Dog Agility Training Help

Dog agility training is a fun and exciting sport for dogs and their owners. In this sport, the dog has to complete a challenging obstacle course in a race against time. The dog that completes the course with the most accuracy is the one who wins. With each race, the dog's handler directs the dog through the course and together they complete the task. In many instances, the course is big and complicated too. In fact, a dog agility course can be as large as 100x100 feet.

During the course,the handler is not allowed to touch the dog or anything on the course during the competition. The handler can only use voice commands or body signals to direct the dog to the finish line. The dog is not allowed to wear a lease and runs free down the course.

The agility course is designed by the agility judge for each competition. He or she will lay out the course to their liking and the degree of difficulty will vary on the setup. Dog agility training usually starts when a dog is just a puppy. Most puppies start training when they are under a year old. When they're learning, the puppy will start out with just a simple course that consists of a few cones and maybe a couple of low obstacles to get the puppy used to running the course.

Dogs that compete on an agility course must possess great balance, an even temperament, and be quick and agile. Most agility courses use ladders and boards that wobble and give alot of movement when the dog walks on it. In addition, dogs typically encounter obstacles like see saws that they have to balance on or they must be able to successfully cross it.

Another challenging obstacle are poles. With these, a dog must be able to weave in and out each pole with great accuracy. The dog agility training teaches a dog to run the poles properly. As such, the poles are wide and they are slowly moved inward until they are in a perfect line with each other. When you start off wide, the dog has plenty of room to learn how to run the obstacle. Once he learns what to do, you just move them in and eventually the dog will be running the poles like a pro.

Not all dogs are cut out to run agility courses however those that are, have a lot of fun. Don't expect your dog to be an instant pro at agility courses instead give them time and let him learn at his own pace. As many individuals will tell you, dog agility training can be a slow steady process so trainers must have plenty of patience. Dog agility is a fun sport and it can be exciting to see your dog compete after all the hard work you put into dog agility training. For additional information on dog agility training, check out dogagilitytraining.net!