Agility Training for Dogs Guide

Dog Treat Recipes Made with Love

ecoughlin — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 09:42:06 +0000

Why make your own dog treats when they’re easy to buy at the store? If you make them yourself, you will know exactly what ingredients are in the treats and the quality of those ingredients. Here’s a simple dog treat recipe you can make at home:

Liver “Brownies”

2 lbs chicken livers
2 C corn meal
2 C wheat germ
2 eggs
2 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic (do not use garlic salt)
1/2 C dried parsley

Liquefy the chicken livers in a food processor, pour mixture into a bowl and add other ingredients. Mix until consistency of a brownie batter. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet spread evenly, about 1/3 inch thick. Bake at 350 F for about 35 minutes. When brownies are cool, cut into squares, or whatever shapes you prefer and serve to your dog. Keep them in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator.

Buying dog treats in the store is a lot more convenient than making them yourself. But have you ever looked at the ingredients in commercial dog foods and treats? Do you know where those ingredients actually come from?

As an example, let’s look at “meat by-products,” a common ingredient in many commercial dog foods and dog treats. It is defined as the “non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals”. It can include, but is not limited to, lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, partially defatted low temperature fatty tissue, and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents. It does not include hair, horns, teeth and hoofs. Not particularly appetizing, but it gets even better.

Pet food companies are not required to tell where they get their meat by-products. They can be obtained from any source, so there is a question of quality. Any animal can be used, including “4D animals,” which means dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter. Animals euthanized at shelters can be (and are) used in pet foods and treats. It can also include cancerous tissue, decomposing tissue, and pus.

Now that you know what a meat by-product is, would you really want to feed this to your beloved dog? I don’t think you would. This is why it’s a good habit to carefully research commercial products you buy for your dog and to take the time to gather dog treats and food recipes and them yourself. Your dogs give you unconditional love and are an important part of your family. Show your love and gratitude by providing them with the best possible nutrition to ensure a healthy quality of life.

Keep Your Dog Cool During Training

ecoughlin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 20:36:44 +0000

Agility dog training can get very hot in the summer and that’s why we recommend the use of water obstacles as one tip to keeping your dog cool in practice or competition. Dogs are susceptible to overheating because they don’t sweat like humans do. The best way to keep your dog cool is to keep his or her coat wet because the water helps dissipate the heat. They can run and jump all they want as long as you keep their coat wet. Our doggie drencher can really help and it’s fun for your dog, too.

You can also keep your dog cool by getting one of those small, inexpensive, plastic baby pools, set it up on the side of your course in the back yard and fill it with water. Encourage your dog to jump in whenever you see that he might be getting overheated. Some dogs even like to cool down by spraying them with a water hose. But be careful as some dogs are scared of water hoses.

Other ways to keep your dog cool is to schedule them training times early in the morning or at sunset when the sun is not as hot or high in the sky. Keep your practice sessions short, 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening, instead of a long 30 minute training session in a hotter time of day.

Keep lots of bowls of fresh drinking water around the practice area and even inside your house. Make sure the water is clean and replenish with fresh water frequently because dogs don’t really like to drink water out of a slimy bowl.

You can also set up a fan inside your house if you see that your dog is having trouble cooling down and is at risk for having heat stroke or heat exhaustion. If you think that might be happening, take your dog to the vet or emergency vet immediately to avoid lasting damage.

Rewards and Reprimands When Dog Training

ecoughlin — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 13:28:17 +0000

Agility dogs need to be trained in the basics of dog obedience before you can take them to a trial or competition. The following article gives some good advice on whether rewards and reprimands will develop your agility dog into an obedient contender for agility dog greatness.

Rewards While Training

The single most important aspect of dog training is rewarding your dog for good behavior. The more times the dog is rewarded, the quicker he will learn. Therefore, it’s essential that you set up situations repeatedly in order for your dog to get plenty of practice at doing the right thing. It’s equally as important that you always praise your dog for good behavior instead of taking it for granted. It’s easy to forget to praise good behavior because it goes unnoticed. But the very nature of misbehavior gets our attention. We don’t notice when our dog is lying quietly, but excessive barking gets our attention. How many of us take notice and praise our dogs when they chew their own toys? But we all go berserk when we notice our favorite pair of shoes chewed up! Praise and reward are the most important part of maintaining good behavior and preventing problems from arising.

