I bet you are wondering what is agility? Well, agility is a dog (of any kind) and a handler (you most likely) going through a course of tunnels, jumps, A-frame, seesaw under a time limit. I have seen all types of dogs and people that do UKC agility. Small dogs, super large dogs, tiny people and very large people have all been successful. All of them can walk away with a UKC title. You can train a dog or puppy within a year and be on a course with the rest of us.
In order to compete in UKC agility, you must first register your dog with UKC. All dogs, whether the dog is pure breed or mixed heritage can register into the United Kennel Club. Go to our agility links page to find out more on how to register and to download the form that you will need.
Well, while you wait for your registration number to come back from UKC (usually under 3 weeks by mail), you can start training your puppy or dog. Be sure to click on the menu bar on the word "Classes" to find the closest instructor to you. Taking only one set of classes is most likely not going to be enough for you or your dog to feel confident enough to compete in the ring, but taking the first set of classes is a wonderful start. Listen to your teacher and they will let you know when you and your dog are ready to go into the ring. Photo by Pat Cagney is Bam-Bam the wonder Shih-tzu.
The requirements on entering an UKC agility trials is that your dog is registered with UKC, the dog is at least 6 months old, and for you to have full knowledge of the rules and regulations. You can view the rules on the web thru "The Offical UKC website" link on our agility links page. From the main UKC page find the link to the Rules and Regulations.
Okay, you got the registration number, and you have taken oodles of classes with an instructor whom told you are ready to compete. Now what? Simple. Start asking your teacher and fellow classmates where the next event is and get a premium from those clubs that are offering trials.A premium is like a flyer full of information on that particular event. It will tell you the date, time, location and who to send the entry form and money to. Some UKC events don't offer premiums to mail to you at all, and that is when the internet is most useful. Be sure to check out the links from this agility page to surf the web for upcoming events. The best source is directly from "The Offical UKC website" under "Upcoming Events". There should be other great websites listed on our links page there as well, and most times you can go to the club's website and directly to get great information of the coming events.
Be sure to browse around through all of our web pages to fully understand what great bunch of folks that organize, and put together so many events each year. This club currently hosts a total of 4 UKC agility trials each year. We host two trials in the spring around the first weekend of May and two trials in the fall around the first or second weekend of September. We also do 3 UKC obedience trials in July and 2 flyball tournaments each year in the spring and fall.
This website created by Pat Vartuli and maintained by Pam Wilson
