Agility Training for Your Dog
Agility training is the process of training a dog to complete obstacles and agility exercises at the instruction of voice commands. Agility training should be started early in the dog's life to ensure maximum chance of success. Regular agility training should then take place to further the skills of your dog. Agility training goes beyond just running and jumping; it is a process of trust building, discipline and obstacle negotiation.
Agility training for dogs originated in England and is thought to have been inspired by equestrian horse events. There are dog agility contests that people like to enter their pets in, or you can just do it for fun. Whatever your reason for putting your dog through agility training, one thing is certain - the dogs seem to love doing it!
Some of the most popular agility training exercises and obstacles are:
Fence jumping
Teeter-totter
Tunnels
Poles
Ramps
Wing jumps
Tire jumping
In agility competitions, the winning dogs are able to negotiate and various obstacles quickly, correctly and easily. Speed is highly important in agility competitions as it is timed. However your initial dog agility training sessions will focus less on speed and more on obstacle negotiation and recognition.
Dog agility training will have your dog practicing one obstacle at a time in the beginning. Once one obstacle is mastered, another is added to the course. It can take many months for a dog new to agility training to get the hang of it. It is important to remain patient during these initial stages as your persistence will pay off. You should never punish a dog in any way for not completing obstacles correctly. Certain dogs will learn faster than others and a dog should always be encouraged and never pushed over his limit.
Although any dog can undertake agility training, some are better equipped for it than others. Generally it is the medium to large dogs that are known for their speed and dexterity which are the ones who make the best agility runners. These include:
Border Collies
Shetland Sheepdogs
Golden Retrievers
Labrador Retrievers
Australian Shepherds
Dog agility training is often conducted by a handler rather than the owner. Unless the owner of the dog is trained for agility, it is best left in the hands of professionals.
After your dog has had some regular training you will learn about what motivates them and what sort of physical condition they are in. They will need to be in top condition if you want them to compete in agility competitions. The best agility dogs can complete entire obstacle courses quickly and without mistakes.
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