Reprimands While Training

Some dogs feel they are constantly bombarded with, ’NO, Stop that, get off, Bad dog!’ They tend to get used to it and so the reprimands become meaningless and are ignored. If most of our interaction with the dog is praise for good behavior, then reprimands will take on much more meaning. Whenever you find the need to reprimand your dog, immediately show him what you want him to do, then reward him for getting it right. If you catch him chewing the furniture, tell him, ’Off!’ Then immediately direct him to his own toys, enthusiastically entice him to chew on them and praise him for doing so. If done correctly, your voice alone is sufficient for reprimand. A correct reprimand is short, sharp and immediate. Don’t continue to nag the dog and never reprimand him unless you catch him in the act. Never hit, kick, slap or spank your dog. This type of inappropriate punishment always creates more problems and usually makes existing problems worse. Not only will you have a barking, chewing dog, but one that is leery, hand-shy, fearful or aggressive

By Andy Radford Website: How2StopDogBarking.com

Benefits of Dog Training

ecoughlin — Sat, 29 May 2010 12:28:14 +0000

Training is an essential aspect of keeping and raising a dog especially if you’re planning on moving into dog agility training. But it’s not about transforming your dog into an obedient “robot dog”. It is not even about turning your dog into a source of entertainment. Instead, it is about strengthening the connection between the master and the dog and teaching your dog the necessary rules for how to behave in any environment.

Training is essential for any type of dog that you own, with no regard for its size or breed because he needs to understand how to act in different kinds of circumstances. Good training helps your dog be comfortable and happy with all sorts of people and in all kinds of social situations.

Having a well-trained dog means more relaxation and contentment for you, too. You won’t have to worry about how he will behave when you invite guests over to your house. Instead, it will alert you about someone’s arrival and behave obediently.

Another benefit of coaching your dog is that you can help it avoid several potential dangers. If a dog wanders off and won’t return to you when called, it might find itself in all kinds of danger, from being hit by a car in the middle of the street or getting lost and not being able to find it’s way home.

Your dog’s standard of living also improves after it’s trained properly because then it can come along with you on a lot more outings. Your dog will be more like a companion who shares your life and adventures instead of being treated as a nuisance and getting ignored. When a dog is trained to behave properly, it’s able to add to its own happiness.

Dog Agility Trial Scoring

ecoughlin — Mon, 24 May 2010 12:28:32 +0000

Dog agility trial scoring can be confusing for many people who are new to agility dog competitions. Here’s how it works. You and your dog will be given the opportunity to run through the course successfully. Each course has a total course distance that your dog is going to run on the course and the standard course time (SCT), which means how long it should take your dog to run through the course. Speed counts as much as accuracy so when your dog knocks something down, they incur a course fault, which counts against their score. If their time goes over the standard course time, they incur a time fault.

Your score card should look like this:

Place Name Time TFlts RFlts WCFlts TblFlts E/F Score

Place means what position you placed if you ran a qualifying run and got a ribbon placement. You will see what your placement is in that column.

Name is your dogs name and/or the owner’s name.

Time is the amount of time it took your dog to run the course.

TFlts means Time Faults, this indicates the amount of time you went over the SCT.

RFlts means Refusal Faults, this will show any/every time you had a refusal on course.

WCFlts means Wrong Course Faults, will show any/every time your dog went off course.

TblFlts means Table Faults, and records any fault that occurred at the table.

E/F means Error/Fault indicates any errors or course faults other than the previously listed ones.

Score indicates if you were Elim (Eliminated) or if you Qualified (Q).

The first time you compete in a dog agility trial, don’t put too much pressure on your dog to score well. Look at it as a learning experience for you and your dog and most of all, remember to have fun!

Tips to Save Time on the Agility Course

ecoughlin — Fri, 14 May 2010 13:46:17 +0000

There are lots of little things you can do to improve your time on the agility course. You can start by running with your dog to make him or her as fast as possible during that part of the competition. Increase the fun factor for your dog by making it a game of chase.

When you’re in the tunnel, remember to say your dog’s name so they know that you are there, waiting for them to come out. It’s especially helpful when they’re in the chute!

When your dog is on the pause table, make sure he or she is facing the next obstacle and keep them focused. It’s not time to relax. For the big dogs, sometimes it’s faster to sit and then down your dog. Make sure they have plenty of room to down.

Plan your time on the course by knowing where your weak areas are, such as the dog walk or the teeter, then make up time between the obstacles with running speed or on obstacles that your dog performs well.

When building speed, be careful not to rush your dog or you could cause dropped bars or other mistakes.

You might think that at most, these tips could only shave a few seconds off of your time. But when you’re in competition, every second counts so make the most of those opportunities.

The most important tip of all? Have fun with your dog during training and trials because that’s really what it’s all about.

Are You Ready for Your First Agility Trial?

ecoughlin — Mon, 10 May 2010 13:38:34 +0000

Not everyone who trains their dog for agility is interested in competing. But if you’ve been looking forward to getting in the game, there are some things you need to know as you prepare for your first agility trial. Here are some great tips from Agility Team Air to help you and your dog pursue those dog agility championships!

