Have you heard of agility training dog? If not, you are missing out! This fun and mentally stimulating exercise for dogs are a great way to bond with your pet, as well as give him the physical exercise he needs.
What is agility training dog? Basically, this is where the dog goes through a planned obstacle course and he is scored for timing and accuracy. The handler can run alongside him to give him the appropriate commands to execute the task, but he is not allowed to touch the dog or the obstacle, or give him any incentive and treats. This is quite challenging if you’ve never trained your dog the basic commands, but it is well worth the effort when done correctly.
There are several obstacles the run through the agility course training. You have the A-frame the dog walk, the see saw, the cross over, tunnels (collapsed, crawl or hoop tunnels), jumps (bar jumps, spread jumps, panel jumps, long jump, tire jump), hurdles (bush hurdle, high hurdle, log hurdle, picket fence hurdle, rail fence hurdle, long hurdle, window hurdle, and water hurdle), weave poles, and a pause table. There might be other obstacles that might be added, depending on the organization that put together the competition.
It is recommended that dogs be trained in agility no less than one year old lest the developing joints be harmed by the strenuous physical activities required in this type of training. You will also want to be sensitive to your dog’s disposition. Some dogs are timid and require a lot of patience and constant positive reinforcement, while other dogs are naturally athletic and quick to obey commands. Whatever dog breed or personality your dog has, rest assured that they can be trained with a lot of patience and understanding.
You can buy most of the agility obstacles online so you can start training your dog at your backyard. You may have a challenge with some of the obstacles like the weave poles because it necessitates behaviour that is unusual for them. Weaving in and out of poles? That’s ruff! (I hear you groaning all the way from here) You can keep your hand on the dogs collar and weave through the poles with him until the action is engraved in his mind and muscles.
Remember, if you want to be effective in training your dog, you need to keep it short and fun! Dogs have short attention spans and it will be hard to keep their attention for longer than 10 to 15 minutes. Use doggie treats and creative incentives to make the experience enjoyable for them. Always be effusive in your praise when they correctly accomplish a task you want them to do. There is no dog that doesn’t care about making his master happy (now cats are another matter altogether) and if you do this, training him will be easy. More than anything, have fun in agility training dog because at the end of the time, this is simply a great way to have quality time with your best friend.
