If you've ever watched a dog zipping through obstacles on a dog agility course and thought it would be fun for your dog, you are probably correct. Not only do dogs love the challenge of agility courses, this type of training increases their overall level of obedience and also can strengthen the bond between owner and animal. Consider the following information if you are considering starting up a training regime for your dog.
You might think that agility courses are only for certain breeds of dog, such as the Australian shepherd. While there are breeds that do exceptionally well on the agility courses, any breed can compete or train. If your pet is a happy, playful and energetic dog, then agility training will be a fun activity for him or her. Even the tiniest dogs can train and compete. Dog agility organizations arrange the dogs into competitive groups based on height, so small dogs just work on equipment that is not as high and then they adjust the equipment as bigger dogs come onto the course.
You can do agility training for fun, exercise and a form of obedience training without ever putting your dog in a competition. It is important to note that most experts say that you should not have dogs less than a year old work on actual agility obstacles because their joints are still in a development stage. Dogs aren't able to compete until their about 14-18 months old anyway.
Even when your dog is very young, you can lay the groundwork for future agility training and begin by teach basic, important commands. Dogs need to be able to sit, stay, heel and come on command. This type of training definitely can begin as soon as weaning is complete and you have your new puppy. The earlier you start, the better and it is a good idea to take your dog to an obedience class where there are other dogs and people. This helps your pet to become socialized more easily.
After your dog has reached full development and mastered the basics of sitting, staying and heeling, agility training can commence. You can research this type of training and purchase some equipment and get going, but it might be a better idea to find a good instructor and take some classes. After all, they already have the knowledge and the equipment. Once you have established that your dog and you both love the sport, you can then purchase your own equipment and continue training at home.
There are several companies that produce and sell the equipment you might need. Carlson-Agility.com, for instance, sells a huge variety of equipment including agility jumps, tunnels, weaves and many more items. They also have several helpful starter kits, which might be a great way to get your feet wet in agility training. One kit includes a pause table, a tunnel and two jumps. Another kit has several different jumps and weaves. You could also get one with a teeter, jumps and weaves. It all depends how you want to get started. Once the starter kit skills have been mastered, you can purchase new equipment individually.
You might think that agility courses are only for certain breeds of dog, such as the Australian shepherd. While there are breeds that do exceptionally well on the agility courses, any breed can compete or train. If your pet is a happy, playful and energetic dog, then agility training will be a fun activity for him or her. Even the tiniest dogs can train and compete. Dog agility organizations arrange the dogs into competitive groups based on height, so small dogs just work on equipment that is not as high and then they adjust the equipment as bigger dogs come onto the course.
You can do agility training for fun, exercise and a form of obedience training without ever putting your dog in a competition. It is important to note that most experts say that you should not have dogs less than a year old work on actual agility obstacles because their joints are still in a development stage. Dogs aren't able to compete until their about 14-18 months old anyway.
Even when your dog is very young, you can lay the groundwork for future agility training and begin by teach basic, important commands. Dogs need to be able to sit, stay, heel and come on command. This type of training definitely can begin as soon as weaning is complete and you have your new puppy. The earlier you start, the better and it is a good idea to take your dog to an obedience class where there are other dogs and people. This helps your pet to become socialized more easily.
After your dog has reached full development and mastered the basics of sitting, staying and heeling, agility training can commence. You can research this type of training and purchase some equipment and get going, but it might be a better idea to find a good instructor and take some classes. After all, they already have the knowledge and the equipment. Once you have established that your dog and you both love the sport, you can then purchase your own equipment and continue training at home.
There are several companies that produce and sell the equipment you might need. Carlson-Agility.com, for instance, sells a huge variety of equipment including agility jumps, tunnels, weaves and many more items. They also have several helpful starter kits, which might be a great way to get your feet wet in agility training. One kit includes a pause table, a tunnel and two jumps. Another kit has several different jumps and weaves. You could also get one with a teeter, jumps and weaves. It all depends how you want to get started. Once the starter kit skills have been mastered, you can purchase new equipment individually.
About the Author:
Cheng Bernhardt enjoys dog agility training. To find a dog agility course, or to find more about starter agility dog supplies, please visit the Carlson-Agility website today.
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