If you are excited about getting your dog into the sport of dog agility, you are definitely not alone. Participation in this fun sport is growing at lightning speed, and dog agility groups and clubs are springing up around the United States. Dog agility provides an excellent source of exercise, the challenging activities make dogs happy and the bond between you and your pet definitely will be strengthened by these activities. When it comes to competitions, there are many out there to consider, including the following options which are perhaps the most prestigious or prominent in the sport.
The first group in the U.S. to begin hosting dog agility competitions is the USDAA (United States Dog Agility Association). This group has been hosting events since the sport's early days and is the largest group in general for dog agility events. In fact, some 25,000 canines are part of the USDAA, and their Grand Prix of Dog Agility is the top event in the dog agility world and is televised by Animal Planet. Unlike a few other groups, USDAA allows just about any type of dog to compete, large or small, mixed-breed or pure bred. In addition to the Grand Prix, there are international and regional competitions hosted by USDAA as well as small tournaments in many cities in the U.S.
Since the late 19th Century, the American Kennel Club has been a prominent fixture in the dog world, and they host many dog agility events during the course of the year. The courses are smaller than USDAA, but the obstacles, in general, are a bit easier to tackle. Of course, there are some pure bred dogs that are not allowed in the AKC, and mixed breeds are not allowed to compete either. So if you have a mutt or a breed not recognized by the AKC, you will have to find another group, such as USDAA.
The United Kennel Club is another organization to consider for your animal, and they do allow dogs of mixed breeds to compete in agility courses as well as purebred dogs. The courses can be a bit tricky to master, but if you can succeed on a UKC course, you can generally do well on a course with any other organization. The courses in this organization tend to be a bit smaller, meaning dogs need to be more precise rather than very 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.
When you are ready to enter the world of dog agility, you will want to invest in some equipment for your backyard. High quality equipment can be purchased online at retailers like Carlson-Agility.com. They sell a myriad of dog agility training equipment and even offer handy dog agility kits for starting out. These kits contain just two or three obstacles, such as some dog agility jumps, some weaves and perhaps an a-frame or maybe a teeter-totter. Once you master those skills, you can add a pause table, a tunnel, a dog walk, a tire jump or any other piece of equipment.
The first group in the U.S. to begin hosting dog agility competitions is the USDAA (United States Dog Agility Association). This group has been hosting events since the sport's early days and is the largest group in general for dog agility events. In fact, some 25,000 canines are part of the USDAA, and their Grand Prix of Dog Agility is the top event in the dog agility world and is televised by Animal Planet. Unlike a few other groups, USDAA allows just about any type of dog to compete, large or small, mixed-breed or pure bred. In addition to the Grand Prix, there are international and regional competitions hosted by USDAA as well as small tournaments in many cities in the U.S.
Since the late 19th Century, the American Kennel Club has been a prominent fixture in the dog world, and they host many dog agility events during the course of the year. The courses are smaller than USDAA, but the obstacles, in general, are a bit easier to tackle. Of course, there are some pure bred dogs that are not allowed in the AKC, and mixed breeds are not allowed to compete either. So if you have a mutt or a breed not recognized by the AKC, you will have to find another group, such as USDAA.
The United Kennel Club is another organization to consider for your animal, and they do allow dogs of mixed breeds to compete in agility courses as well as purebred dogs. The courses can be a bit tricky to master, but if you can succeed on a UKC course, you can generally do well on a course with any other organization. The courses in this organization tend to be a bit smaller, meaning dogs need to be more precise rather than very 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.
When you are ready to enter the world of dog agility, you will want to invest in some equipment for your backyard. High quality equipment can be purchased online at retailers like Carlson-Agility.com. They sell a myriad of dog agility training equipment and even offer handy dog agility kits for starting out. These kits contain just two or three obstacles, such as some dog agility jumps, some weaves and perhaps an a-frame or maybe a teeter-totter. Once you master those skills, you can add a pause table, a tunnel, a dog walk, a tire jump or any other piece of equipment.
About the Author:
Cheng Bernhardt enjoys dog agility training. To discover an agility dog course, or to learn further about agility equipment like k9 training equipment, please visit the Carlson-Agility.com site today.
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