Do I need special equipment?
No. You need a harness, a lead and an eye for what is safe around you. The obstacles are whatever the environment offers: benches, logs, kerbs, rocks.
Agility and obstacles
Dog Parkour
The city becomes a playground: a bench, a boulder, a fallen log. The dog learns to climb, cross and balance in a controlled way on whatever is around - without speed and without showing off.
About the discipline
What Dog Parkour is
Dog parkour, also known as urban agility, takes the principle of human parkour and adapts it to dogs: controlled interaction with the obstacles in the surrounding environment.
It needs no purpose-built ground. A walk in the park becomes training: get on the bench, go under the table, walk the kerb, put two paws on the log.
The emphasis falls on control and body awareness, not on speed or height. A well-executed exercise is a slow one, in which the dog thinks about every paw.
How it works in practice
What parkour works on
- climbing onto stable surfaces with all four paws
- placing two paws on an obstacle
- going under objects
- walking on narrow surfaces at low height
- going around an obstacle on cue
- jumping low obstacles under control
- rear-end awareness
The golden rule: check the obstacle is stable first, and keep the height low. This is not a sport of spectacular leaps.
Which dogs it suits
- almost any healthy dog, of any size
- timid dogs, whose confidence grows
- teams without access to a club or training field
- senior dogs, at reduced intensity
What you need
- a comfortable harness and lead
- small rewards
- an eye for safe obstacles, on any walk
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Dog Parkour
Isn't it dangerous?
Not if you follow two rules: the obstacle must be stable and the height low. Canine parkour does not involve jumping from height, but slow, controlled movement.
Does it actually help with anything?
Yes. It improves balance, coordination and body awareness, and in insecure dogs confidence grows visibly. It is also used as a rehabilitation activity, under guidance.
From the same category
Related sports
Canine Ninja
Varied courses testing balance, strength and coordination.
Canicross with obstacles
Running with your dog on courses that include obstacles.
Agility
A 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.