Watching dog agility competitions is exciting and if you have ever considered training your dog and hitting the agility courses, this is a great idea. Not only does it cement the bond between dog and owner, it provides a great source of exercise and even improves overall obedience.
Before you set up all of that cool dog agility equipment and start teaching your dog how to go up and down an a-frame or navigate weave poles, it is wise to lay a solid foundation. As with any sport, one doesn't start out performing at Olympic levels, we have to learn beginning skills first. Dogs are no exception, and they need to have some basic foundation training prior to learning how to run the agility course. This will make it easier for your pet to tackle jumps, see-saws, tunnels and all of the other fun agility equipment.
The good news is that foundation training is not only easy, it's a lot of fun for you and your pet. Basically, it's just structured playtime where you teach a few essential skills that translate easily to the agility course. Playing with tug toys is an excellent way to start building a foundation. Your dog needs to learn how to tug on a toy but also to let go on command. They need to learn how to fetch the toy and, more importantly, bring the toy back to you. Another fun and helpful activity is the box game, which teaches sequencing and further cements the obeying of commands. You set up three or four boxes in a row and teach your dog to jump in and out of each box in order. Be sure to select boxes, baskets or bins that are very low to the ground to make this easy and safe, especially for puppies, small dogs and older animals.
If you are ready to purchase agility equipment, you might consider starting with some miniature agility obstacles, which are smaller versions of the regular obstacles. These mini pieces are fantastic for dogs just beginning agility training, as well as puppies and, of course, dogs of small breeds. Many agility organizations use this type of mini agility equipment for competitions involving small dogs, and even if you have a larger animal, there are a few advantages in purchasing some mini equipment. For one thing, these pieces are easier to learn skills on, and they fit easily in your backyard, so you can set up a whole course of obstacles.
The pause table is a great piece to use as your first training tool, as it really teaches some important obedience skills. Dogs are required to sit and stay on this obstacle for a set amount of time while the handler is some distance away. Begin by simply teaching your pet to stay and sit in place on the pause table. At first, you will be right next to them, but eventually you will want to increase the distance until you are a dozen or more feet away. This is a great way to build your pet's confidence, and distance training is a great tool for obedience in general.
After the pause table is mastered, then the fun really begins as you add low jumps, a mini a-frame, a mini teeter, tunnels and weaves. If your dog seems nervous on the see-saw obstacle, consider taking a step back and using a rocker, which also is called a wobble board. This is just a few inches off the ground, and dogs can practice placing all four paws on an unsteady object before heading to the teeter. This wobble board also can be used during your foundation training. When you are ready to purchase agility equipment, check out the products available from a site such as Carlson Agility. They offer a full range of agility equipment, both in standard sizes and miniature sizes. You can find your agility jumps, agility tunnels, weaves, teeters, a-frames and everything else plus tons of helpful advice at Carlson Agility.
Before you set up all of that cool dog agility equipment and start teaching your dog how to go up and down an a-frame or navigate weave poles, it is wise to lay a solid foundation. As with any sport, one doesn't start out performing at Olympic levels, we have to learn beginning skills first. Dogs are no exception, and they need to have some basic foundation training prior to learning how to run the agility course. This will make it easier for your pet to tackle jumps, see-saws, tunnels and all of the other fun agility equipment.
The good news is that foundation training is not only easy, it's a lot of fun for you and your pet. Basically, it's just structured playtime where you teach a few essential skills that translate easily to the agility course. Playing with tug toys is an excellent way to start building a foundation. Your dog needs to learn how to tug on a toy but also to let go on command. They need to learn how to fetch the toy and, more importantly, bring the toy back to you. Another fun and helpful activity is the box game, which teaches sequencing and further cements the obeying of commands. You set up three or four boxes in a row and teach your dog to jump in and out of each box in order. Be sure to select boxes, baskets or bins that are very low to the ground to make this easy and safe, especially for puppies, small dogs and older animals.
If you are ready to purchase agility equipment, you might consider starting with some miniature agility obstacles, which are smaller versions of the regular obstacles. These mini pieces are fantastic for dogs just beginning agility training, as well as puppies and, of course, dogs of small breeds. Many agility organizations use this type of mini agility equipment for competitions involving small dogs, and even if you have a larger animal, there are a few advantages in purchasing some mini equipment. For one thing, these pieces are easier to learn skills on, and they fit easily in your backyard, so you can set up a whole course of obstacles.
The pause table is a great piece to use as your first training tool, as it really teaches some important obedience skills. Dogs are required to sit and stay on this obstacle for a set amount of time while the handler is some distance away. Begin by simply teaching your pet to stay and sit in place on the pause table. At first, you will be right next to them, but eventually you will want to increase the distance until you are a dozen or more feet away. This is a great way to build your pet's confidence, and distance training is a great tool for obedience in general.
After the pause table is mastered, then the fun really begins as you add low jumps, a mini a-frame, a mini teeter, tunnels and weaves. If your dog seems nervous on the see-saw obstacle, consider taking a step back and using a rocker, which also is called a wobble board. This is just a few inches off the ground, and dogs can practice placing all four paws on an unsteady object before heading to the teeter. This wobble board also can be used during your foundation training. When you are ready to purchase agility equipment, check out the products available from a site such as Carlson Agility. They offer a full range of agility equipment, both in standard sizes and miniature sizes. You can find your agility jumps, agility tunnels, weaves, teeters, a-frames and everything else plus tons of helpful advice at Carlson Agility.
About the Author:
Cheng Bernhardt loves dog agility training. To discover an obstacle course for dogs, or to find further regarding training equipment for dog agility jumps, please go to the Carlson-Agility site now.
No comments:
Post a Comment