Learn which Types of Dogs are Good for Agility Training

Series Summary

Dog agility is a sport in which a handler directs a dog without a leash through an obstacle course in a set amount of time. It is somewhat similar to equestrian competition, but has its own obstacles, rules and scoring system. It has been growing in popularity since the 1970’s, and spectators love watching dogs display the highest levels of athleticism and training as they race against the clock. Several national organizations, including the United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA) and American Kennel Club (AKC) have more information on programs, tournaments, rules, performance standards and everything you might need to get you and your dog on course to becoming agility champions.

In this series of free video lessons, our expert Elise Paffrath shows you the basic information you need to start agility training with your dog. You’ll learn what dogs are best for agility training, how to set up the obstacles of a dog agility course and get tips on maintaining focus and giving positive reinforcement.

This series is an Equilibrio Films production.

Video Transcript

" Hi! I am Elise Paffrath with Breeze Thru Agility here in Brattleboro, Vermont. I am going to be talking on behalf of Expert village. I am going to be talking about beginner agility. I teach agility classes from the very beginner level which is what we will be covering today all the way through advanced competition. I have been teaching agility here in this Southern Vermont area since 1995. First of all, you might wonder what kind of dog is good for agility. Is there a certain breed, a certain size, and temperament? Basically I think agility is great for any kind of dog as long as they are physically fit and they can move around and they enjoy doing things with you. I think agility is the perfect thing. Whether you ever compete or do more than a six week class, it is great for a dog’s confidence, it is great physically and it is something that can really help you, the handler, the owner and the trainer bond with your dog. So when I have people calling me about starting classes, I usually ask them if their dog knows a few basics. Ideally if your dog knows just some common obedience, you will have a much easier time teaching them agility obstacles. That being said, I have had the people untie their coon hounds from the backyards and bring them into class and they have done just fine."