PupLife.com recently had the opportunity to talk with agility expert and dog trainer, Cheryl Carter, owner of Candy’s Canines in Antioch, Illinois. Since 1996, Cheryl Carter and her excellent staff of instructors have been teaching and competing in the exciting sport of Canine Agility.

PupLife.com: Hi Cheryl. Thank you for participating in PupLife.com’s Annual Dog Health Awareness Month. We are very excited to talk with you about canine health, the growing sport of dog agility and the importance of diet and exercise in your dog’s routine. Let’s start at the beginning. Tell us a little bit about the history of canine agility.

Cheryl: The sport of agility started in England in the 1970s and was purely done as a demonstration. It came over from England back in the 1980s. I started agility training around 1990 when there were only 2 venues to choose from. One was NCDA( now UKC) which usually held events indoors and the other was USDAA one of the first venues here in the United States to hold events outdoors.

In the sport of agility, the handler has a limited amount of time to get their dog to safely navigate a set of obstacles in a predetermined order. The obstacles can include jumps, tunnels, a chute, weave poles, an A-frame, a dog walk, a teeter-totter and more! The dog must safely complete the obstacles in a specific order and within a time limit.

PupLife.com: How did you get started in agility sports?

Cheryl: I started with my mixed breed, Wishes, back in 1991. At that time agility was probably the only sport that would allow mixed breed dogs, and I wanted to prove that my “All American” mutt was just as good as the purebreds. Wishes was a once in a lifetime dog. He loved agility sports but he loved me more!

PupLife.com: With dog obesity and complications from obesity on the rise, what are your thoughts on the importance of exercising your dog.

Cheryl: I believe in keeping your dog in optimum physical shape whether or not you and your dog participate in agility.

Read the entire interview on Dog Agility Training with Cheryl Carter