Dog Agility; two words that can be very intimidating to some humans and even to some dogs. But the truth is that most dogs thrive when they are involved in a sport like agility. I, myself, have two Border Collies, so when I started to think about getting them involved in the dog sport of ALL dog sports, I didn't even know where to start or what to think. I was just worried that I would not be good enough or it would be too much on the pups. Boy, was I wrong! This past year I went to the Westminster Master Competition, and I was both blown away and in love with the sport in less than an hour. I just knew that I had to figure out how to get my dogs involved in this amazing sport. Before putting all 4 paws into this whole agility thing, I did some research on this amazing sport and here is what I found:
- Most people think that agility is only for Border Collies, Standard Poodles and “those” kinda dogs. But the truth is that almost all dog breeds can be trained to do agility and most of them thrive at it and love it.
- There isn't just one kind of agility course. There are actually five different courses that dogs learn to do including standard, gamblers, snooker, jumpers and jumpers with weaves.
- Agility competitions are held all over the world! The majority of them are located in America, England, and Australia. There are also a lot more coming up in South Africa, Kenya, New Zealand, Slovakia, South Korea and more! Sidebar and interesting fact: The only continent that does not have dog agility is Antarctica, where dogs are actually forbidden to live (remind me to never move there).
- Agility competitions usually have a very large amount of spectators. Each race is set up in a 100-foot by 100-foot area. The human and their dog are judged based on how fast the course is completed. There are a few reasons a dog can be given point deductions. Some deductions are for missing an obstacle, veering off course, knocking down a pole, or missing a contact zone. The dog with the most points and least faults at the end wins the whole thing!
- If you have a dog that has very low confidence, but also has a ton of pent up energy, then agility is perfect for you. It gives your dog a vote of confidence that they are good at something and they can exhale and please you. Dogs that struggle with this really love being involved in some sort of dog sport.
If you have a very high energy dog, or if you have a dog that is lacking confidence in themselves, then please do your dog a favor and sign them up for an agility course. It is also an amazing way to connect with your dog on a whole other level. Primalvore is the perfect supplement for any dog that is involved in a sport like agility, so make sure to stock up and fuel them with the nutrition they need!