Dog agility trials held near Arva

It was a ‘ruff’ weekend for 120 dogs and their handlers following dog agility trials near Arva.

It’s been a ‘ruff’ weekend for dogs and their handlers in Middlesex Centre.

About 120 dogs have been taking part in dog agility trials near Arva.

“They are doing the sport of dog agility. Maybe you’ve seen it on YouTube or TV, where it’s jumps and tunnels and obstacles, kind of an obstacle course, as dogs go through and the handler has trained,” explained Middlesex Agility Club treasurer Rachel Hawkins.

“The handler and the dog are both running and going through different sequences. So typically, it’s open to all breeds, all sizes. So, you’ve got little tiny Havanese that jump the tiny four-inch bars, up to the large border collies who are jumping 20, 24 inches, so all sizes,” she said.

The two-day trial features 250 runs per day. It’s a lead up to the Ontario Regional Championships this June in Dorchester, said Hawkins.

“This is a sanctioned event. Everyone here is going through their own achievements. You can get titles and different legs toward your title. But it’s also a warmup because we are hosting the Ontario Regional Championship in June. June 12 to 14, which is a larger competition. We have about 280 dogs that are entered in that, who are all going to kind of compete for placements,” said Hawkins.

The Middlesex Agility Club is part of the Agility Association of Canada.