Agility
Agility is one of the fastest-growing dog sports worldwide—and for good reason. Agility training enhances your relationship with your dog and is exhilarating both to watch and to run!! Beardies gregarious and joyful nature, along with their natural athleticism and inherent teamwork make them naturals for the sport.
Understand the basics
Dog agility is a sport where you direct your dog through a pre-set obstacle course within a specified time limit. Courses typically have between 14-20 obstacles, which can include jumps, tunnels, weave poles, tire jumps, seesaws, and pause tables. You provide the GPS by directing your dog through the course using cues (verbal and physical) as well positioning and body language.
If you’ve never seen Agility in person, we highly recommend you attend a competition (or “trial”) to see it firsthand.
Take a class
As with any sport, we recommend you start by taking a class at a local club near you. Beginner courses introduce you and your dog to the foundations of the sport and provide the basics of how to compete if you decide to do that.
Take your time, especially in the beginning while you’re both getting used to the sport to develop your relationship and to build a solid foundation. You have a lifetime together to so there’s no rush!
Competitions
If you’re interested in competition, you can visit the websites for the various organizations to understand the rules, classes and or games offered and eligibility requirements. You can also find a list of upcoming events for that organization.
Canuckdogs is also an excellent resource to locate trials across Canada by date or location.
The following organizations are available in Canada offer both in person and virtual trials: