Imagine a small dog flying over jumps. Or a large black lab careening between a series of poles on cue – from a stay – to his human partner's open arms. Imagine lots of clicks, treats and tug toy sessions. It's not a doggie dream-world, it's Introduction to Agility at the Seattle Humane Society.

Instructor Ali Johnson let me sit in on her beginners' class a few Saturdays ago and it was a terrific hour spent surrounded by happy, focused dogs. Magnet, Sunny, Cupcake, Mookie, Basil and Annie were all working on their fundamentals, like target training, running between poles and learning to jump over low obstacles.

Johnson, who has been teaching agility for two years and competing with her own dogs for more than three years, teaches all three of the foundation agility classes offered at the Seattle Humane Society – the beginners' class, Obstacles (self explanatory), and Sequencing (where dogs learn to navigate groups of obstacles in sequence). She also offers classes through her own business, Kinship Dog Training.

You've probably seen agility on Animal Planet, or maybe attended a live demonstration as part of a dog show, pet-expo or a fund-raiser. If you search for "dog agility" on You Tube, you'll get more than 8,000 hits. Clearly the sport, which got it's official start in England in 1978, has gone mainstream.

There is lots of agility going on in the Puget Sound area. The Sno-King Agility Club's calendar is a fairly comprehensive listing of local events. The world of competitive agility can be little confusing to the layperson. There are four major organizations that sanction agility trials in our area: the United States Dog Agility Association, the North American Dog Agility Council, Canine Performance Events, and the American Kennel Club. The rules are a little different for each, but watching any kind of trial will give you a good feel for the sport. Another great resource is the Agility FAQ, originally written for the usenet group rec.pets.dogs.

Loosely based on Equestrian obstacle courses, agility requires dog and handler to work as a team to navigate a set course of jumps, ramps, weave poles and other obstacles according to a set procedure, in a specific order, and as quickly as possible.

"If a person is very motivated," says Johnson, "and gets some equipment to practice with at home, they can estimate that they will start competing about a year to a year and half from when they begin taking agility classes."

I have been thinking about doing agility with my lab-malamute Mishka ever since we brought her home as a puppy last year. It's usually recommended that your dog be at least 8 months to a year old before you start agility, depending on the size and breed of the dog, and several other factors. Anyone who is interested in the sport should check in with their dog's veterinarian .

I'm not really sure I will want to compete with Mishka should we get to that level. But even so, Johnson thinks we'd benefit from what we would learn in agility. "Agility really builds confidence in shy dogs," she says, "and gives exuberant dogs an avenue for their energy that is constructive and teaches that self control leads to more fun!" Johnson says one of her own dogs has shown exactly this kind of progress through agility.

Mishka, left, with her packmate, Max

Mishka sounds like a perfect fit - shy and exuberant at the same time. She loves to run, to fetch, and to play with other dogs off-leash, but on-leash, she's sometimes a little reactive to other dogs and slow to respond to me. I'm not sure her behavior is yet reliable enough for agility class. We're working on her Canine Good Citizen skills right now, (just as I am with my other youngster, Max) and I'm teaching her to jog with me; focusing on me, rather than other dogs or other triggers we encounter out in the real world.

Because Intro to Agility involves off-leash work and is an advanced class there is an entrance skills test. The four parts of the test consist of a 30-second off-leash stay, where you are only 1-2 feet from your dog, a 30-seconds off-leash casual heel with moving attention, a thirty-foot recall, and a 15-foot sit (or down) stay. These test items are meant to simulate what the dogs will face in class – in fact, Johnson and her dog actively work to distract the students dogs for the first two test items. Handlers can, however, use all the praise, toys and treats they need to help their dogs pass the test. If a dog has difficulty with the entrance exam, Johnson usually recommends a class like the Seattle Humane Society's Super Dog Manners, or the Canine Good Citizen Prep class.

One thing that most agility instructors, including Johnson, recommend for beginners is to take it slow with their dogs and be aware of each individual dog's physical and mental abilities. Don't ask – or expect – your dog to climb an A-frame, take a high jump or walk a teeter-totter without doing lots of foundation work. Do some reading, get a few training DVDs, or take some classes like the series offered by the Seattle Humane Society.

I'll be visiting the next two classes in the series in May, and maybe Mishka and I will be students in Intro to Agility one day soon. I hope you'll join us!

Lynn
lynnseattlehumane@gmail.com