How To Survive Your First Agility Trial

First, congratulations, you’re there, you’ve trained hard and you made it, you are an agility competitor! So lets talk about how to actually survive your first agility trial experience.

It’s a good idea to pack your car the night before. Make a check list so you don’t forget anything. Here’s a list of stuff to consider taking with you, but you can add to this list or delete from it as you wish.

-Collar and leashes for your dogs – good idea to bring a spare.
-Crates
-Tent or canopy if you need it for shade/rain.
-Water and food for your dog.
-Your dog’s bowls.
-Towels – I use old towels/blanket in my crates and they are also good to have if it rains.
-Paper Towels/Garbage bag – I had a dog that got car sick. I don’t travel without these!
-Small tarp, use as ground cover to put your crate on.
-Portable fan for the crate.
-A favorite toy or ball or tuggie for your dog.
-Treats/rewards for your dog.
-Your dog’s registration papers – you will need this when you get measured the first time.
-Your Dog – don’t forget your dog!!

For you….
-A change of clothing, even underwear, seriously.
-Extra shoes and socks.
Nothing is worse than falling in the mud or getting soaking wet and you forgot extra clothes to change into, you will be miserable all day!
-First aid kit, aspirin, Tylenol, any meds you need, etc.
-Food, drinks for you.
-A chair for you to sit by your dogs crate or ringside.
-A camera to record the event.
-Directions to the trial site – I forget these once, and got very lost!
-Some money, trial vendors have great stuff!

I’m sure there are other things I’m forgetting at the moment, but make yourself a list and check it off as you pack your car.

What to expect at the trial…. Arrive early. You will need to have your dog measured before you run. And you will want plenty of time to get unloaded and relax a bit because you are going to be nervous. But the nerves are worth it, because agility is FUN!

After your dog is measured, you can check in, pick up your number, and get copies of the course maps. You’ll then be able to study the course you’ll be running that day and get an idea of how you will handle your dog.

Pay attention to what’s going on. Usually two rings will be running at the same time. When they change classes, you see the course builders go out to rebuild the new course and then the judge will have a “judges briefing” in the ring. Be sure to attend your judges briefing. The judges will tell you things that are pertinent to their course, like – do you sit or down on the table, when do you need to have your dog on the line, etc. The judges will also answer any questions you have concerning the course or the rules. Just ask! The judges are, for the most part, very friendly and they want you to succeed. After the judges briefing you will be allowed to walk the course (without your dog). They usually give you about 15 minutes to walk the course. Take advantage of this time to figure out how to run it with your dog, and also use this time to memorize the course. Walk it several times, then actually run it as if you had your dog with you.

When it is close to your time to run, get your dog out and take him for a potty walk. Please do this. Your dog is nervous too, and if he pees or poops in the ring, you will be asked to leave the ring. Also, they will have a practice jump set up outside the rings. You may use this one jump to warm up your dog before your run. Take advantage of this jump!

Once your class begins, be sure you are at the gate when it’s your turn to run. They will not wait on you to show up. (The gatekeeper will be yelling for you though, so be sure you are there!) You can have treats or toys near the gate, but not in the ring. Also, make sure you don’t have any tags or dangling things hanging from your dogs collar (AKC rules), or better yet, run your dog without a collar. When you enter the ring you must have your dog ON LEASH! Even if you have a small dog and carry it into the ring, you must have that leash on. Set your dog up at the start line, but do not look to the judge to tell you to go, look at the timer and scribes (they will be sitting by the start line). They will give you the okay to go (or it may be an electronic voice that tells you “Go”.). Just FYI, when you hear the “go” it does not mean you immediately must start, you can go anytime after that, your actual course time will start when your dog jumps or enters the first obstacle.

When you are on course, remember the “four paw rule”. If your dog gets on an obstacle with all four paws, and he jumps off, you MAY NOT put him back on that obstacle, move on to the next one. If your dog drops a bar, continue to the next jump, etc. If your dog gets the zoomies, or you get hopelessly lost, just try to do some of the obstacles and finish the course (after all you paid your entry fee, you might as well get some practice time in). If things go really badly, you can kindly say “Thank you” to the judge and take your dog out of the ring.

When exiting the ring (in AKC) you must have your dog ON LEASH before you leave the ring. This is vitally important and could cost you a Q if you fail to do it. Your leash will be by the exit gate. Get your dog under control quickly and leash him before you walk out of the ring!!

Scores are usually posted on computers near the score keepers area. You are welcome to check your score there after your run to see how it went and if you Q’d or placed.

