Almost all dogs of all sizes, shapes, and ages, in good health, can do agility at some level. Same for the handlers. It’s a great way to stimulate, exercise, and play with your dog, and the handlers get a good workout, too! If you are interested in trying agility, you’ll need guidance right from the get-go. It’s extremely helpful to have basic obedience skills, including a solid sit, down, come, and stay. Your dog should be able to work off leash and show no aggression towards other dogs or people. It helps to know what rewards (food treats, balls, toys) motivate your dog!

The best way to learn agility is to take agility lessons. There are many resources for learning to teach agility, both in person and online. There are various training techniques and schools of thought on how to teach agility, but all of them are based on the theory of rewarding success.   When the dog does something successful, you reward and praise them!  You will start with one obstacle at a time, but as the dog and handler progress, you will soon be linking several obstacles in a row, and eventually string together an entire course.

Sound interesting?  See below for some great resources and information!