his two front paws on the ground and two back paws on the contact zone. This method is more reliable than the running contact but does take up more time.<\/p>","
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The contacts include the Dog-Walk<\/i>...<\/p>","
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The A-Frame<\/i>\u2026 <\/p>","
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And the See-Saw<\/i> or Teeter<\/i>\u2026 When training this obstacle it is important to let your dog figure out where his tipping point<\/i> is.<\/p>","
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The tipping point varies for large and small dogs. Small dogs can go almost all the way to the end of the see-saw until it starts tipping.<\/p>","
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There are two types of tunnels. One is a Collapsed Tunnel<\/i> or Chute<\/i> and the other is a Pipe Tunnel<\/i>.<\/p>","
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There are various types of jumps. Dogs are divided into height classes<\/i> according to their height at the shoulder.<\/p>","
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Jumps are set according to the height class. The jumps are set lower for smaller dogs.<\/p>","
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And higher for larger dogs.<\/p>","
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This type of jump is shaped like a tire and is known as the Tire Jump<\/i>. As the other jumps, the tire is adjusted according to the height class of the dog.<\/p>","
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The most difficult obstacle to teach is the Weave Poles<\/i>. The dog slaloms through a series of 5-12 poles that are positioned about 20 inches apart.<\/p>","
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Different sized dogs have different weaving techniques. Larger dogs usually develop a Single Track<\/i> style. Single track means that they put one foot on each side of each pole.<\/p>","
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Smaller dogs tend to be Hoppers<\/i>. Since smaller dogs have shorter strides, it is easier for them to hop with two feet on each side of the poles, and hop back and forth through them.<\/p>","
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The handler directs the dog using only verbal commands, hand signals and body language.<\/p>","
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Many dogs express their enthusiasm for agility by barking through their entire run.<\/p>","
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Others just run as fast as they can.<\/p>","
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Agility is addictive and people will travel with their dogs for hours to get to a show. It becomes a lifestyle that requires a lot of time, dedication and money. But agility enthusiasts wouldn\u2019t trade it for the world!<\/p>"];
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