What is the Best Dog Breed for Dog Agility Pt 2

This is part two of all the replies we got about your “best breed” for dog agility. Yes, we all know there are some breeds that excel in dog agility naturally, but the dog you have is always the best breed for dog agility. In a sport that is all about being the best team you can be, breed has little bearing on what you can do with your dog.

There are superstar agility dogs of every breed, style, sex, and temperament. And there are dogs of every breed that rather not participate. Remember, always run the dog you have. Learn their strengths and weakness as a breed and an individual, then go out and do your best always learning and improving yourself as a handler and you will find you have the best breed for dog agility.

Enjoy these biased and loving stories from dog owners just like you as they share why their dog IS the best breed for dog agility.

tashi says: Hundreds of professional dog owners can’t lie, the Australian shepherd is the best both on and off the course. The speed and intelligence to compete with the border collies and an off-switch, so they can be your favorite couch potato at home.

Peaches says: My Rottweiler Peaches just loves to play agility! She is 26.5 inch tall and athletic built girl. She weighs about 97lbs and just flies over the jumps. Her fav is the A frame and is doing great as she has both her masters and is going for her PACH. She is my first agility dog and I am hooked!! This rottie rocks lol!

Rob says: I have a 27 1/2″ (at the withers)130lb Rottweiler.He has qualified for DOCNA Nationals 4yrs. in a row. He can run with just about any dog, considering most of his “competition” is half his weight.

S. M. Cooley says: The best breed is the only dog I have right now. Best guess is a cross between a basenji and pointer. Fastest and most athletic dog I have ever had and, luckily, since not a purebred basenji, relatively easy to train. She loves treats and pretty much every person and dog she has ever met.

Sherri Broughton says: My American Staffordshire Terrier mix is an amazing agility dog. Although thick and muscular, he’s so incredibly fast. I strive to keep up! Hurray for shelter dogs!!

barbara says: My agility partner is a shih tzu/poodle mix. This little guy has so much drive, heart and desire to please me..so unusual for this cross. He has titled in two venues in less than three years and we are now working on our MACH. For a 10 pound “uncommon” agility dog, he rocks!!!

Lucygooser’s says: My favorite breed is my Rescued Golden Retriever. She is a happy girl when she runs and shows it with her energy and enthusiasm on the course, she loves the sport!

Susan Horak says: I have had BCs for a long time but not just because we do agility. They are the best breed for my active lifestyle. We hike a lot and are constantly doing fun things:) I love to train and BCs intelligence makes training fun and a challenge at the same time. We do many things together; Rally, Nose Work and of course Agility. But he is mainly my loving companion and snuggle bug:)

Amy says: I love competing with my GSD and GSD/Husky mix!! I think they are fantastic!! 😉

Vicky Janicki says: The best agility dog breed is…the one you have right now. The breed that is under utilized in agility is a Pomeranian. I have 2. One is running in Masters and the younger one has his P1 Jumpers. The breed actually wants to be active and agility work brings out their work ethic (after all they are from a German background) and sense of humor. Also they are easier to keep up with than say a Border Collie or a larger breed on the course. And finally they are so darn cute that no matter what happens on the course they will make you smile.

Gigi says: I am a sheltie fan too. I love their cooperative nature! Our Sasha loves to train, and becomes very excited when she sees me get out our gear. Her excitement is infectious and that makes it even more fun for both of us.

Helen says: English Shepherds rock at agility! They are smart herding dogs without the herding obsession and they have perfect manners. They are the original collie. The dog at the top of the article is probably an English Shepherd. They often show up as shelter dogs and come in many colors.

Missy Gordon says: I love doing agility with my Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. I love the white blaze that streaks her nose and the smile on her face as she streaks around the agility courses.

Yuvonne Miller says: My Zak is a Golden Retriever and absolutely loved agility. Agility helped us become a team on the course and in the field when we hunt together.

