Agility

Agility

History

Briton Peter Meanwell was asked at the Crufts Dog Show in 1977 if he could organize a break filler. He was inspired by equestrian sports and created a jumping competition for dogs. Peter Meanwell invented and built a course with two other dog clubs.

Besides the simple jumps, he invented other obstacles and defined the first set of rules.
In the 1980s the dog sport Agility came to Germany. The first European championship took place in France in 1992. Germany participated for the first time in 1994 in the Netherlands. then in 1996 the European Championship became a World Championship, because the USA and Africa also participated in the competition. However, only FCI recognized dogs with papers are allowed to participate in the World Championships. There are also international competitions for mixed breeds, for example the European Open.

Basic Principle

Agility
Agility

The dog sport originates from England and is open to all types of dogs.
Agility is designed to test the dog’s speed, dexterity and leadership through various obstacles. The obstacles are in a constantly changing order and must be overcome by the dog. Agility is an educational game and has many similarities with a riding and jumping competition in equestrian sports.

The top priority is harmony between handler and dog. The basic equipment of a course consists of a catwalk, a seesaw, an inclined wall, a slalom, a fixed tunnel, a cloth tunnel, some hoops and a long jump. Your dog has to get acquainted with these devices before he can compete in this tournament.

Rules

On the day of the competition, the course is entirely up to the judge. The only requirement he has to follow when designing the course is two changes of direction. The course may be between 100 and 200 meters long, depending on the test. All equipment must be set up on a field of a minimum size of 20×40 meters.

The dog, guided by the handler, runs through a course composed of up to twenty-two different obstacles. A distinction must be made between the “A-Run” and the “Jumping”. In the A-run there are contact zone devices in addition to simple jump hurdles, which are missing in the jumping. The team (dog and handler) must master equipment such as tunnel, long jump and slalom in a given order as quickly as possible and without errors.

Very large dogs are very rare in the sport for health reasons. At the tournaments you can often see very agile dogs, they usually come from the family of herding dogs. The dogs must have a good basic obedience and must not have any damage in the movements.
Since agility is all about fun and exercise, it must be ensured that the dog is healthy and not overworked.

During the competition the dog runs freely without a leash and must not be touched by its owner. Signals may only be given by voice and its body language. The obstacles of the course are numbered and must be completed in that order. If an obstacle is omitted or if the obstacles are completed in the wrong order, the team will be disqualified. Three refusals of an obstacle by the dog will also result in disqualification.

To complete the course, the team has a predetermined standard time. However, the standard time is only a guideline and must not be seen as the main criterion. The time is only taken into account in the case of faults at obstacles with the same number.

Guiding Technique

Agility Agility[/caption ] Agility

In agility, the dog is led alternately on both sides of the body, the running distance of the leading human is thus shortened and the dog can complete the obstacles in the course faster. In addition, the dog does not run at the same height of the owner as in competition dog sports, but runs ahead or stays behind his master, but never loses contact. The handler should always have his dog in sight when changing, for this he uses various techniques.
Changes are supplemented by numerous turning techniques, which serve to lead the dog after a change of direction on the same lead hand without slowing him down or hindering him.

The Belgian Change: The Belgian Change is a change in front of the dog. In a turn, the lead hand is changed to maintain eye contact with the dog. The change saves a lot of time, because many dogs run faster due to the turn of the human and the running distance of the dog is shortened.

The French Change: The French Change is also called the Japanese or Blind Change. The French change is a change in front of the dog. Here, the lead hand is changed during a turn, and eye contact with the dog is lost for a short time. This change saves a lot of time, because you do not change your running direction if you are far enough in front of the dog.

Back cross: The back cross is performed behind the dog, in which the dog is sent over an obstacle and the human behind him crosses his running line. This change is usually used only when no other change is possible.

Contact Zone Obstacles

The contact zone obstacles take a special place. At these obstacles there are marked areas, which must be touched by the dog compellingly. This protects the dog’s joints as the dog is slowed down. The contact zone is color-masked, the choice of the former colors yellow and red are not well suited, because the dog can distinguish them only with great difficulty. Blue colors are mostly used for new obstacles, contact zones are mostly red. Contact zones must not be white, brown or black.

Health Problems

In agility a dog is not protected from overload. For example, during the jumps, overstretching of the front foot becomes apparent. When jumping in front of an obstacle, the complete front foot is put on, the joint is overstretched. When landing, the strain is even much higher. As a relief, a shorter distance between the hurdles is suggested, this slows the dog down. Jumps with turns are especially overloading for the joints. In the long term, this overload can increase the risk of osteoarthritis, which is associated with permanent pain for the dog. Other hazards include the crossbars on the contact zone obstacles, which can cause paw bruising. This has been taken into account in the new seesaws, they no longer have cross slats. The overload is not in the competitions, but in the training, because the duration of the load is usually much longer and higher than in the competition

Conditions Of Participation

The prerequisite for participation in an official tournament is passing the companion dog test and proof of rabies vaccination. Also the dog must be marked by a chip or a tattoo and thus identifiable. There should be a liability insurance and the owner should be a member of the VDH.

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