Basic Agility Tips For The Beginner

Written By Admin on Senin, 28 Juli 2014 | 01.17

By Cheng Bernhardt


Your energetic canine is sure to love the fun of dog agility and so will you and your family. While there's much to learn about the rules of competition and the proper way to run an agility course, when you are first starting out, you need only begin with the basics. Here are some tips for newbies to this dog sport.

There are many obstacles that are part of a typical dog agility course. All courses will include a variety of jumps, a pause table, weave poles, tunnels, a teeter totter, a dog walk and an a-frame. While your dog will need to learn all of these skills in order to compete, you don't have to rush online and order all of the pieces at one time. You can start with a few basic pieces and then slowly add to your collection as your dog's skill level increases.

You might be wondering which pieces of equipment to use first, and this can be a bit overwhelming to decide. A pause table is always a good first choice. While it might not be as exciting and jumps, weaves and teeters, the skills learned on this obstacle are highly important for both agility and obedience. It's also a great tool for distance training as the handler must be a set distance from the dog during competition. Carlson Agility sells several starter kits that include a pause table as well as a couple of other obstacles, such as jumps or perhaps jumps and a tunnel.

There are actually eight different starter kits to consider from Carlson Agility. Another fun kit option is one which contains two jumps, a pause table and a tunnel. You also might consider the kit with an adjustable teeter, a tire jump and a set of 12 weaves. You also could create your own custom starter kit if you like, and Carlson Agility offers a full line of virtually every piece of agility equipment imaginable. You can find all types of agility equipment, including miniature sized equipment ideal for smaller breeds and, of course, puppy agility training.

Even if you purchase several items at once, it's generally best to teach a single obstacle at a time. It's not a bad idea to let your dog get accustomed to and sniff each obstacle, so put them outside and let your dog explore a bit. When you start out, you might quickly master the pause table and then wish to add a jump. Once your dog can do the pause table and one jump, add another jump or perhaps a tunnel or maybe even the dog walk or a teeter-totter. The weave poles generally are the hardest skill for a dog to learn, so that might be a great skill to reserve for last.

The most important quality you bring to the course is patience. It takes time for a dog to master each piece of agility equipment, and some dogs definitely are unsure about the teeter totter due to its movement. The a-frame and dog walk also can be a bit intimidating as dogs don't always like to be off the ground. Sometimes your dog will be unsure about the tunnel or chute. With patience and praise, your dog will be able to master all of the obstacles, and most importantly, this is a great way to spend your time together.




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