Dog Agility Training: A New Challenge

After dog obedience training, your dog may just be ready for a new challenge - dog agility training. It will be a new challenge for you and your pet to take. Agility training requires a lot of dedication from the dog owner and the dog as well. Puppies must be at least a year old to undergo rigid agility training. One important reminder is that, puppies should not be pushed to undergo strict training at an early age. Such experience can be a traumatic one for your pet. Dog owners who wish their dog to undergo agility training must read books on dog training.

There are guidelines that one must consider carefully prior to deciding to join in dog agility training. Puppies can have simple command trainings at an early age. The puppy may be trained for simple routines that appear to be just a training game. Agility training on puppies must be fun for the puppy to build up his coordination and confidence. This will be a good foundation for more rigid agility training when a dog reaches the right age. Research for more fun agility games that you can utilize for your puppy such as “round the wall”, “round the handler”, “find the tunnel”, and targets.

Be resourceful in searching for exciting agility games. Keep in mind that there are many benefits of dog training if you do it correctly. Check out several ways on how to start training a dog for agility. Your dog will be taken into agility training in an obstacle course. The dog handler directs your dog through an obstacle course to attain the best time and to have the best finishing time possible. In a dog agility course, the dog will then be trained to run through the obstacle courses without the handler rewarding treats to his dog. Instead, the handler is limited to making hand signals and voice commands only.

Various kinds of obstacles are available that you can practice on while the training is ongoing. This will prepare your pet for whatever obstacle the judge will choose during a competition. For fair competition, dogs are grouped according to classes based on their breed and size. There are many resources about agility training for dogs. It will teach you how to pre-condition a puppy in dealing with obstacles to avoid problems in the future. Sources like these are usually designed for puppies that are groomed for a more serious agility training when they grow older. Active dogs who love the outdoors and have a happy disposition are good candidates for agility training.

Furthermore, a dog that can take direction well is a better candidate for agility training. If you see these potentials in your puppy, then perhaps taking him to agility training will be a wise move. If you seek for a challenging and fun sport for you and your pet, take into consideration dog agility training. This kind of training will bring you good bonding moments with your pet. After a successful feat, you will feel more fulfilled that you and your dog were able to hurdle a new challenging task.