The Reading Room • Sport Guides
Jumps, tunnels, weave poles, and a handler sprinting alongside shouting directions. Agility is the most athletic thing you can do with your dog — and the titling system rewards years of teamwork. Here’s how it works.
Planning your dog’s next title? Create your free ThePetAdvisor account — track sports, titles, and goals in one place.
What agility actually is
You direct your dog through a numbered obstacle course against the clock: jumps, tunnels, weave poles, and contact obstacles (the A-frame, dog walk, and seesaw). Faults — knocked bars, missed contacts, wrong courses, overtime — decide whether the run qualifies.
A qualifying score, or Q, means you finished within the time limit with no more than the faults allowed at your level. Titles are built from Qs.
The classes
- Standard — the full course: jumps, tunnels, weaves, and contact obstacles.
- Jumpers with Weaves (JWW) — jumps, tunnels, and weaves only. Faster, no contacts.
- FAST — a strategy game: a point-gathering course plus a distance “send” challenge.
- Premier — harder, international-style courses for advanced teams.
- Preferred — the same classes at one lower jump height, for smaller, older, or less athletic dogs.
The title ladder
Each track climbs the same way — Novice, Open, Excellent, Master — then keeps going with Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Century levels:
Standard track
After MX: MXB (25 more Master Qs), MXS (+25), MXG (+25), MXC (+25). MX-level titles require Qs under at least two different judges.
The same pattern repeats for Jumpers (NAJ → OAJ → AXJ → MXJ → MJB/MJS/MJG/MJC), FAST (NF → OF → XF → MXF…), and every Preferred track (NAP → OAP → AXP → MXP…).
MACH: the title everyone chases
Master Agility Champion (MACH) is a prefix title — it goes before your dog’s name — and it takes two things at once:
MACH requirements
750 championship (speed) points from Master Standard and Master JWW — plus 20 Double Qs.
A Double Q (2Q) means qualifying in both Master Standard and Master JWW on the same day. Points alone don’t do it; double Qs alone don’t do it. You need both.
MACH2 needs 1,500 points and 40 double Qs, MACH3 needs 2,250 and 60, and so on.
PACH (Preferred Agility Champion) is the same deal — 750 points and 20 double Qs — earned in the Preferred Master classes.
Your first trial: what to expect
Walk the course. Before each class, handlers walk the numbered course without their dogs, planning handling moves. This is standard — watch and learn.
Start in Novice. Everyone starts at the bottom, in Novice A (never titled a dog) or Novice B. The courses are simple and the atmosphere is kind.
Volunteer. Trials run on volunteers — leash running, bar setting, scribing. You’ll learn the sport faster from inside the ring than from a chair.
Crate and settle. Trials are long days. Bring a crate, water, and something for your dog to do between runs.
Glossary
- Q (qualifying score) — A run that meets the standard: within time, faults within the limit.
- Double Q (2Q) — Qs in both Master Standard and Master JWW on the same day.
- Speed points — Championship points earned from fast, clean Master runs.
- Contact obstacle — A-frame, dog walk, seesaw — the dog must touch the contact zone.
- Off-course — Taking obstacles out of order. Usually ends the Q.
Sources: AKC Agility, AKC Titles & Abbreviations. Verify current rules with the official rulebook.
Frequently asked questions
What is a qualifying score (Q) in agility?
A run completed within the course time with no more than the faults allowed at your level. Qs are the currency of agility titles.
How many Qs does it take to earn an MX?
10 qualifying scores in Master Standard, earned under at least two different judges.
What does MACH require?
750 championship (speed) points plus 20 Double Qs — qualifying in both Master Standard and Master Jumpers with Weaves on the same day, 20 times. Points alone are not enough.
What is the difference between Regular and Preferred agility?
Preferred classes jump one height lower than Regular, for smaller, older, or less athletic dogs. They have parallel title tracks (NAP, OAP, AXP, MXP) and their own championship, PACH.
What is a Double Q?
A Double Q (2Q) is earned by qualifying in both Master Standard and Master Jumpers with Weaves on the same day. Twenty of them are required for a MACH.
What age can a dog start competing in AKC agility?
AKC sets a minimum competition age — verify the current number in the official rulebook before entering, and train foundations well before that.
Do I have to start in Novice?
Yes. Every team starts in Novice (A if you’ve never titled a dog in agility, B if you have) and climbs from there.
Track your progress on ThePetAdvisor
Log every Q, track the climb from NA to MX and beyond, and chase that MACH with a plan.