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Agility
Training Tips For Dogs
An
Introduction!
Dog agility is one of the fastest growing sports in the world today.
Many people love to actually DO something with their dogs, to go out
over weekends and participate in the sport and socializing
with
other people with the same interest. But everybody needs some agility
training tips for their dogs, especially people who are just starting
out. Hold on to your seats - you are at the right place!
And the
dogs - they are
absolutely crazy about agility!
Agility
per definition is a sport where a dog must, in a given time frame,
perform a set of about 20 different obstacles in a certain sequence, by
following the commands and body language of the handler. The handler
may not deliberately touch the dog and may also not have any treats or
toys on him while running the course.
For many people dog agility is a
very competitive sport and every tenth of a second counts. Others do it
for the fun, enjoyment and companionship with their dogs. For whatever
reason you do it, the dog should NEVER
be punished for not performing an obstacle correctly or for any other
error. If it happens, it is ALWAYS the handler's fault! The dog must
always enjoy the sport.
Many dog training schools also have dog agility training programmes.
Most trainers
expect that dogs entering those programmes or classes have at least
completed
a basic obedience course. Because dogs run off lead most of
the time, it is important that they will come back when called.
Obstacles in
agility:
Non-contact agility:
- Jumps
- Long jump
- Tunnels
- Table
- Weave poles
- Tyre
Contact Agility
(All of the above plus):
You can make most of the equipment yourself, BUT it need to be very
safe and sound. You don't want your dog to get injured just because you
wanted to save some money. Rather buy the equipment from a place like
Affordable Agility. They have a wide range to choose from.
General
guidelines for dog agility training:
- The dog should never be punished for wrong actions,
but should positively be encouraged to perform the correct actions.
- A dog's enthusiasm to work should always be protected
and praised.
- Control issues should be addressed in obedience
training.
- Dogs should always be warmed up
before training - throw the ball a few times or run with your
dog.
- Recalls are very important in dog agility and should
be
practised often.
- Boredom
should be avoided. Do not run a whole course each time. Practise one or
two obstacles at a time with many play sessions in between.
- Handlers should work from both sides from the very
beginning.
- Do
not expect your dog to understand the obstacles the first day - it can
take up to two years before you and your dog will be ready for
agility competitions.
- Dog agility requires teamwork and trust between dog
and
handler - so work on your relationship with your dog.
Again, this is just an introduction to dog agility training. More
detailed
articles will appear on the articles
page of this website. You can also follow the links on the left to
other good quality websites and products like videos on training.
Before you start with
Agility! What to consider and do?
Training the pause table
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