San Francisco veterinarian clinic’s

Dog Sports: Agility

While the traditional sports of hunting are enjoyed by many people with their dogs today, other dogs were never intended to be hunters. Some of these working breeds, like border collies, still have a lot of energy and need stimulation, or they will become bored. Agility training and competitions are a terrific way to end a dog’s destructive habits by giving the dog an outlet for its energy.

Dog agility is a dog sport in which a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race. The dog and handler are judged on both time and accuracy. Typically, dogs are given the ability to run and are not held on a leash. They are also not supposed to be given food or toys as incentives for performing correctly. In addition, a handler cannot touch the dog or the obstacles on purpose. As a result, successfully completing a course requires extensive training and practice, since handlers can use only voice, movement, and body signals to direct the dog.

Agility courses are laid out by an agility judge prior to the start of competition. The various obstacles are contained within an area of roughly 100 feet by 100 feet. The judge is permitted to arrange the obstacles however he or she wants. Once arranged, the obstacles are each given a number and the handlers must have their dog pass through the obstacles in the correct order. The courses typically are complicated enough that a dog could not complete the course correctly without the aid of a handler.

When competing, the handler must assess the course, pick a handling strategy, and direct the dog through the course, keeping precision and speed in mind at all times. The majority of strategies take into account the inherent differences in human and dog speeds as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the various dogs and handlers.

For more information on agility training or ending destructive behavior by your dog through recreation, contact the animal experts at your San Francisco veterinarian clinic’s office.