Friday, November 1, 2013

Agility Training For Dogs

By Cheng Bernhardt


Just like people have become more sedentary throughout the last few decades, it seems like our animal companions have had to follow suit. But just like people, dogs need physical activity and they truly enjoy running and jumping and playing. Certainly, we have all seen those cool dogs navigating various obstacles on TV and having a great time, and this type of agility training is actually something your dog can do at home. Here is some information about the importance of agility training for dogs.

Obviously, agility training is a fantastic form of exercise for your dog. Agility training is especially suitable for dogs that have a high level of energy. It allows them not only to run around and cavort, agility training keeps dogs engaged and interested. A daily walk is always a treat, but imagine how much fun your dog would have with a walk and also some time playing with agility equipment. While some breeds are naturally highly active, all dogs benefit from daily exercise, and agility training is excellent total-body exercise for your animal.

As the owners of many dogs can attest, a bored dog can be quite destructive or noisy. Dogs are totally under our control and rely on us for their exercise opportunities. For some breeds, a lack of exercise leads to extreme unhappiness. They need to run around and fulfill their natural instinct of chasing and hunting. The activities in an obstacle course were created to be similar to what a dog would do while he or she was hunting for food in the woods. Instead of climbing or leaping over fallen logs, they leap over specially created dog agility jumps. Instead of crawling under leaves to locate prey, they wind their way through a manmade dog tunnel.

As you teach your dog various skills or take part in agility classes with a trained instructor, you will soon notice another big benefit of agility training. This activity strengthens the bond between you and your dog. Dogs love praise and love to please their owners, so as they complete each new challenge, you will be giving them tons of positive feedback which just makes them love you even more. It's a great way to spend some real quality time with an animal and you will be amazed at what your dog can accomplish. In addition, you will be learning hand signals and verbal cues to help your dog through the obstacles. Your dog's ability to obey these commands will increase the level of trust between you, which will be of great benefit in all areas of your life together.

Just as dogs need exercise, so do their owners and agility training is a great source of aerobic activity. You will run around along with your dog, giving out commands and following them through the course. Spend some time each day with agility training, make an effort to go a few walks during the day and you and your pet will be physically fit and healthier.

Obviously, unless you are going to a training facility with an agility course, you will need to buy some equipment. You can get a great starter kit at Carson-Agility.com. This kit includes 12 weaves for your dog to navigate as well as four snap-on jumps. There is another kit that includes the jumps, weaves and an adjustable teeter. You also could swap this for a package that includes a tire jump, a teeter and 12 weaves. You can continue to add obstacles, such as tunnels and pause tables as your dog builds skills.




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