Agility is a kind of dog sport, which originated in 1978 in England and is connected with the name of John Warly. The meaning in English is "Speed", "Swiftness", "Skill". John Warly who did horse-racing decided to organise a competition, in which the dogs overcome different barriers and other gymnastic equipment by the order.
Together with his friend Peter Minuell he developed the first programme for Agility to amuse the spectators, between two departments of dog show. This is a young dog sport, which one also calls as a kind of education. This dog sport is very popular, because there every dog can take part, not depending on the race, size and step of the physical training. The agility more than all other dog training types contributes to the formation of mutual understanding between the Dog and the Handler, every movement of the Handler teaches the dog to see fast, to concentrate rapidly the attention on the job without being distracted to different irritant factors (other dogs, people etc.). Thanks to the activity of dogs the agility is perceived by many dogs as a game and gives them a lot of pleasure. A town dog who spends most time without active physical load in the space will remain fit thanks to Agility.
The most important job in Agility is to run quicker
than all others at the same time overcoming different obstacles
which one also calls gymnastic equipment. One divides
the gymnastic equipment for Agility on contact zone devices (for
example: The dog may not touch footbridge, a wall) and the
contact free devices (these devices are hurdles, tyres). The dog
should overcome the devices independently without a lead, but by
the order and under the control of the Handler, who informs
about his orders with the help of gestures and voice to the dog.
Moreover, the dog may not touch the handler the dog and devices.
That is why one does not wear the collar for the
competition. The dog may not be touched, may not be fed with
delicacies, amused with toys or other objects. Coarse behaviour
is also not permitted mutually to
the dog , in particular physical punishments if the
dog makes a little bit wrong or does not hear at the orders. The
devices are always put in different places. No one may know the
arrangement of the devices till the beginning of the
competition. The judge allows the participants to become
acquainted with the career shortly before the beginning of the
competition, but without a dog. So the dog runs on the field the
first time and should make it quick and perfect, so there are
properly approx. 20 different obstacles to overcome (hurdles,
slalom, seesaws, tunnels, tyres etc.). If the dog breaks the
slats of the barriers or makes other mistakes, the dog gets the
penal points, which influence the advantages in speed. The
concept "Agility" is applied to all sports where the dog should
overcome different obstacles. In the narrower sense of the word
this concept means one or several disciplines which belong to
Agility as a dog sport.
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