Paws For Agility

Prior to the start of the event, the dog’s handler has an opportunity to get familiar with the course so that they can guide their canine adequately. There will be some slight variation in dog agility courses depending on the organization and the specific event. While it may seem like this puts the dog at a disadvantage, there are basic obstacles used in all competitions that the dogs train for.

Contact obstacles, as you can probably ascertain, are those that the dog comes into direct contact with, such as the A-frame and teeter-totter. Tunnels are another standard obstacle and are typically either a rigid tunnel or a chute with a cloth tube. The dogs also must master a variety of jumps—from hurdles to tire jumps. There are also a diversity of miscellaneous obstacles like weave poles and pause boxes.

Puppies love to chew, bite, and bark all the time, and while this can be entertaining when they’re little, it can be quite aggravating when they’re larger. It’s important to introduce puppies to canine obedience exercises at an early age. Puppies need to learn essential commands like sit, down, and heel at a young age. It’s best to start a dog learning when they’re young, and obedience training can begin as early as 12 weeks.

When training a puppy, be sure to reward good behavior with a treat or praise and know how to handle bad behavior. Remember that dogs have short memories, so there’s no point to scold a dog for something that happened even a minute prior. When training a puppy, patience is a virtue. Depending on the puppy, it can take more or less time to teach them a command.