After your run, let your dog relax. Give him a treat and put him in his crate and leave him alone until your next run.

A few words of wisdom. If your dog is a constant barker, you won’t be a popular person at the trial. Bring something to help keep your dog quiet in his crate, fill kongs with frozen yogurt or cottage cheese or peanut butter, also cover your crate so your dog won’t be bothered by other things going on. If you have a barker, try to crate him off by himself so you won’t bother the other competitors all day long.

If it is hot at a trial DO NOT GIVE YOUR DOG ICE WATER OR ICE. Dogs have bloated from doing this (a serious medical condition that if not treated promptly can lead to death). Cool water is fine, but skip the ice. Most trial sites will have a hose or small pool to cool off your dog.

The most important thing to remember is to have fun with your dog. This is a GAME, and we play it to enjoy ourselves, our dogs, and our fellow competitors

USDAA and AKC Dog Agility Information

ecoughlin — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:47:26 +0000

When it comes to finding out more information on dog agility training,trials and competition, there’s no better place to turn than the internet, right? Well, you might be chasing your tail at some point because a lot of the agility dog blogs aren’t very helpful.

The best place to start (besides this blog) is on the USDAA web site. That stands for United States Dog Agility Association. They have all kinds of helpful links, including a section that helps you find agility dog groups in your area, news and events that are going on in the dog agility world, even a place where you can track your data and stats whenever you compete.

The other organization that is very helpful is the AKC. That stands for American Kennel Club. The scope of their organization is a lot broader than what the USDAA covers but they do have a section on their website devoted to dog agility information. Check it out here.

I would recommend doing a little digging (so to speak) on both of these websites for the most comprehensive and valuable information you can find on dog agility anywhere on the web. Getting involved in a local dog agility club in your area will also help you understand how agility trials and competitions are organized so that you and your dog can have the best possible experience.

Teaching Ladder Obstacle to Your Agility Dog

ecoughlin — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:37:28 +0000

One of the hardest agility dog obstacles to teach is the Dog Walk. It’s hard because dogs aren’t used to watching their feet. Start with a ladder that’s laid flat out on the ground to get them used to placing their feet in the right position. This video will demonstrate how to get started.

Dog Training Obstacles: The Ladder -- powered by eHow.com

Building an Agility Dog Course in Your Backyard

ecoughlin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:21:19 +0000

There are 3 ways to build a backyard agility course for your dog. You can buy ready-made agility equipment for your dog, you can make it yourself using PVC pipe and lumber or you can use stuff that you may already have laying around your yard. The first two options cost money so if that’s an issue for you, here’s a helpful article I found that teaches you how to build an agility course for your dog on the cheap.

How to Build a Backyard Agility Course

By Eric Letendre

Agility has been described as the closet thing to an amusement park for dogs. A lot of dogs and their owners love to do agility; some dogs like border collies, labs, Jack Russell Terriers and Shetland Sheepdogs were made for agility.

The problem for most dog owners is that they can only do agility when they are someplace that has agility equipment. In this article I have provided instructions on how you can make a backyard agility course using stuff you can find in your garage.

Basically an agility course is made up of jumps, weave poles, tire jump, tunnel, see-saw, cat-walk and pause table. We are going to focus on jumps, weave poles, pause table and a short cat-walk.

Jumps can be made up by using the cinder blocks and pieces of plywood. The plywood can be cut to different heights and can be propped up using the cinder blocks making a decent jump for your dog.

The cinder blocks can also be used to make the cat-walk (or dog-walk whichever you prefer to call it). Cutting a strip of plywood 12 feet long you can place it on some cinder blocks. It won’t be very high but your dog can practice walking across it.

The weave poles are very popular in agility. Ski poles are a great way to make simple weave poles. You can place them in the ground and teach your dog to go through them. Most flea markets and yard sales have ski poles that you can get cheap.

You can also find a good, sturdy, wooden coffee table at yard sales. Find one that is fairly low to the ground and you can use it as a pause table. An old bike tire hung from a tree can be used for the tire jump. Make sure you hold the tire as you teach your dog to go through it.

A tunnel can be purchased for very little at Wal-Mart or Target. They sell kids tunnels that are fine for a backyard agility course. Now you have some jumps, weave poles, tire jump, dog-walk, tunnel and a pause table. Set them up in your backyard and you and your dog are ready to go.

How important is a well trained dog worth to you? Do you want your dog to stop jumping, come when called, walk on leash and more? Eric Letendre created the ultimate, easy to follow dog training ebook “101 Ways To Improve Your Dog’s Behavior.” Complete with dog training videos, step by step instructions and more. Best of all you can get it free! Get it here => http://amazingdogtrainingman.com

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