No Doggone Obstacles

Canine sport improves agility of the mind and body

Karen Early says just one word — "Free" — to turn her 5-year-old border collie, Oliver, into a blur of fur on the agility course. With his long, aggressive strides, Oliver clears two jumps before Early takes a single step from mid-course to join their synchronized sprint. Oliver then rockets through as many as 20 obstacles, including bar and tire jumps, tunnels, weave poles and contact obstacles, such as a teeter-totter, an A-frame and an elevated, foot-wide dog walk. 

Early, 51, executes some fancy footwork throughout the course, signaling for Oliver to clear an obstacle then change direction — 90, 180, 270 degrees. She turns. He turns. She points. He goes. Oliver mostly watches Early's feet, but she also uses verbal commands, her hands and the tilt of her shoulders to tell him where they are headed. Because of Oliver’s speed, Early often crosses behind him, giving the appearance of steering him through magic.

Driven by participants over 40, who represent 63 percent of the market, agility is the fastest growing canine sport in the United States. "It's never been a young person's sport," says Monica Percival, managing editor of Clean Run, a monthly magazine for agility enthusiasts. "Entry fees in this country are pretty steep — easily $100 or more a weekend per dog. You need some amount of disposable income to be able to travel and enter events."

Percival adds many participants came to the sport after years in other dog activities. "Dog agility is one of the few sports in which an older person can compete on equal ground with a younger person," she says. "If you can train your dog to move through the course without you being beside him, then you compete with the best of them."

Sharon Anderson, captain of the American Kennel Club world team, says people over 50 often dominate the U.S. contingent. They simply have the time and patience to make agility their new occupation.

At agility competitions, handlers get 10-20 minutes to walk around, memorize the course and make a plan for directing their dogs as quickly and cleanly as possible. The process looks like a gaggle of mimes gone mad, as owners practice their hand gestures, crosses and commands with imaginary dogs in tow.

Participants compare agility to dancing, the best Christmas present ever or better. "I got a hole in one once," says Sue Horn, 52, who along with her 60-something husband runs seven dogs. "And, I think I get more excited by a good run than I did that hole in one."

The rush of success comes from communicating so well and forming such strong bonds with another species. "It's a lot like achieving a 'Vulcan mind meld' with a live entity, who happens to be your best friend," explains Cathy Lester, 52. "You and the dog have to be thinking the same thing at the same second. When it happens, it's so exciting. It's like solving a riddle every time I go in the ring — solving it at top speed."

Agility training requires positive rewards — access to special toys, high-value food treats and praise from owners. Dogs quickly learn that good things come from this structured form of play. Many go ballistic in anticipation, expressing a love of the sport known as "drive."

Agility attracts not only long-time dog enthusiasts but also regular pet owners, who take entry-level agility classes available at training centers in most major cities or visit agility events at county fairgrounds to find local trainers. Agility isn't just for pure breeds, either. Mutts, dubbed "All Americans," also compete.

Weekly classes, social connections and event travel make it more lifestyle than hobby, with hardcore handlers competing most weekends.

Agility dictates other decisions too, like what kind of car or home to buy. "When we were looking for a house, I kept telling my husband that what we wanted was a yard with a house attached," admits Lester.

Most teams train 12-18 months or more before they compete. The impatient need not apply. "If it looks easy," Lester warns, "it's being done really well."