Is hoopers suitable for an older dog?
It's one of the few sports built for exactly that. With no jumps, sharp turns or forced stops, the load on the joints is minimal.
Agility and obstacles
Hoopers
Agility's logic minus the jumps and the tight turns. The dog runs through hoops, tunnels and gates on wide, sweeping lines while the handler directs from a distance.
About the discipline
What Hoopers is
Hoopers is a fairly young sport, designed on purpose as a gentle alternative to agility. The obstacles are hoops standing on the ground, tunnels, barrels and gates. There's nothing to jump and nothing to climb.
The lines are wide and flowing with no sudden stops, so the joints barely have to work. A dog with mild dysplasia, a senior, or a dog in rehab can do hoopers safely.
Here's the interesting bit: the handler usually stays inside a marked box. You don't run with the dog. You send it from a distance with your voice and gestures alone, so it all comes down to how well the two of you understand each other, and how fast you can run stops mattering.
How it works in practice
What a hoopers course looks like
- hoops the dog runs through without jumping
- straight or curved tunnels
- barrels to run around
- gates to go through in a set direction
- the handler stays inside a marked zone
- the dog is directed by voice and gesture only
Which dogs it suits
- senior dogs or dogs in rehab
- big dogs, for whom jumping is risky
- dogs with mild joint problems
- handlers who can't run
What you need
- hoops, tunnels and barrels
- open, level ground
- rewards to mark the right line
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Hoopers
How does it differ from agility?
In agility the dog jumps, climbs and turns tight, and the handler runs alongside. In hoopers there's no jumping, the lines are wide, and the handler directs from a distance.
Does the dog have to work far from me?
Yes, and that's the hard part of the sport. You build distance gradually: start a few metres away and back off further as the dog picks up the gestures.
How do I teach distance work?
Start right up close, with a single hoop, and reward every time the dog goes through. Then step back one pace at a time. Keep your gestures big and the same from day one, because at ten metres the dog can only see where your arm is pointing; your face is just a blur.
From the same category
Related sports
Dog Parkour
Teaching your dog to tackle obstacles in town or out in nature, slowly and under control.
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.
We do not run Hoopers
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.