Canine Agility made its debut in 1979, at the Crufts Dog Show in England,
where it was introduced as an event meant to both entertain visitors
and give dogs and handlers a fun, athletic competition to take part
in as a team. Loosely modeled on equestrian stadium jumpers competitions,
the sport has evolved its own additional obstacles, scoring systems
and performance ideals.
In an agility competition, the handler is given a set amount of time
to direct their dog, off lead, through what can best be described as
an "obstacle course".
Some of the most common obstacles include:
A-Frame
Pipe Tunnel
Collapsed Tunnel
Weave Poles
Tire Jumps
There are actually several variations of agility. Agility based on the
"International Rules" has fairly rigorous courses which demand
a high level of speed and physical ability from canine competitors.
There are also new groups forming which believe that agility should
be possible even for slower breeds of dogs, such as Bulldogs, or for
dogs with less athletic ability or mild physical limitations.
French Bulldogs have competed in both regulation Agility and in so-called
"Fun Agility", but for your dog to take part in either you'll
need to ensure that he is structurally sound. Your vet should do a spinal
X-ray, with ventral, dorsal and lateral views, to ensure that your dog
has a spinal column which can withstand jumping onto, off of, and over
obstacles. A dog with more than one or two "hemivertebrae"
- or misinformed vertebrae in his back - should probably not take part
in agility. Ask your vet and your breeder for more information on this
topic.
LINKS
Dog Patch's Agility Resources
VERY exhaustive resources about all aspects of agility
Agility for Fun
Just for fun agility - open to all breeds, including dogs who are physically
unable to compete in standard agility due to physical limitations