Agility Training for Dogs Guide » agility benefits

How Much Time for Agility Training?

ecoughlin — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:29:27 +0000

Many dog owners who are thinking about getting involved in dog agility training are concerned about the time commitment it takes. Well, that all depends on what your goals are for your training and what level you’d like to achieve.

If you are doing agility training just for fun, you only need to spend about an hour or two a week at the most. Spend about fifteen minutes a day teaching them the basics and then when you feel they are ready for the more complicated aspects of dog agility, you’ll want to bump up your time a little bit to accomodate.

If you decide to take a class, count on at least one hour a week and you know you’re going to have homework.

When you start teaching them jumps and other obstacles, you’ll be spending a little more time because it’s a little more complicated for you and your dog. You might have to go slower because you may turn your dog off of the sport if you get impatient with him. Remember that you won’t need to spend so much time on the basics as your dog progresses so it all evens out.

If you decide to join a club or get involved in trials and competitions, then you’ll start to spend a lot more time on the sport. Going to trials and competitions means you’ll be spending a lot of time waiting around and watching other dogs compete as well as your own dog. But if you and your dog are enjoying it, you may find it’s worth it because you are meeting a lot more people with similar interests, you’ll be learning more about agility when you’re there and you’re spending quality time with your dog.

It’s best to start out slow and just enjoy the sport and the time you are spending with your dog. The amount of time you spend on agility training is really up to you and the goals you have set for your dog.

Help for Shy Dogs

ecoughlin — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:41:44 +0000

Is your dog a little bit shy with human or even other dogs? Giving your dog something else to focus on like agility training could give your dog more confidence. Here’s a great article I found that will give you some tips on how agility training can make your timid dog more confident.

Use Agility To Build Confidence In Your Dog

Author: Martin Elmer

Is your dog sensitive to sounds or is it timid around other dogs. Then agility training can provide the right environment and a good structure to build the necessary confidence in your dog. The classes are great places to learn about the training and sport. But it can still take a long time, before the dog is ready to leave your lap or the hiding under the chair.

A timid or shy dog can only learn inside their comfort zone. So, training must begin where they feel safe and behaviors must be taught in very small increments. Home will probably be the best place to train and have learning takes place for your dog.

But how do you train your dog at home? You need two things: guidelines and equipment. You can find multiple websites with information on agility training. Other options are books and videos with details, visual aids and lesson plans for both beginners and experts.

There is a variety of equipment that is useful and helpful to have at home. Equipment recommendations are based on your available space and location of training. Do you have a large yard that will hold 10 obstacles? Do you have a small yard where you will need setup equipment and then tear down before you can setup again? Will you be training in your garage or basement, or as some agility addicts, in your living room?

When you are training a timid dog the equipment has to be sturdy and safe. A pause table is a good starting point for dog training. Buy a 12″ high pause table, which is good for dogs in all sizes. Set it up in a familiar area, if your dog is shy. You can leave it in the house or yard for a couple of days, if your dog is the barking type. Then it can smell and inspect it in its own pace. Always remember to use baby steps training an insecure dog.

To encourage it to get up on the table you can use treats or its favorite toy. And remember it may well take several lesson. If it loses interest, you should try something new like placing yourself on the table. Then you can either hold it or have it on leash, while you are sitting on the table. But remember only to treat it when it comes against you. Never reward it, when it is pulling away.

Eventually, you want your dog to be able to jump on the table with your cue word like Table (or whatever word you use), Stay to have it stay on the table as you back away and then Come when you call. Build your distance slowly so that your dog is not pushed too soon.

Following the above instructions, you can slowly introduce new obstacles. When it is able to succeed new pieces of equipment, you will see its confidence grow.

About the Author:

Martin Elmer is the editor of Hundefan – a website about udstyr til hunde. Here you can also read about hundeskål.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Use Agility To Build Confidence In Your Dog

Above all, have patience with your dog as he learns these new skills and before you know it, you’ll see some great improvements in your dog’s attitude.

Benefits of Agility Training for Dogs

ecoughlin — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:33:42 +0000

There are lots of benefits to agility training for dogs and not just for the dog! If you’re the handler, agility training can benefit you just as much as the dog.

First of all, agility training will help your dog stay fit. If you’re not regularly exercsing your dog, she or he will eventually get fat. You’d be surprised how quickly this can happen. If your dog is fit, you should be able to see the faint outline of the dogs ribs when you are looking down at them from a birds eye view.

A better way to judge if their overweight is to place your thumbs on the dog’s spine. Your outstretched fingers should be on their ribs. You should be able to feel their ribs without any extra padding.

Before starting agility training with an overweight dog, you should put them on a low calorie dog food and condition them with some walks around the neighborhood to getht their weight down.Once they get fit, agility training will help them stay that way.

Second, agility training for your dog will help you stay fit! There’s nothing like running alongside your dog for good aerobic exercise.There are also times when you’ll be picking up your dog and doing other strength training to go along with the cardio activity.

Third, your dog’s behavior may improve. Most problems that dogs get into, like excessive barking or chewing, are the result of boredom. If a dog has regular exercise and can perform a “job” like agility training, they’ll be less likely to have behavior problems.

Agility Training for Dogs Guide is Here

ecoughlin — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:24:37 +0000

Agility Training for Dogs Guide is here to help you train your dog for agility. Agility for dogs first began in 1978 as entertainment between events at a dog show in England. It became so popular for dogs and their humans in the United States that an association was created in 1986 to support it, called the United States Dog Agility Association. Other associations have since popped up and competitions have been established that allow prizes to be given to the best of the best.

But you don’t have to compete to enjoy agility training with your dog. Agility training is fun to do in your own backyard with homemade equipment or you can go to dog parks around the U.S. that have courses already set up for you and your dog to use.

Agility training for dogs is basically an obstacle course for dogs. The course consists of contact obstacles, hurdles, tunnels, and jumps. the handler and dog work together to get through the course as quickly as possible without missing or knocking an obstacle down.

If you have a dog with lots of energy, intelligence and a willingness to compete, this can be a fun sport for you to take up. I hope this blog will help you as you learn the ropes of agility training for you and your dog.