Agility With Swissies

Kenzie's beautiful and athletic jumping style.

    Many swissies are today competeing in the agility ring.  The sport lends itself more to the lighter built dogs of the breed, but the "big guys" can do just as well!  Agility combines athleticism, speed, endurance, and teamwork to create one addictive sport!!  In AKC agility, swissies compete in either regular agility or preferred agility.  Regular meaning that the dogs are jumping 24" jumps with slightly less time to complete a course.  Preferred jump height is reduced to 20" with a few more seconds added on to thier course time.  No matter regular or preferred the rest of the course is the same for a swissy or a border collie.  Agility is a timed sport and dogs must make it in under time in order to qualify.  This can sometimes be difficult for a slower running swissy when competing at the upper levels.  There are many different venues to compete in with your dog- I have chosen to compete in AKC trials and have stuck to that since starting agility in 2008.

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Kenzie apexing the A-frame, part of any standard agility course.

Kenzie clearing the broad-jump, an obstacle usually found only on a Novice level course.

Kenzie taking a big jump and using her front-end very well.

Another shot of Kenzie's athletic jump.

Sprite weaving. Weaves are found on every AKC agility course. Novice courses contain sets of six poles, while Open and Excellent courses will have sets of 12 weave poles.

Sprite taking a turn in the air, ready to change leads upon landing.

Baby Sprite jumping through a Tire jump.