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Dog Agility Training

 Dog Agility Training


Dog Training

Human beings differ from animals because they can do a lot of things with the use of their heart and mind. However, there are human abilities that animals like dogs can also possess. Just like human beings, they also have the power to learn. With proper training and patience nothing is impossible in teaching them.

Most dog lovers patiently teach and train their pets for self-satisfaction and joy. But there are some who are more adventurous that they train their dogs to join competitions. Dog agility is a famous sport specifically intended for dogs. In this sport, dogs have handlers that command a dog off-leash through an obstacle course. The sport has later evolved into having its own additional obstacles, scoring systems and performance ideals which originally from loosely modeled equestrian stadium jumper’s competitions.

After its Crufts Dog Show in 1979, it had become the most rapidly growing dog sport in England, North America and Western Europe. Just like any other sports, it has a monitoring body that normally sanction test or trials in preparation for the competition. Just like in United States, they have several national organizations that closely scrutinize dog agility training clubs. The trials and sanctions of monitoring organizations were based from the original international rules and specifications.

The competition usually calls for the highest level of agility both determined by the dog’s speed and the physical ability to perform the obstacles. But there are also some sports that require less agility from the dog and just focus more on the handling aspect of the game.

How To Train Dogs

Training a dog would never be a problem to handlers who are patient and actually a dog lover. Execution of
most obstacles consume a small amount of time and simple training techniques. However, in developing speed and accuracy for agility trials, both dog and handler must develop a wide variety of technique of using the equipments and performing the various obstacles. Also, a special open communication is important between them in order for them to surpass all the trials.

Several obstacles common to different organizations:

  • See-Saw
  • Collapsed Tunnel
  • Aframe
  • Weave
  • Dog Walk
  • Hoop or Tire Jump
  • Pipe Tunnel
  • Various Types of Jumps
  • Pause Table

Qualifications for Competition

Dogs actually do have screenings too when joining competitions. For all organizations, they can join provided they are:

  •  Physically sound (no physical impairment at all)
  • Not female in heat
  • Well-behaved enough to off leash around other dogs and people
  • At least in minimum age (depending on club category)

Important Thing to Consider

Before anything else, we (handlers in particular) should always remember that we maybe superior to these dogs in terms of thinking, but they are also creatures with feelings. These dogs must feel that they are loved and taken care of in order for them to trust us. Without trust they would never follow us, especially our commands and our directions. Just like in a leader-member relationship, trust is very important in developing a harmonious relationship that eventually in the end leads them to success.

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