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jeudi 13 novembre 2014

Conditioning Exercises For The Agility Dog

By Cheng Bernhardt


For agility dogs, there are few things more fun than dashing around weaves and jumping through tires. However, this is a lot of work and while your pet obviously has to work on learning how to tackle each agility obstacle, it's also important to provide the type of conditioning exercises that build stamina and improve your dog's strength.

One way to keep a pet fit and healthy is to control their diet carefully. One look into those soulful eyes and it can be difficult to resist give your dog a nibble of this or that, but animals can gain weight quickly making it harder to exercise. Even an extra pound or two can make a big difference. Spend some time discussing food with your veterinarian and come up with good options for your dog to keep their weight on track and provide plenty of good nutrition.

The types of exercises you do with your pet depend on their breed. For example, a breed such as a Labrador retriever might love going for a long run while a Lhasa Apso might run out of steam more quickly. Walking is a good exercise for all dogs, just adjust the pace to suit your dog's size and needs. You also can start out slowly and build up the intensity of the workouts, and this can be a good way for you as the handler to get into great shape. Consider finding a variety of locations for walks to provide diversity in scenery for both of you.

You don't have to leave the house, however, to enjoy some activity. Pull out a tug toy and wrestle with your pet for a while. Throw a toy and have your pet retrieve it, or hide the toy for a rousing game of hide and seek. Dogs love all of these activities and tugging and fetch are great ways to teach obedience skills that translate well on the agility course. You can teach your pet to fetch or to stop tugging using verbal commands as well as visual signals.

Of course, working on agility skills is also a great form of exercise and you'll need some agility equipment for these activities. Carlson Agility is one online store that sells every piece of agility equipment imaginable. You can purchase a starter kit and then add pieces or just order equipment piece by piece. The selection includes agility jumps, tire jumps, weaves, agility a-frames, dog walks, pause tables, K-9 equipment and anything else you might need.

Carlson Agility also sells a full selection of mini agility equipment, and this is an ideal choice for many dogs such as puppies and smaller dogs, as well as a timid dog that is new to the sport. The mini equipment also is a great idea if you want to set up a full course in your backyard but are limited in space.




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