Agility began in England in 1978 and is a fun competitive sport for both dogs and humans.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) held its first agility trial in 1994. Agility is now the fastest growing dog sport in the United States and is the fastest growing event at the AKC. An agility team consists of a dog and a handler running an obstacle course designed by the judge.

The classes are divided by jump heights in order to make the competition equal between the different size of dogs.

The AKC offers two types of agility classes. The first is the Standard Class which includes obstacles such as the dog walk, the A-frame, and seesaw. The second is Jumpers with Weaves. This class only has jumps, tunnels and weave poles. Both classes offer increasing levels of difficulty to earn Novice, Open, Excellent and Master titles. Because the same handling skills are used, the GSDCW teaches both of these classes together.

Safety of the dogs is a primary concern in agility. At the GSDCW, there are three prerequisites to joining agility class: (1) The dog must be at least one year of age; (2) because agility is performed off-leash, the dog must come when called; and (3) the handler must be a current club member with paid training dues.

Agility strengthens the bond between dogs and handlers, is extremely fun and provides great exercise for both!