Dog agility is a sport in which a handler leads a dog, without a leash, through various obstacles on a course. The race is judged on time and accuracy. No leash, food, toys, or any kind of incentive is allowed to be used. The handler can only guide the dog using verbal and body motions. This requires many hours of training between a dog and handler on coordination.

Dog agility became popular in the late 1970’s by a man called John Varley. Back then, dog agility was considered more of an entertainment show than actual competition. Verley led dogs through numerous of agility equipments on a course. The crowd was astonished and memorized by how well John smoothly led the dogs through the course. This was the first time a crowd and breeders in attendance got to see how joyful and exciting the world of dog agility could be. Shortly after, dog agility competitions started sprawling all around the U.S and eventually other countries.

By 1986, dog agility became an official sport backed by The United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA). Fast forward to present day, there are now hundreds of amateur and professional competitions all over the globe. This is the perfect time to start training the next world dog agility champion!

Enough of the boring history! You might be asking yourself, how can I start training my dog to become a world champion? We have just the right answer for you. You need to start building your own dog agility course in your backyard. Even though all dog agility competitions are all different in their own way, they still use the same type of dog agility equipment to build a course. Below you will find the most common types of dog agility equipment used in dog agility competitions.

A-Frame

This “A” shaped two sided platform is common in all dog agility competitions. The A-frame is great for yours dog’s endurance and balance.

See-Saw (Teeter-Tote)

Dog agility competitions have see-saws just like the ones you see in children playgrounds. The see-saw is one of the more common dog agility equipment in competitions.

Tunnels

Tunnels are the newest addition to dog agility competitions and have become quite popular. The tunnels are interconnected with an open end and collapsible end.

Jumps

Jumps are the most varied of all the obstacles on a dog agility competition. The three most common jumps include the panel, hurdle, and tire jump.

Weave Poles

Weave poles is a crowd favorite because of how it shows the agility and speed of a dog. The equipment is a series of upright poles spread 3 feet from each other. This is also the most difficult of all the competitions to master and takes a considerable amount of training.

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