Titling & Tournament Classes

Titling Classes -  A test of competitor' skill sets against a pre-defined set of standards

Titling classes are conducted in three progressive levels and are generally referred to as one of two types—"Standard" and "Non-standard". These class groupings are described more fully below:

Standard Class

  • Standard Agility - the foundation class in the sport of dog agility in which a competitor directs their dog through an obstacle course that requires performance of the required obstacles as set forth in Chapter 3 of the USDAA Rulebook.  All obstacle types are utilized, including three contact obstacles - A-frame, Dog Walk and See-Saw - a pipe or open tunnel - weave poles, table, tire jump and a variety of other hurdles and jumps, all of which are set in a sequence designed by the judge.

Non-standard Classes

  • Gamblers - a point-based class wherein handlers develop their own strategy* for running a course in order to accumulate as many points as possible during the time allotted by the judge.
  • Jumpers - a class designed to feature a dog's jumping ability on a course with a variety of hurdles and jumps, and may include tunnels and weave poles.
  • Relay - a class that includes two or more dog/handler teams competing as a demonstration of sportsmanship and the strategy of working a course together.
  • Snooker - a point-based class, named after the billiards game popular in Great Britain, in which a handler develops their strategy* for accumulating as many points as possible by following the "Snooker sequence", in order to accumulate as many points as possible during the time allotted by the judge.

*Strategy classes test a handler's knowledge of their dog's abilities and how to most efficiently apply this knowledge in establishing their own course path with the confines of the rules set for the class.

Click here for more information on Titling Classes.

Tournament Classes - A test that provides competitors with head-to-head competition  

USDAA introduced the first tournament outside of England in 1988.  Since that time, competitors have competed annually in local and regional competition to earn the right to enter USDAA's annual championship event, which has become one of the premier world events in the sport of dog agility—Cynosport® World Games.

Tournaments are open to all competitors without regard to past experience and level of competition in the titling program.  Instead, competitors establish eligibility through qualifying classes held at more than 100 local qualifying events and regional championship events in accordance with tournament rules.  Competitors may also earn "byes" in the Cynosport tournament Quarterfinals for the Grand Prix and Steeplechase tournaments.

Rules for all tournaments can be found in Chapter 10 of the Regulations along with current year eligibility Standards by visiting the Regulations page.

USDAA today features four distinctive tournament series to highlight the dynamics of the sport in both individual and team competition. Each of these tournaments are described below:

Grand Prix of Dog Agility® World Championships

The Grand Prix of Dog Agility is conducted on a course based on the Standard Agility class requirements, testing the full range of a competitor's skills in a race against the clock. The competitor with the fewest penalties, with the fastest time, is the winner. The winner in each height class is named Grand Prix of Dog Agility World Champion.

The tournament as USDAA's flagship event has grown to include well over one hundred local qualifying events leading to more than 10 regional and foreign national championship events, followed by the world championship event. To date, more than twenty countries from six continents have participated. Countries around the world are invited to participate.  

Dog Agility Masters® Pairs, 3-Dog Team, and Strategic Games Championships

Beginning in 1991 and held annually since 1993, competitors combine to form three-dog teams that compete in five classes of competition - Standard Agility, Snooker Agility, Jumpers, Gamblers Choice and Three-dog Team Relay.

The competition demonstrates team work and competitors' endurance and skill in a variety of disciplines as they apply a variety of strategies in the USDAA's primary titling classes of  Standard and Nonstandard classes. Teams accumulate points through five classes of competition, with the team scoring the highest number of points being named Dog Agility Masters Pairs or 3-Dog Team Champions.  Competitors earning the most combined points in Gamblers and Snooker are named Dog Agility Masters® Strategic Games Champions.

Qualifying events are held across the United States each year and are open to all competitors, regardless of past performance experience. Competitors must meet competitive qualifying standards as outlined in the tournament rules in two local or regional qualifying events in order to compete in the championship event. 

Dog Agility Steeplechase® Championships

Beginning in 1997, this tournament event was conceptualized after the equestrian steeplechase to demonstrate the competitor's ability to work with speed as they feature their skills in training and performance on a specially-designed  jumpers course. In addition to numerous jumps and hurdles on course, the A-frame and weave poles are included as a special demonstration of the two most dynamic obstacles in the dog agility, for which difficulty of performance increases with speed.

The tournament's "time plus faults" scoring method accentuates the importance of speed combined with accuracy in performance. The tournament is conducted as a two round event at both the local and championship levels, with top seeds from the first round advancing to the final round where they run for top money, ranging from a few dollars at smaller local events up to $10,000 paid out in the annual world championship finals.

Local qualifying events may hold only one round for qualification purposes, foregoing a second round for cash prizes.

Masters Challenge Biathlon℠ 

This tournament series began in 2013 and showcases competitors on European-style courses in two classes—standard agility and jumping, around which USDAA's Masters Challenge program is built. 

Unique features include the dog working at full stride throughout much of the course, with refined challenges for response and directional control over greater distances. Scoring is on a time+faults basis, and the lowest combined class score wins.

Beginning in 2018, a separate event—the Masters Challenge Agility Cup showcase top competitors in this program, which also serves as a world team selection trial.