Wednesday, February 1, 2012

How To Rehearse Agility Training With Your Dog And The Right Accessory

By Damien Dillon


Dog agility is a sport where the canine is directed by a handler through an obstacle course. The trainer does not touch the dog during these trials. No food or toy incentives are offered. The dog must be trained then beforehand to maneuver the maze of challenges. Agility training for dogs using toys is a great way to do this, and the kong dog toy offers the perfect blend of toy and food to achieve the training goals.

A person can start to train their dog from the time that they are very young. Coaching for a dog agility course should wait until the puppy is at least a year. This is advised because if one starts to early in an animal's life, they run the risk of injuring the animal's joints. Start with sit, stay and come, instead. When they achieve these three, their confidence will bring out the best attitude for the next learning hurdle.

Now that your pup is one, a person can let the agility training begin. It is vital to success that a person starts their dog out on a much modified course. The size and the actual challenges presented to the pet should start small. Lower hurdles and more attainable goal completion will go a long way in building the canine's confidence.

A handler needs to take into consideration the fact that each course user learns in their own time. Using food rewards and toys are a terrific motivator for shy or nervous dogs. All dogs enjoy treats so no matter what their challenges are, encouragement is key to helping them succeed. Also, to give your dog every advantage make sure that he is well rested. This helps focus and concentration as well.

No matter what the animal's personality, starting them out slow is a good idea. Rewarding them with a Kong dog toy stuffed with a favorite treat will make them want to run the obstacles. Use this method from the very start for the consistently best results.

In the course, the teeter-totter and the weave poles are the brass ring. Pups in this king of instruction are many times extremely leery of the up-down motion of the teeter-totter. Guiding them with a familiar and beloved toy will help calm and focus them. Contact obstacles require actual touch, so that is a hard one to train also.

When the canine achieves mastery in all the challenges, it is time to pick up the speed. This is a challenge because the four-pawed athlete needs to remain accurate as well as fast. Again, the lure of toys will help motivate. Proper rest and nutrition will bolster the efforts as well.

If a person finds that doing the coaching themselves to be overwhelming, there are a wide group of courses to choose from. If it is an individual's first time in training, this is the way to go. More experienced owners may want to do independent training. Either way, the incorporation of toys and treats should be high on the list of motivators. A kong for puppies toy provides both a treat and a toy, for the most effective motivator out there.




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