Dogs and trainers involved in dog agility training need to have a very close working relationship. People who handle dogs in dog agility training competitively are among the most experienced and skilled people you’ll find in both dog training and behavior. Dog agility training is a sport; the trainer and dog must work together to get through an obstacle course within a time limit. There are no leashes allowed – the trainer must instruct the dog through their voice and hand signals.
Something like steeplechases and other equestrian sports, the dog must be moved through the course by the handler in a dog agility training competition.
Dog agility training events take place frequently in the United States and European countries. Many people turn out to see the handlers and their dogs move through the obstacles. Usually the participants and the spectators are very interested in the progress of each of the contestants.
The tough competition of dog agility training events makes for an excited crowd. There is a national organization in the U.S. which handles most of the dog agility training events on a competitive level – dogs and trainers have to compete in qualifying rounds to secure a spot for the large competitive events.
Dog Agility Training Aims To Handle Obstacles
The obstacles on dog agility training courses are what make these events so exciting to watch. There are many different kinds of obstacles that you can see used in competition. These obstacles are made to be challenging, but not so much so that dogs and handlers run the risk of injuries.
Just as in equestrian sports, the obstacles are designed as to fall away if touched by the dogs. This helps to prevent injury; and handlers and dogs must train well to ensure clearing obstacles to score the most points.
There are dog agility training events for competitors of any skill level to ensure a level playing field. A dog agility training event course meant for beginning level dogs and trainers will have much less challenging obstacles to overcome than a course for experienced dog agility training competitors will.
The handler needs to have a lot of skill to successfully get their dog through the whole course. You can see incredibly skilled dogs and trainers at competitive dog agility training events. In these events, dogs of similar size will be matched up with each other to make the competition fair. However, there are no breed qualifications for dog agility training. Dogs can be of any breed and compete in these events.
