Paws For Agility

So, you and your dog have mastered the tunnel. That’s puppy’s play compared to one of the most difficult agility training exercises: the weave poles. Think of it as a sort of slalom course for dogs. The hardest part about training your canine to weave is overcoming the natural tendency to skip a pole here or there.

Start out slow by practicing a few basic moves and then work on stringing them all together into a routine. Don’t expect your dog to understand the point of this exercise – he or she merely responds to your commands and gestures. If you mete out the correct balance of discipline and positive reinforcement, your dog can become a pro between the poles.

Skeptics might wonder why people would bother training their dogs for agility. The answer lies not only in the end result but also in the training process itself. Owners develop a strong bond of trust with their dogs that can’t be duplicated outside of this special training. By the time they are ready for agility competitions, dogs learn to respond to their masters’ slightest gesture.

Canine agility contests put human communication skills to the test. Handlers must find commands that work without the aid of treats. By the end of a contest or training session, both parties are happy: The dog has gotten its exercise and the owner can bask in the glow of an impressive accomplishment.