Agility can be done by any dog in good health. It has been proven to help shy dogs to gain confidence in their life. It's great for active dogs as well as it gives them a chance to direct their energy toward something positive.

Agility can be done by almost any handler too. Small children can successfully compete as can older people. It is a sport that encourages all to get in better shape themselves, both dog and handler.

There are many groups doing agility in the United States. The largest four are the USDAA, NADAC, the AKC, and the UKC. Each have their benefits and drawbacks.

As a summary:

USDAA - allows all dogs to participate; requires an athletic dog to succeed at the most competitive level, but has a spot for almost any dog; has an extensive junior handler program; has a variety of games and challenges.

NADAC - allows all dogs to participate; has a level for all dogs including the very large and very small; open to all people from the young to old; has games and a variety of challenges.

AKC - allows only AKC recognized purebred dogs to compete; doable by almost all dogs; doable by almost all people; easiest to find.

UKC - allows all dogs; requires more control, but less speed than the other three; open to all people.

If you have a dog who likes to run, jump, and climb, try these links!