Dog agility can help your pup to be more calm and well-behaved. Dog agility training entails teaching your dog to run through obstacles. The main deal is instead of using a leash you can direct your dog using cues and hand gestures. This sport requires exquisite teamwork between you and your dog, as your dog is required to leap over jumps, run through tunnels, weave through poles. All these actions need to be taken in a certain order to count as a successful run. Although hunting breeds like Shetland Sheepdogs, Border Collies are commonly associated with dog agility, any dog can take the sport. You don’t necessarily have to do this for a competition; it can be a form of physical exercise for you and your dog. Along the line, if you feel you and your pup have the potential you can give a competition a try.

The benefits of dog agility training.

 

 It is a great form of exercise for your dog.

Agility is great for your pup's mental and physical health. The cues and hand gestures will require your dog to think about what you want him to do. If taking a walk is difficult, getting your dog to do agility training for 30 minutes is more than enough physical exercise.  It is also a great form of a mental workout as your dog will be focused on getting over each obstacle. Adult dogs who may be moving at a slower pace will also need agility training to enrich their mental health.

It helps correct any problematic behavior.

Problematic behavior like barking, chewing furniture, marking areas around the house, digging, biting, and destroying stuff can be corrected with agility training. Some of this behavior may be caused by anxiety, boredom, and lack of enough physical activity. If your dog is consistently kept busy with activities, some of this behavior can be corrected.

It helps boost your pup’s sociability.

Dog agility sports will allow your dog to meet new people and other dogs. This will help boost his confidence and sociability. Going for regular practice and competition will open your pup to other dog breeds and engage actively with them. This can help alleviate any anxiety and boredom he/she may have.

It benefits your health.

Dog agility does not only benefit the dog alone but also the handler. It is no surprise that dog agility competitions are not limited to adults, children, and the disabled can perform too. As long as you know how to control your dog, you can participate in such events. It is an avenue to bond well with your dog. It doesn’t have to be about the competition; you can engage in the sports for fun.

Getting started with dog agility training.

Before you can begin this training with your dog, ensure that your dog is potty trained and knows how to respond to basic commands like Sit, Stay, Stand, lie down. If he doesn’t know that yet, you have to teach him those cues first.

Can dog agility training be taught at home?

 

Yes! Just like any other dog sport, it can be taught at home. You don’t necessarily have to compete, it can just be a form of exercise with your dog. For a dog agility training, obstacles are needed. You can purchase some dog agility accessories which I will highlight in the article or settle for a DIY with some equipment you can find at home. Some of which include:

• Large Cardboard box
• PVC pipes
• Buckets
• A broomstick
• Hula hoops

To have an idea of some techniques you can register for some training sessions online to be sure you are doing the right thing.

Dog agility and training accessories.

An agility course is made up of a series of obstacles. Depending on the level of the competition it usually ranges from 14-20 obstacles. There are different styles of these obstacles and they are available online. The contact obstacles are the most common because they have contact zones usually painted in yellow. This is to know if your dog completed a run (meaning he must touch with at least a toenail when descending). If you plan on getting some of these obstacles here are some basic agility accessories to look out for.

 

Jumps.

Jumps are designed with two stands with a bar across. Your dog must jump over without knocking the bar down.

For DIY, you can use two of the pipes to form the stand and glue one of the pipe across to create a bar.

Open tunnels.

Open tunnels are long canvas tubes. They can either be placed straight or curved. Your pup has to enter through one end and exit through the other end.

For DIY, you can use a cardboard box for this equipment. Open the box squarely, place it straight on the ground.

Weave poles.

This is another important piece of equipment for dog agility. It is usually made up of five to twelve poles to be spaced out on a straight line. How it works is your dog enters through the right of the pole and weaves through the rest.

For DIY, you can arrange 5-10 PVC pipes and space them out on a straight line.

Tire jumps.

This is just tires suspended in the air. The height of the tire is placed based on the height of the dog and he must jump through the opening.

For DIY, you can tie the hula hoop to the branch of a tree. Make sure the height is based on the height of your pup.

Seesaw.

The dog must run up the side on the ground and ride the seesaw down to the other side.

A-frames

This is made up of two broad ramps hinged to a peak. Your dog must run to the top then descend downwards.

Dog walks.

For this equipment there is an up ramp at one end, then a flat middle section, and descending ramp at the other end.

Conclusion

These are some of the basic equipment needed in dog agility training. You can look out for local clubs and agility classes to have a feel of what the real sport is like. Dog agility training is a great way to have fun and bond with your fur friend.