Agility Training for Dogs
Monday, October 12th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
Agility training is a wonderful way for your energetic dog to expend some energy and to become a better trained and overall a better behaved dog. The agility training gets him into the best shape of his life, and also increases his mental sharpness through problem solving.
A great side benefit of the agility training, is that if your dog is happy and tired out from his exercises, he is also going to be much less likely to have behavior problems. Following so much activity, he will be more in a mood to kick back than to cause any problems.
Agility training isn’t for all breed. For example, breeds that were bred to be working dogs, such as Shepherds, Herding breeds (collies, cattle dogs, sheep dogs, etc), Terriers and Spaniels are more physically gifted for being agile enough for the training. That is because the larger dog breeds are more likely to tire quickly and don’t have the active personality needed for this activity. On the other hand agility training for very small dogs is also too difficult because the obstacles include jumps that a dog with very short legs just can’t perform.
If your dog seems to have the right personality (very athletic and energetic), you might want to train your dog for agility contests. Before even beginning agility training your dog must already be well trained for obedience. Your dog will need to listen and pay attention to you closely so that he can perform the exercises properly.
Besides knowing the basic sit, down, stay and heel commands, your dog will need to know when to turn right or left, go fast or slow by watching your hand signals. So, get a good foundation first with the general obedience training, before you even start in with the agility training.
Your dog needs to have already grown to full size before you begin the agility training. A puppy won’t be ready for the obstacle courses until he has become full grown. Puppies are usually full grown at around 1 year of age, although the larger breeds may grow a little longer. This kind of training for dogs over about 8 years old is not recommended since the training is harder for an aging dog’s body to handle.
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If you would like an example of agility training, try to look up a Dog Agility Club in your area to check a competition out. I think you will really enjoy watching the dogs perform the obstacle course. You have probably already seen an agility competition on TV, and have an idea of just how well trained these agility dogs are. Obviously the agility training prepares the dogs to do some amazing tricks. The variety of different obstacles that the dog have to go over, under or through calls for some excellent training.
If you watch an agility competition, it is clear that the dogs and their handlers are having a great time. Any dog lover will get a kick out of seeing the end results of the agility training. No wonder that dog agility clubs are becoming more and more popular with dog owners.
Through the agility training exercises, your dog will learn how to do things like crawl through a tunnel, walk over a teeter-tooter, jump over hurdles, climb up and down a tall A-frame structure, and weave his way through a series of “weave poles”. These exercises will cause your dog to be at his peak physically and mentally. By the way, you will get lots of exercise yourself-you will be burning lots of calories while agility training your dog.
If your dog seems like a good candidate for agility training, check out a club in your area and get started. Don’t let the toughness of the exercises both you. By teaching each step progressively the training becomes something you and your pet can handle.
I hope you enjoyed this article introducing you to dog agility training.
Please click here to read my reviews of the best of the on-line dog obedience training programs: Online Dog Training Program Reviews.
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