?Puppies can start pre-agility at 6 months, where they can safely have fun with tunnels, wings, wobble boards and many other confidence-building exercises and skills to prepare them for agility training.

?The athletic challenge keeps a dog fit, helps prevent obesity, increases endurance, and strengthens bones and joints. Plus, an agility course exercises a dog’s mind, giving her opportunities to learn and solve problems.

?Some dogs get frustrated at being “jerked around” at the last minute while running a course. First, we’re going one way and then the other. Dogs experiencing this sometimes bark in frustration and have very jerky paths around the course.

?The key to the layout is the spacing between the jumps varies gradually from around 26′ down to about 10′. You want the dog to learn to move from full extension into more and more collection and then back out to full extension.

?Border Collie These medium-sized herders are renowned for their intelligence, high energy, and trainability. These dogs can be a handful, but having a job, whether on a farm or on an obstacle course, is the key to the Border Collie’s happiness.

?Generally, attending class with an adult dog, over 1 year of age, with no behaviour issues and who understands how to use their body will take 1-2 years. 1 year with an experienced handler or 2 years with an inexperienced handler. Starting puppies early is the best way to get them started.

?Dog agility is a team dog sport where the handler is responsible for guiding their dog through a course of agility obstacles. Dog’s leap over hurdles, power through tunnels, zip through a slalom of upright poles and scale ramps of different sizes. The aim is to find the balance between the control of the dog and the speed of the performance. Scoring is based on faults and time. A dog that completes the obstacles correctly within the set time will earn a Clear Round. 

?The approved obstacles for dog agility are the A-frame, weave poles, see-saw, dog walk, flexi tunnel, and assorted jumps and hurdles (including the broad jump, tyre jump, bar jump, and spread jump).