Saturday, November 1, 2014

Dog Agility Training: Three Important Benefits

By Cheng Bernhardt


Dogs make ideal companions as they are joyful, loyal and loving friends. Your dog gives you plenty of unconditional love, so to reward them for being a wonderful friend, it is a good idea to plan out some activities just for them. Dog agility training can be a great activity for you and your dog to enjoy together and here are just a few reasons why.

1. Agility & Exercise Go Hand In Hand

Sure, this is an obvious benefit, but dogs often not only don't get enough exercise, they also don't get the right kind of exercise. Learning how to tackle agility obstacles provides them with activities that keep them engaged and focused. The obstacles were created with a dog's instinctive behavior in mind, which is why dogs truly love running around an agility course. While they certainly enjoy some agility obstacles more than others, learning how to use each piece of equipment provides them with hours of fun, healthy activity.

2. Getting Social With Agility

Dogs love people, but most of them also love other dogs. After all, dogs are pack animals. Agility can provide you with plenty of opportunities for socializing and this can be a great tool for improving your dog's social skills. Obviously, you don't want to unleash a very aggressive animal on a group of friendly dogs, but a dog that's a bit shy or uncertain can build confidence by playing around with other agility dogs. An agility club can be a great way to introduce your pet to other dogs in a fun setting. Not to mention the fact that it's also a great way for the human companions to mix and mingle and build friendships.

3. Strengthen That Dog-Person Bond

When your new dog is first introduced into your home, this pet might be shy and uncertain. You must be patient as your furry friend leans about his new home and family, but playing around with agility equipment is a fun way for the two of you to become better connected. Start out by teaching a jump or set up a pause table. The pause table combines basic obedience skills with agility training, so you enjoy two benefits from one obstacle. As your new dog learns to obey commands, be sure to supply plenty of praise which will establish trust and establish you as the leader of the "pack."

When you begin agility training, you only need a few pieces of agility equipment. You could purchase a pause table, as well as a few jumps and perhaps a tunnel or a teeter. Start out by teaching your pet to sit and stay on the pause table and increase the distance between the two of you, which is called distance training and it's an important component of agility training. Once the pause table is going well, add a jump and then add the teeter or a second jump and extend the course after each new piece of agility equipment is mastered.

You can purchase agility equipment online from stores such as Carlson Agility. This agility equipment superstore has all the components you might need to set up your own agility course. You will find agility a-frames, pause tables, agility dog walks, teeter-totters, agility jumps, tire jumps, weave poles and much more. There is a full line of mini agility equipment available, as well, which is a great option for puppies, small dogs or just people with a smaller yard. Mini obstacles are great for indoor rainy day training, as well.




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