Carolina says: I have worked with a lot of breeds over years and I discovered that the mixed breed dog is the most versatile and intelligent type of dog for sports and work. An athletic, slim-body mixed dog is best suited for Agility. Actually I’m competing with 2 mixed breed females who also do trickdoging shows. Since I had my first mixed breed I fell in love with this type of dogs. After all who else that doesn’t have a mixed breed can say they have the talents of several breeds summed up in one dog? 😉

Diggy Dog says: Standard Poodles are definitely the best dogs! We have two, and they LOVE to play on “The Playground”. They also love to put on a show and show off what they know. The more applause the better they perform. They also tend to love observing. This is their one bad agility antic. Did you know that the top of an A-frame is a great spot to people watch? Our two rascals seem to think so.

LisaH says: My dogs are both border collies. I love their drive and sense of humor! They can play endlessly.

Melissa Fiorenini says: Of course, my wonderful purebred Border Collies! They are the best and my 4 don’t make me prejudice!

Janet Lynn says: My Pembroke Corgi’s are simply awesome at agility. They so look forward to class and then t trials. My older gal has Catch 3 in CPE agility and my new gal is coming along just fine. They enthusiasm and energy they put into these events is amazing. Happy girls and loving every minute!!! Corgi’s ROCK!

rocket says: I have a Eurohound and he is every good at agility. He is a sled dog and needs something to do during the summer so we do agility. I love doing it as much as he dose.

Ali says: Nothing better than a mix! I have a Australian Cattle Dog, Border Collie, other mix who is quickly becoming a rock-star at agility! Only 7 AKC trials under her belt and she is already in Exc JWW! My other mix (who knows what she is) is also a blast to run agility with. She’s not as solid on courses as her younger sister, but we have fun together and that’s what matters. Just about every healthy, happy dog I meet these days makes me think, “I want to try agility with that dog!” I plan on having many different breeds and mixes in the future. Agility really is for every dog!

Cynthia Becker says: I love running courses with my chow chow Kobi! He may not be the absolute fastest but he knows the game and is dead accurate. He has had only one off course in the 5 years we have trialed! Mostly, he loves the applause he gets for a good run….he is a real performer and a big ham!

Karen Dayberry says: I train two AKC greyhounds in agility. They are smart and funny and constantly teach me to not take things too seriously. They not only learn from me, but learn best from each other — the good, the bad and the naughty. People love to watch them run on the course, and across the arena, and around the judge and to the edge of the course at a barking dog and…back to me.

Chris Esposito says: I think the best breed is border collies, however, I have a purebred rat terrier and he is awesome!! He listens and follows directions very well. We have gone from an AKC Novice dog to an AKC Masters Jumpers and Standard in just a few months. He is my forever agility dog. He has the best stamina for the job and on top of that he is a special needs dog. Rocky has diabetes and you would never know it has ever affected his spirit or his drive to thrive in the agility dog sport. I love him to the end of the earth and we will continue to do agility until he can no longer. Rocky has been very easy to train and does the right thing without hesitation. When he and I have made a mistake, I can go back and easily correct it with Rocky. He is a rat terrier gem in the making!!

MBB says: I have a Rat Terrier too. A little over a year ago we started training in Agility together and a few weeks ago he had his first official Double Q! He is a terrific little guy and I will always be grateful for his patience in getting us started in this great sport!

Carolyn Bean says: My all time favorite breed is a sheltie. I have 2 of them. Kricket is small and very much a princess. She has loved someone besides me all her life. She appeased me by doing agility with me but loved my Mom. When my mother passed away and I married she immediately took up with my husband. I love her dearly but she was a challenge in agility, not the normal, driven sheltie. However my second sheltie is all mine. She loves her Daddy too I must admit but her loyalty is with me! She loves playing Frisbee, doing agility and guarding her house from birds and trains, ( she watches for the train to pass our house twice a day!) If only we lived closer to Houston so we could have continued our training. But alas, marriage took us 2 hours from training so we just chill and play these days!

Dazzle says: Miniature Schnauzers is the best dog to have for agility.

Lorie Shaw says: My favorite dog to run agility with is my Sheltie. I love her happy, focused ways. She would rather run Agility than anything else, but can be a couch potato.

TeamTeggo says: We have a “JUG” half Jack Russell and half pug. My favorite feature is her wiggly little butt.

What we love best about these stories is that they are your own. They help others to see that dog agility isn’t about having the best breed, but rather making your dog the best they can be. If you missed Part One you can read it by clicking here.