While many dogs learn new skills quickly and they have a high level of enthusiasm for agility obstacles, you as the owner might be concerned about how to get started with training. You can begin by simply planning out on paper what skills you wish to teach first and what commands and signals you will learn for each skill. Keep in mind that while it might seem that there is much to learn, it doesn't all need to be accomplished at once. You can take it obstacle by obstacle and master one piece before adding a new one.
It's often easier to simply begin with the pause table. It might not be the most glamorous obstacle, but it certainly teaches vitally important skills. You will teach your dog commands such as jump up, jump down, stay, sit and lay down. The three latter skills are huge parts of general obedience training, anyway, which is why it can be good to start here. Create a word and signal for each skill and be sure to consistently use these same commands.
These skills won't be mastered overnight, so you must be as patient as possible, but typically once your dog has truly mastered one set of skills, it is easier to teach them new ones. Once they can manage to jump up, sit, stay and obey these commands, begin training with you at a distance. You can't be next to them on the course, so they must be able to follow your commands when you are far away.
For each new obstacle, there will be new commands and signals, which is why you really should just add one new skill at a time. Just keep reinforcing the skills your pet learned on the last obstacle. For instance, begin with the pause table and then move on to a single jump. Every day, begin by practicing pause table skills and then head over to the jump and teach that skill. Eventually your dog will be able to move from table to jump in order just by hearing or seeing your command. Then you can add a tunnel or perhaps a teeter totter or a dog walk.
In the early days, it isn't a bad idea to use a small, but yummy treat to motivate your dog, but using treats or toys should be stopped fairly early on. After all, you cannot use treats on the course in an actual competition, and dogs eventually work better and learn faster when you forgo using treats. Replace the early treats with positive reinforcement. A gently pat and a word of praise will make most dogs happy. Dogs love to please and praise is something they truly crave, so use that instead of food to get them to obey commands.
Once you have written down your plan of attack, you will want to purchase a few pieces of agility equipment, and Carlson Agility has all the course components you will need. You can find agility equipment such as a-frames, dog walks, tunnels, tire jumps, weave poles and anything else you can imagine. These pieces also are sold in small sizes for the tinier dogs and puppies. Mini agility equipment also fits more easily in a smaller yard, and it certainly can be used with a larger dog if you are lacking on space.
It's often easier to simply begin with the pause table. It might not be the most glamorous obstacle, but it certainly teaches vitally important skills. You will teach your dog commands such as jump up, jump down, stay, sit and lay down. The three latter skills are huge parts of general obedience training, anyway, which is why it can be good to start here. Create a word and signal for each skill and be sure to consistently use these same commands.
These skills won't be mastered overnight, so you must be as patient as possible, but typically once your dog has truly mastered one set of skills, it is easier to teach them new ones. Once they can manage to jump up, sit, stay and obey these commands, begin training with you at a distance. You can't be next to them on the course, so they must be able to follow your commands when you are far away.
For each new obstacle, there will be new commands and signals, which is why you really should just add one new skill at a time. Just keep reinforcing the skills your pet learned on the last obstacle. For instance, begin with the pause table and then move on to a single jump. Every day, begin by practicing pause table skills and then head over to the jump and teach that skill. Eventually your dog will be able to move from table to jump in order just by hearing or seeing your command. Then you can add a tunnel or perhaps a teeter totter or a dog walk.
In the early days, it isn't a bad idea to use a small, but yummy treat to motivate your dog, but using treats or toys should be stopped fairly early on. After all, you cannot use treats on the course in an actual competition, and dogs eventually work better and learn faster when you forgo using treats. Replace the early treats with positive reinforcement. A gently pat and a word of praise will make most dogs happy. Dogs love to please and praise is something they truly crave, so use that instead of food to get them to obey commands.
Once you have written down your plan of attack, you will want to purchase a few pieces of agility equipment, and Carlson Agility has all the course components you will need. You can find agility equipment such as a-frames, dog walks, tunnels, tire jumps, weave poles and anything else you can imagine. These pieces also are sold in small sizes for the tinier dogs and puppies. Mini agility equipment also fits more easily in a smaller yard, and it certainly can be used with a larger dog if you are lacking on space.
About the Author:
Cheng Bernhardt enjoys dog agility training. To discover an agility equipment, or to find helpful agility dog training equipment such as dog agility kit, please go to the Carlson-Agility website today.
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