It's not surprising that dog agility, which has only been around for about 35 years, is now one of the most popular canine sports. Not only is it fun for the dogs, handlers and trainers, it also is exciting to watch. There are also many benefits for the dog, including exercise and advanced obedience training. You can find dog agility clubs in all 50 states, and many of these clubs host agility competitions; however, there are a few prominent organizations that host large-scale dog agility competitions.
The United States Dog Agility Association was the first group in the United States to begin sanctioning competitions back in 1986. This group is the largest independent authority for dog agility, and more than 25,000 dogs are registered to compete within this organization. Their yearly Grand Prix of Dog Agility is even televised. This group allows dogs of many sizes to compete and, unlike some other organizations, also allows mix-breed dogs to compete as well as pure bred dogs. The USDAA sanctions small tournaments events throughout the dog agility season, as well as regional events and even international events.
The nation's oldest dog organization is the American Kennel Club, which actually dates back to the 1880s. The AKC sponsors a variety of dog agility events throughout the year, and the obstacles in AKC events typically are considered to be a bit easier to navigate than that of other major organizations. Of course, the AKC is quite particular about the breeds of dogs allowed at these events. For example, no mixed-breed dogs are allowed, and the AKC doesn't allow some pure breeds either.
While the United Kennel Club, which is almost as old as the AKC, focuses mainly on pure bred animals, they do allow mixed breed dogs to compete at their agility contests. The UKC courses are quite difficult, but it has been said that if you can succeed at UKC events, you can probably excel at any other organization's events. In addition, the UKC considers precision to be more important than overall time. So dogs need to be very skilled at each obstacle, but not necessarily extremely fast.
The UDAAA, AKC and UKC are the three most prominent groups, but there are certainly some additional options to think about, such as the Canine Performance Events. This group opens up competitons to both purebred and mixed breeds and also allows dogs with blindness in a single eye or deafness in one ear to compete, which is not true of some other organizations. In fact, dogs that are amputees are sometimes allowed to compete. While most groups allow small dogs to compete, the Teacup Dogs Agility Association was created specifically for those dogs measuring 17 inches or lower, and their courses include equipment especially tailored to these tiny canines. So if you have a very small dog, this might be a great group for you and your pet.
If you want to get started with agility training, you definitely will need to purchase some equipment and you can buy all the items you need easily online. Sites such as Carlson-Agility.com offer a wide variety of equipment to suit dogs of all sizes and ability levels. You can find all of the dog agility training equipment that you need, and they even have helpful dog agility kits to get you started. From there, you can create your own dog agility course in your backyard filled with a dog tunnel, agility a-frame, an agility dog walk, agility dog jumps, weaves and much more.
The United States Dog Agility Association was the first group in the United States to begin sanctioning competitions back in 1986. This group is the largest independent authority for dog agility, and more than 25,000 dogs are registered to compete within this organization. Their yearly Grand Prix of Dog Agility is even televised. This group allows dogs of many sizes to compete and, unlike some other organizations, also allows mix-breed dogs to compete as well as pure bred dogs. The USDAA sanctions small tournaments events throughout the dog agility season, as well as regional events and even international events.
The nation's oldest dog organization is the American Kennel Club, which actually dates back to the 1880s. The AKC sponsors a variety of dog agility events throughout the year, and the obstacles in AKC events typically are considered to be a bit easier to navigate than that of other major organizations. Of course, the AKC is quite particular about the breeds of dogs allowed at these events. For example, no mixed-breed dogs are allowed, and the AKC doesn't allow some pure breeds either.
While the United Kennel Club, which is almost as old as the AKC, focuses mainly on pure bred animals, they do allow mixed breed dogs to compete at their agility contests. The UKC courses are quite difficult, but it has been said that if you can succeed at UKC events, you can probably excel at any other organization's events. In addition, the UKC considers precision to be more important than overall time. So dogs need to be very skilled at each obstacle, but not necessarily extremely fast.
The UDAAA, AKC and UKC are the three most prominent groups, but there are certainly some additional options to think about, such as the Canine Performance Events. This group opens up competitons to both purebred and mixed breeds and also allows dogs with blindness in a single eye or deafness in one ear to compete, which is not true of some other organizations. In fact, dogs that are amputees are sometimes allowed to compete. While most groups allow small dogs to compete, the Teacup Dogs Agility Association was created specifically for those dogs measuring 17 inches or lower, and their courses include equipment especially tailored to these tiny canines. So if you have a very small dog, this might be a great group for you and your pet.
If you want to get started with agility training, you definitely will need to purchase some equipment and you can buy all the items you need easily online. Sites such as Carlson-Agility.com offer a wide variety of equipment to suit dogs of all sizes and ability levels. You can find all of the dog agility training equipment that you need, and they even have helpful dog agility kits to get you started. From there, you can create your own dog agility course in your backyard filled with a dog tunnel, agility a-frame, an agility dog walk, agility dog jumps, weaves and much more.
About the Author:
Cheng Bernhardt enjoys dog agility training. To discover an agility dog course, or to know further about agility equipment like k9 training equipment, please visit the Carlson-Agility.com site now.
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