While teaching dog agility skills to your furry friend is fun and an excellent way to provide exercise, not every dog is suited to agility training, and there are a few things you need to think about before training starts. If you wish to start agility lessons, here is some information that might help you get the most out of this experience.
Your dog's general energy level and physical condition also are important initial considerations. A dog that is easily tired by a walk or can only play briskly for 10-15 at a time might not be well suited to agility training. A dog that is partially blind or perhaps deaf or an amputee might still enjoy agility training, but some organizations do not allow these animals to compete. However, a dog in great condition with lots of playful energy can be the perfect candidate for agility training.
When it comes to puppies, as long as you have plenty of supervision, these little guys can definitely begin learning some agility skills. The important thing to remember is that because their little bodies are still developing, you need to use mini agility equipment so that they won't get hurt. Retailers such as Carlson Agility sell this mini equipment specifically for small dogs and puppies. While you can begin by using any apparatus, using a pause table or pause mat not only is a great way to start agility training, this apparatus will enhance obedience training, as well. Puppies, however, will enjoy exploring all the different types of mini equipment.
Another advantage of using the mini equipment is that it simply takes up less room. While a regular-sized dog walk, teeter, weaves and other items might not fit in your yard easily, the mini equipment can be a better fit. It also will take up less storage space if you need to keep it in your garage. In addition, mini equipment makes rainy day training a snap. Simple move some sofas out of the way and practice skills indoors. This can be an excellent way to continue training and burn off energy during inclement weather.
If you have ever watched a dog agility competition, you probably were amazed by the skills and speed of these animals and it certainly is impressive to see. However, these dogs have spent several years honing these skills, and while your dog will learn them, don't expect to hit the Grand Prix of Dog Agility in a matter of weeks. Time and plenty of patience is needed for training, and always remember this is supposed to be a fun activity for you and your dog. Start out slowly by learning one apparatus at time. You might begin with a jump, a tunnel or a pause table. A-frames and teeters can be a bit intimidating at first. Once you are doing well on one piece of equipment, add a new skill and so on.
Your first step to getting started is to acquire some quality dog agility equipment. For your dog agility course, you might consider beginning with a starter kit from Carlson Agility. These kits contain a few pieces of basic equipment. One kit, for instance, includes dog agility weaves and four agility jumps. Another kit contains two jumps and a dog agility tunnel. In addition to the many starter kits, Carlson Agility also sells individual pieces of equipment such as dog agility walks, A-frames, teeter totters, tire jumps and much more.
Your dog's general energy level and physical condition also are important initial considerations. A dog that is easily tired by a walk or can only play briskly for 10-15 at a time might not be well suited to agility training. A dog that is partially blind or perhaps deaf or an amputee might still enjoy agility training, but some organizations do not allow these animals to compete. However, a dog in great condition with lots of playful energy can be the perfect candidate for agility training.
When it comes to puppies, as long as you have plenty of supervision, these little guys can definitely begin learning some agility skills. The important thing to remember is that because their little bodies are still developing, you need to use mini agility equipment so that they won't get hurt. Retailers such as Carlson Agility sell this mini equipment specifically for small dogs and puppies. While you can begin by using any apparatus, using a pause table or pause mat not only is a great way to start agility training, this apparatus will enhance obedience training, as well. Puppies, however, will enjoy exploring all the different types of mini equipment.
Another advantage of using the mini equipment is that it simply takes up less room. While a regular-sized dog walk, teeter, weaves and other items might not fit in your yard easily, the mini equipment can be a better fit. It also will take up less storage space if you need to keep it in your garage. In addition, mini equipment makes rainy day training a snap. Simple move some sofas out of the way and practice skills indoors. This can be an excellent way to continue training and burn off energy during inclement weather.
If you have ever watched a dog agility competition, you probably were amazed by the skills and speed of these animals and it certainly is impressive to see. However, these dogs have spent several years honing these skills, and while your dog will learn them, don't expect to hit the Grand Prix of Dog Agility in a matter of weeks. Time and plenty of patience is needed for training, and always remember this is supposed to be a fun activity for you and your dog. Start out slowly by learning one apparatus at time. You might begin with a jump, a tunnel or a pause table. A-frames and teeters can be a bit intimidating at first. Once you are doing well on one piece of equipment, add a new skill and so on.
Your first step to getting started is to acquire some quality dog agility equipment. For your dog agility course, you might consider beginning with a starter kit from Carlson Agility. These kits contain a few pieces of basic equipment. One kit, for instance, includes dog agility weaves and four agility jumps. Another kit contains two jumps and a dog agility tunnel. In addition to the many starter kits, Carlson Agility also sells individual pieces of equipment such as dog agility walks, A-frames, teeter totters, tire jumps and much more.
About the Author:
Cheng Bernhardt enjoys dog agility training. To get further details about dog training equipment or to know more about other equipment such as dog agility tunnels, please check out the Carlson-Agility.com website now.
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