Paws For Agility

For many dog agility trainers, welcoming a new puppy into the fold is an exciting endeavor. Safety guidelines dictate that owners should wait until a dog turns 9 months old before subjecting them to rigorous agility training, however. After this milestone is reached, it’s best to start off slow. Begin with a few small jumps or a run through a collapsible tunnel.

In due time, you and your dog can progress to the more challenging parts of the course – most notably the pole weave and the dog agility teeter. Bear in mind that dogs have a hard time adapting from “sprint mode” to “sit patiently” mode. You can’t just flip a switch. At first the dog is highly unlikely to sit still on the teeter for much longer than a second or two. Keep working at it and the routine will come together in time.

When you move to a new city or region of the country, it’s not always easy to make friends. This is especially true after college, when most people have settled into a normal routine that involves their core group of friends. If you aren’t having much luck meeting interesting people at work, try joining a club. Dog owners can register with the American Kennel Club and then join a local dog agility club.

Each agility club has its own membership rules and regulations, but in all cases a participating dog must be at least a year old. To get your dog into the swing of things a bit early, you can purchase canine agility equipment for home use. Try setting up a small obstacle course in your backyard to replicate the experience of a real agility show. After a bit of training, you’ll be ready to impress the members of your local club and maybe even make a new friend or two.

The Teeter to end from the begining

This picture of Tyler a.k.a. Windryder’s Full Throttle, with Bobbie Lutz handling, on the Teeter (see-saw) is the end result of training over the teeter from small starting with a rocking board. A rocking board rolls gently just inches off the ground to allow the dog to gain confidence in small steps. Next, we move on to a small version of the Teeter (see-saw) building confidence at a low height. Then we move on to the full size Teeter (see-saw)

I found a Rocker Board, a Mini Travel Teeter and a Teeter (see-Saw) base at AgilityTools.com. I was impressed with the quality and price. I really like the Mini Travel Teeter since it is so portable, I can train anywhere. These products work indoors as well as outside.

It’’s a bit selfish of me, but I didn’t pursue dog agility training with my canine solely in mind –– I pursued the activity for myself. One day after work I arrived   home at my apartment with nothing to do. I was bored to tears of taking my golden retriever to the dog park as it was a routine we had been following for months. In addition, I had been putting on a few spare pounds. Clearly it was time to shake up the old routine.

I went online to search for dog training products that would help us on the way to becoming a successful agility team. From what I had read about the sport, the owner gets a great cardiovascular workout just trying to keep pace with the dog. I was also intrigued at the thought of reinforcing my dog’s behavioral training in the process. A few months after beginning the training, we’re making real progress. I’m still adding to the canine obstacle course on the lawn behind the apartment, and my dog has proven to be a quick learner.