Your puppy is undoubtedly one of the cutest and sweetest of creatures, but this new furry friend probably is lacking a bit in the obedience department and also has a huge amount of extra energy. Because puppies need to learn how to behave properly and need a bunch of exercise, agility training can be a great way to provide both of these needs.
Just about every dog, providing they are in good health, will enjoy learning how to tackle agility obstacles. All different breeds and mixed breeds generally are welcome to participate in dog agility courses, and your dog's temperament and enjoyment are more likely to indicate whether or not he or she will love these activities, which can be a bit more exciting than fetching a stick or going for a walk.
Because your puppy will need to learn to stay and sit and be still on command anyway, it is good to start out by learning how to do the pause table. On a course, dogs must take a break from jumping and running about to sit on this table for a pre-determined length of time. Your puppy can combine obedience training with agility training on this apparatus for double the benefit. As you might know, when you are on a real agility course in competition, treats and other incentives are not allowed. However, when you are working with a puppy, a little treat is a great way to help them learn a new skill. Eventually just a bit of praise will be enough, but in those early days, keep some tiny treats handy.
Toys are always a source of fun for your puppy, and these also can increase a dog's overall level of obedience. When playing a gentle game of tug with a tug toy, you want to teach the dog how to tug, but also they need to learn to let go when you give a specific command. Fetching a ball or stuffed animal is always fun, but if your puppy learns to bring it straight back to you and drop it at your side, that's even better. This builds obedience and trust, which makes it so much easier to teach agility skills to your puppy.
Jumping is something that puppies adore, so this is a good early skill to introduce. Simply purchase a few single jumps and start by enticing them over just one jump and then onto the pause table. For safety, keep the heights very low to the ground. Once they understand to complete a jump and then sit and stay on the pause table, add another jump and keep them about three feet apart. The main goal here is to teach them how to move through the course, you aren't really concerned about their ability to jump. You simply want them to obey you.
After this has been taught, you can add some other fun obstacles, such as a teeter totter or perhaps a tunnel or an a-frame. For a puppy, go online to Carlson Agility and check out their full line of miniature agility equipment. They offer almost all types of equipment in scaled down sizes which are perfect for your puppy as well as small dogs, or perhaps you just don't have a huge backyard and can fit in more items using mini agility equipment. You can purchase a mini teeter, a mini dog walk, a mini a-frame, mini tire jumps and much more.
Just about every dog, providing they are in good health, will enjoy learning how to tackle agility obstacles. All different breeds and mixed breeds generally are welcome to participate in dog agility courses, and your dog's temperament and enjoyment are more likely to indicate whether or not he or she will love these activities, which can be a bit more exciting than fetching a stick or going for a walk.
Because your puppy will need to learn to stay and sit and be still on command anyway, it is good to start out by learning how to do the pause table. On a course, dogs must take a break from jumping and running about to sit on this table for a pre-determined length of time. Your puppy can combine obedience training with agility training on this apparatus for double the benefit. As you might know, when you are on a real agility course in competition, treats and other incentives are not allowed. However, when you are working with a puppy, a little treat is a great way to help them learn a new skill. Eventually just a bit of praise will be enough, but in those early days, keep some tiny treats handy.
Toys are always a source of fun for your puppy, and these also can increase a dog's overall level of obedience. When playing a gentle game of tug with a tug toy, you want to teach the dog how to tug, but also they need to learn to let go when you give a specific command. Fetching a ball or stuffed animal is always fun, but if your puppy learns to bring it straight back to you and drop it at your side, that's even better. This builds obedience and trust, which makes it so much easier to teach agility skills to your puppy.
Jumping is something that puppies adore, so this is a good early skill to introduce. Simply purchase a few single jumps and start by enticing them over just one jump and then onto the pause table. For safety, keep the heights very low to the ground. Once they understand to complete a jump and then sit and stay on the pause table, add another jump and keep them about three feet apart. The main goal here is to teach them how to move through the course, you aren't really concerned about their ability to jump. You simply want them to obey you.
After this has been taught, you can add some other fun obstacles, such as a teeter totter or perhaps a tunnel or an a-frame. For a puppy, go online to Carlson Agility and check out their full line of miniature agility equipment. They offer almost all types of equipment in scaled down sizes which are perfect for your puppy as well as small dogs, or perhaps you just don't have a huge backyard and can fit in more items using mini agility equipment. You can purchase a mini teeter, a mini dog walk, a mini a-frame, mini tire jumps and much more.
About the Author:
Cheng Bernhardt enjoys dog agility training. To discover an agility equipment for dogs, or to learn further about other equipment such as dog agility tunnels, please visit the Carlson-Agility.com site today.
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