Dog Agility Display Training is a Quiet Revolution in Dog Owning Fun

Agility training is a fantastic and rewarding way for both owner and dog to have fun. It strengthens communication and understanding between both parties which makes contented pets always safely and willingly under their owner's control. Dog agility involves training your dog to compete against others on a timed circuit over hurdles and tire jumps, through tunnels stakes and chutes, and weaving speedily around poles.
The dog agility display and competition club circuit which has grown up over the past twenty or more years has spawned its own culture and social events, apart from the popular public displays the top clubs provide now as major attractions daily at almost all dog shows.
If you or I are going to a dog show these days we won't want to miss the agile display! Furthermore, those involved in agility training are really so obviously getting so much more from their dog ownership, that the whole scene is infectious.
The dog agility courses are filled with various obstacles such as tunnels and ladders, which are set out in such a way that the dogs just ache to run and take on the challenge. In fact for many, the owners struggle to contain the energy and pace that their charges bring to the course. These courses are typically about one hundred by one hundred feet in length in total, and the obstacles are provided with numbers to display the order that the dogs have to complete the various obstacles.
Dog agility Classes are often run in blocks of 10, and each class lasts for one and a half hours. The chief objectives in these classes are to create a learning experience where dogs and their handlers are stretched; where dog handling skills are honed and where the confidence of both dog and handler is enhanced.
I recently attended a dog show where the dog agility display held its audience spellbound throughout the entire Sunday afternoon. After the sense of anticipation reached its height with the winning round, fire-jugglers in the arena were almost essential to wind down the audience and herald their departure.
Another recent agility event I saw this summer also highlights the increasingly popular and min-stream nature of agility displays. At our local beach side town, all those strolling the prom appeared to have been drawn as if by magnets to a summer's evening agility display. Immediately behind the beach the setting sun made a fine back drop as the dogs barked to be let to run, ran at the starter's whistle, jumped and weaved. Once it was fully dark the council provided a fine fireworks display to round off the evening, which brought even more crowds enjoy the spectacle.
Of course these dogs which, come for a variety of dog breeds, can be wayward and they can be unpredictable. Even the best trainers have those days when they don't fare so well, sometimes one almost feels that some dogs are taking the mickey out of the handler. However, this is all part of the attraction for the spectator. After all watching animals perform has always attracted humans, but in recent years there have been fewer opportunities for people to do so. The rightful reduction in cruel activities, and with even circuses suffering from the wish that no animal be belittled by degrading and cruel practices just for human entertainment, opportunities for simple enjoyment of animal displays have diminished.
Modern dog agility team displays fill this void, plus some! They demonstrate pure joy and common purpose between man and animal. They encapsulate ‘Healthy Living’ with the vim and vigor obvious in both dogs and owners as their canine partners soar over obstacles and chase so joyfully around agility arenas.
Dogs in Need is now one of several week long Kennel Club agility shows to take place each year in the UK. This particular event is just one part of a busy calendar of day and weekend shows. Dog agility has grown in the UK to the point where the most popular Kennel Club shows regularly run ten or more rings a day, with up to 450 runs in each ring (or more if two judges are used in each ring). Dogs that are clearly over or under a particular height category will not need to be measured.
The love of dogs when trained can also bring great fulfillment and improvement to the quality of life to the mentally and physically disadvantaged. Dog AID is a charity which helps provide access to dog training for people with physical disabilities, and enable them to train their own dog in basic control and specialized tasks, which will assist them to manage their disability in everyday life. It is now a nationwide voluntary organization, which provides specialized training for people with physical disabilities and their own pet dog.
Dog agility enthusiasts have also been inventive in producing treats and products for their pets away from the various events. One supplier also provides clicker training products, including clickers, a Click-A-Tricks booklet, treat bags and carabiner, and a variety of training kits so you can pick and choose the best selection of dog treats to fit your dog's needs.
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