Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Tips & Training Tools For Dog Agility

By Cheng Bernhardt


For those about to begin teaching their dog the tricks of agility, you are probably gathering as much information as possible. Dog agility is a fantastic exercise and sport option for most dogs, and it even improves their overall level of obedience. Here are just a few helpful tips for those new to the sport.

Every dog agility organization varies a bit regarding the required elements and the sizes of each piece of apparatus. However, when you are just starting out, it can be easier to use miniature agility equipment. These are exactly like the full-size versions, just scaled down, and while they are perfect for puppies and smaller dogs, bigger dogs also can get their feet wet using these mini items. You will be able to teach all of the crucial agility skills, and the smaller equipment fits more easily in your yard and even can be toted easily to the park or perhaps inside your home if the weather does not permit outdoor training.

Many dogs are a bit timid about some of the contact equipment, especially the A-frame and teeter. A smaller version of the teeter-totter or dog agility A-frame can be much less intimidating. In addition, a Buja board or wobble board is another great tool to use when training. This simply wobbles a bit but is low to the ground, and it provides a way for dogs to get used to standing or sitting on a moving obstacle.

Watching dogs run in and out of the weave poles is fun and dogs enjoy it too, but it is one of the more difficult obstacles to master. You can use snap-on training guide wires early on to force your dog to navigate through the poles correctly. These guides will help make sure that no poles are missed. Once they seem to have the weave skills down with the guides in place, simply remove them and train without the guides.

Jumping and leaping over obstacles is a big part of agility, however, there are a few items that your dog needs to not jump off, such as the A-frame and the dog walk. Still, dogs get excited and leap off sometimes rather than going all the way to the bottom portion of the ramp. To prevent these jump offs, consider attaching a training hoop at the bottom of the ramp. This prevents them from leaping off and keeps them focused on completing the course correctly.

All of these training tools as well as any agility equipment you might need is available for purchase online, from shops such as Carlson Agility. They even have mini versions of all the obstacles. In addition to the typical obstacles such as jumps, weave poles, agility dog walks, tunnels, shoots, tire jumps and other pieces, they have specialty equipment that you might need. This includes interesting items like car door jumps, sway bridges and swing planks.




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