Dog agility
An agility course consists of a set of standard obstacles laid out by a judge in a design of their own choosing in an area of a specified size.
As each course is different, handlers are allowed a short walk-through (typically 8 minutes) before the competition starts.
[8] Although each organization has its own rules, all divide dogs into smaller groups that are close to each other in size and experience for purposes of calculating winners and qualifying scores.
Globally, dog agility competitions are regulated and run by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) and its member organisations and a number of national kennel clubs and sport federations.
Rules of each organisation, titles and selection process of national teams that represent the country at prestigious international events vary slightly.
Such organisation as USDAA, UKI and IFCS and their members have opposed that and created their own international competitions that do not restrict participation for dogs without pedigrees.
[24] The teeter-totter (or see-saw) and the weave poles are typically the most challenging obstacles to teach to a dog.
Whether for competition or recreation, the most important skill for an agility team to learn is how to work together quickly, efficiently, and safely.
[24] Agility may be trained independently (for instance at home) or with an instructor or club that offers classes.
Seasoned handlers and competitors, in particular, may choose to train independently, as structured classes are commonly geared towards novices.
[26] Competitions (also called trials or matches or shows) are usually hosted by a specific local club.
The club designates a member to be the chairperson or show manager, who is responsible for ensuring that the trial takes place, and another member to be the secretary, who is responsible for providing competitors with the show premium or schedule—a document that describes the specific competition, summarizes the rules, describes the trial site, and includes an entry form—receiving completed entry forms, sending out running orders, producing running-order lists for the day of competition, and compiling the results from the trial to send to the sanctioning organization.
When space permits, competitors often bring pop up canopies or screen room awning tents for shade.
At weekend or weeklong shows that offer camping, space needs to be provided both for competitors' caravans and tents, and for the small fenced enclosures or gardens that they set up around them.
In heavily populated areas, therefore, it is uncommon to find real estate inexpensive enough to devote entirely to agility, so sites are usually rented for the weekend.
For many classes, the judge then measures the path through the course to determine the optimal running distance of a typical dog.
When the walk-through ends, the gate steward or caller ensures that dogs enter the ring in the running order previously determined by the trial secretary and manages changes to the running order for handlers who might have conflicts with other rings of competition.
When all the dogs in a given height group, level, and class have run, the score table compares run times, faults, and any other requirements to determine placements (and, for classes that provide qualifying points towards titles, which dogs earned qualifying scores).
Each ring might run several classes during a day of competition, requiring multiple course builds, walk-throughs, and briefings.
Such awards are often flat ribbons, rosettes, commemorative plaques, trophies, medals, or pins.
Dogs who complete their final qualifying scores to become agility champions are often presented with special awards.
In the United States in most sanctioning organizations, there are a variety of titles that a dog and handler can earn by accruing sufficient qualifying runs—also called legs—that is, runs that have no more than a certain number of faults (typically none) and are faster than the maximum standard course time (SCT).
[31][30] Surveys of handlers indicates that between 32% and 41.7% of dogs incur injuries from agility related activities.
Locations most commonly injured were shoulders, iliopsoas muscle, digits and lumbar spine/lumbosacral area.
Pavol Vakonič from Slovakia held his nerves and brought two faultless runs with Ikea and Fiona (both border-collies) through to the last jump.
[48][49] AWC 2022 was originally slated to be held in Moscow, Russia, but was moved to Austria following the invasion of Ukraine in the Russo-Ukrainian war.
