Dog Agility Training

Dog agility is a famous sport wherein the contestant is a well trained dog performing under the commands of its owner. This event is made up of different obstacle courses and the winner will be judged according to the time and accuracy. Dogs should be able to get past through the course correctly in the fastest time. During the contest, owners are not allowed to touch anything. Dogs will take the obstacle course without a leash and will take the commands of their owners according from their voice or any hand movements. Owners are not allowed to show a dog treat or toy their dogs so that it will obey the command. Because of this, rigorous training should be conducted so that the dog will get used to obeying the owner’s orders.

To start off with the training, allow your dog to learn basic commands such as sit, stay and stand. Basic commands will identify that you are their owner and the person they should receive commands. Dogs will be trained to respect and trust you during this stage. They will be familiar with your voice and give them an idea that they should listen to you. During this stage, you can also conduct hand signals or any body movements that symbolizes a certain command so that the dog will be familiar with it.

During obstacle course training, you may offer treats or lead your dog using a leash to make them get used to the surroundings of the course. Dogs may be hesitant at first to try out the obstacle course but under your guide, orders and encouragement, they can develop the confidence to do it. Other options include allowing them to follow their toys. You may also direct them by pulling their collars as you guide them to get inside a tunnel or to jump into the tires.

There are a lot of training tools available in the market that you can buy to help you train your dogs. However, you need not buy all of them because it takes a huge amount of backyard space and it is also costly. Determine the goal that you wish to achieve so you can come up with the right equipment to buy. In this part, dog owners seek professional advice. Common equipments that are purchased by owners for trainings are jumps, weaves, tunnels, closed tunnel, and pause table. Some equipment could be recycled material and you can make them. Materials for the tire jump can be made from an old tire and you just need to create the pole to let it stand. Make your creative juices work!

Having your own obstacle course in your backyard can help your dog to be familiar with the course. Start off with the simple obstacle course like getting inside the tunnel. Do not rush your dog to take into the difficult part at once. You need to be able to let your dog get enough confidence that they can perform the task. Also, the dog needs to develop its trust to the owner so that it will perform well.

Daily exercise is also a requirement to build your dog’s stamina. Take your dog out for a walk or jog around the park. Keep in mind that during agility contests, time is a factor to consider determining the winner. Dogs should be used to perform obstacle courses at their top speed. They must be healthy enough to finish a whole obstacle course without feeling too drained.

Aside from the trainings, be sure to give your dog proper care and nourish them with healthy foods. They should be well fed to withstand the trainings that they will undergo. Show how much you appreciate them by giving them a pat, a rub or a treat after every successful obstacle course. This will make the dog trust you as its owner.

Dogs are animals that love challenges and they are intelligent. Each dog is gifted with skills and assets that can be useful. It just needs to have the proper training so that they can make good use of these assets.

Agility is a game wherein the dog and the owner should be able to work hand in hand. It takes a lot of trust and respect to be able to attain that goal.