Do I need special equipment?
No. You need a harness, a lead and an eye for what's safe around you. The obstacles are whatever you come across: benches, logs, kerbs, rocks.
Agility and obstacles
Dog Parkour
The city turns into a playground: a bench, a boulder, a fallen log. The dog learns to climb, cross and balance on whatever is around. It all happens slowly, with no showing off.
About the discipline
What Dog Parkour is
Dog parkour, also called urban agility, borrows the idea behind human parkour and adapts it for dogs: the dog uses the obstacles around it, in a controlled way.
You don't need a purpose-built course. Any walk in the park can be a session: up on the bench, under the picnic table, along the kerb, two paws on the log.
What counts is control and the dog's awareness of its own body. Speed and height come last. A good rep is a slow one, where the dog thinks about where every paw goes.
How it works in practice
What parkour works on
- climbing onto stable surfaces with all four paws
- putting two paws up on an obstacle
- going under things
- walking on narrow surfaces, close to the ground
- going around an obstacle on cue
- controlled jumps over low obstacles
- rear-end awareness
The one rule that never bends: check the obstacle is stable every time before you use it, and keep the height low. Big flashy jumps have no place here.
Which dogs it suits
- almost any healthy dog, whatever its size
- shy dogs, who grow in confidence as they go
- teams with no club or training field nearby
- senior dogs, at low intensity
What you need
- a comfy harness and a lead
- small rewards
- an eye for safe obstacles, on every walk
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Dog Parkour
Isn't it dangerous?
Not if you stick to two rules: the obstacle is stable and the height is low. In dog parkour the dog doesn't jump down from high places; it moves slowly and with control.
Does it actually help with anything?
Yes. It builds balance, coordination and body awareness, and you can see insecure dogs gain confidence. It's also used in rehab, under professional guidance.
From the same category
Related sports
Canine Ninja
Mixed obstacle courses that test the dog's balance, strength and coordination.
Canicross with obstacles
Running with your dog on a course full of obstacles you cross together.
Agility
A timed course of jumps, tunnels, weaves and contact obstacles.
Hoopers
A course of hoops, tunnels and gates, with no high jumps.
We do not run Dog Parkour
This page is informational. We work in mantrailing, search and rescue and preparation for the TSAC and BH exams - but if you want an honest opinion on what would suit your dog, write to us anytime.