How to Start Agility With Your Dog

So you've watched a few agility videos, or seen a competition at a local club, and you think your dog would love it. You're probably right. Here's a step-by-step roadmap to get started, built on what experienced trainers wish they had known on day one.

Step 1: Check that your dog is ready

Health

Agility is an athletic sport with jumping, sharp turns and fast acceleration. Before you start, ask your vet for a check-up, and mention that you plan to do agility. Things to discuss:

• Joints: hip and elbow dysplasia are common in many breeds. For breeds at risk, consider X-rays before serious training.
• Weight: an overweight dog puts extra strain on every joint. Being lean is the best injury prevention there is.
• Eyes: a dog that doesn't see well will struggle to judge jumps.
• Back: long-backed breeds such as Dachshunds and Corgis can do agility, but training needs to be adapted.

Age

Puppies can (and should) start foundation training, but no full-height jumping, repeated jumping or high contact equipment until the growth plates have closed. That's roughly 12 months for small breeds and 15 to 18 months for large ones; ask your vet. Most organisations let dogs compete from 18 months.

Older dogs can start too. Plenty of dogs begin agility at four or five years old and have long, happy careers.

Temperament

Your dog will be working off lead, near other dogs, in an exciting environment. A dog that is very reactive to other dogs or people needs work on that first, but this doesn't mean agility is out of reach. Many reactive dogs gain a lot of confidence from it with the right club.

Step 2: Build basic skills at home

You can start today, without any agility equipment:

• A rock-solid recall. Your dog will be loose in a big field. If it runs off to greet other dogs, you can't train or compete.
• A start-line stay. Sit, down or stand, and hold it while you walk away. This will become your start routine.
• Play. Teach your dog to play tug with you and to drop a toy on cue. Toys are the most powerful reward for agility because they build speed and drive.
• Hand targeting. Teach your dog to touch your hand with its nose. This becomes the basis for following your hand on course.
• Left and right circling. Teach your dog to circle around a cone or bucket in both directions.
• Body awareness. Let your dog walk over a ladder on the ground, step onto low platforms and balance on a wobble cushion. Dogs that know where their back legs are jump better and get injured less often.

Step 3: Find a good club

In Belgium agility is usually trained in clubs. Most have beginner groups that start a few times a year. Many clubs are affiliated with VOE (Hondenfederatie V.O.E.), and handlers from different clubs also compete at DSAB (DogSport Agility Belgium) events. Other clubs belong to KKUSH, the Belgian FCI member. Our article Finding an Agility Club in Belgium explains where to look.

When you visit a club, look out for:

• Qualified, positive trainers. Rewards-based training is the standard in modern agility. Avoid clubs where dogs are shouted at or corrected harshly.
• Small groups. Five or six dogs per trainer allows real coaching.
• Safe equipment and a good surface. Grass, artificial turf or a quality indoor floor, with competition-standard equipment that is maintained.
• A clear progression. From foundations to sequences to full courses.
• A good atmosphere. Do the members cheer for each other? Do the dogs look happy?
• Competition opportunities. If you might want to compete later, ask which organisation the club competes under and whether it organises competitions itself.

Most clubs let you watch a session or join a trial lesson before signing up.

Step 4: Your first months of training

A good beginner programme usually follows this order:

1. Foundations and handling basics. Following your hand, rewarding on both sides, simple turns, driving to a toy.
2. Jumps and tunnels. Low bars, short straight tunnels, then simple combinations.
3. Contact obstacles. Lowered A-frame and dogwalk first, seesaw introduced very gradually. Your trainer will help you choose between running and stopped contacts (see Contacts: Running vs Stopped).
4. Weave poles. Usually taught over weeks or months with channels, guides or 2x2 methods. See Teaching Weave Poles.
5. Short sequences. Three to five obstacles, then gradually longer courses.
6. Handling techniques. Front crosses, rear crosses and more. Read Agility Handling Techniques.

Expect it to take one to two years from first lesson to first competition for most teams. That might sound slow, but taking time over foundations pays off for the rest of your dog's career.

Step 5: Practise smart between lessons

• Short sessions. Five to ten minutes of focused training beats an hour of repetition.
• Always warm up your dog before jumping, and cool down afterwards. See Fitness, Warm-Up and Injury Prevention.
• Film yourself. Your phone will show you handling mistakes you didn't feel.
• Keep a training diary. Note what went well and what to work on next.
• Draw your exercises. With our free course designer you can lay out a practice course to scale, so it is quick to set up at the club.
• Don't drill obstacles. Repeated jumping causes wear and tear. Mix in foundation games and rest days.

Step 6: Get ready to compete

When your dog can run a full beginner course reliably at training, with good contacts and weaves, you're getting close. In Belgium you'll typically need:

• Membership of a club affiliated with the organisation you want to compete in.
• A licence or performance book for your dog, issued through your club.
• Proof of microchip and vaccinations, and a measurement for the dog's category.

Requirements differ per organisation. VOE and DSAB each have their own procedures, and FCI international events, which in Belgium run through KKUSH, have extra requirements such as a pedigree. All the details are in How to Start Competing in Agility in Belgium, and Your First Agility Competition explains how the day itself works.

Common beginner mistakes

• Rushing to full equipment. Your dog may manage it, but gaps in foundation show up later as knocked bars and missed contacts.
• Only training with food. Food is fine for precision work, but toys build drive and speed.
• Training only on one side. Dogs need to work equally well on your left and your right.
• Blaming the dog. In agility, 90% of mistakes are handler mistakes. The dog does what your body told it to do.
• Forgetting to have fun. If your dog isn't enjoying it, slow down and play more.

What you'll need

• A comfortable harness or flat collar and a lead (remember: no collar while running a course).
• High-value treats and a couple of favourite toys.
• Sturdy shoes with grip. Many agility handlers wear trail or football shoes.
• Rain gear. This is Belgium, after all.
• Optional for later: a few practice jumps, a set of weave poles, a tunnel.

Ready to begin?

Start with the vet check and the home exercises this week, visit two or three clubs, and book a trial lesson. If you'd like to find out more first, read What Is Dog Agility? or take a look at Puppy Foundations if your future agility dog is still a youngster.