It's obvious, just by watching, that agility dogs absolutely love the challenge of competition. They love running up and down teeter totters and A-frames, they love scampering through tunnels, leaping through tire jumps and zipping through all of the other obstacles. You probably think that dog agility is something only certain breeds of dogs or personalities of dogs can enjoy, but this is not true at all.
If you have a timid dog, you might think that agility training is something that your furry friend cannot handle. However, this type of training can actually build up the confidence of a dog that is shy around other dogs or people. A happy-go-lucky dog that is full of confidence and vigor might really enjoy dog agility training is a public setting such as at a local agility club. Your shyer dog, however, might feel more comfortable training at home.
Perhaps the easiest way to begin is to introduce your shy dog to the pause table. Be sure to opt for an adjustable table and begin at the lowest height. If your dog is always suspicious or nervous around anything new in the yard or in your home, give them time to check out the equipment before you try to get them to jump onto the table. Let them sniff and inspect it and then after a few days have passed, try to encourage them to get on the table. You can carefully place them on the table while holding them and gently petting or you can lure them up with a special treat or a favored toy. This can take some time, but eventually your dog will have the confidence to climb up on the pause table all by themselves.
After your dog is comfortable jumping on the table and has learned how to sit down and stay on the pause table for many seconds with you standing away from the table, you should consider adding some more equipment. A contact trainer, such as those sold by Carlson Agility, can be a great addition. This has a pause table in the middle and is flanked on one side by a mini A-frame and on the other by a mini dog walk. In general, miniature-sized agility equipment is an excellent training tool for shy dogs as well as for puppies and smaller breeds of dogs. In addition to the contact training, you can find agility dog jumps, dog tunnels, tire jumps, weaves and much more at Carlson Agility. So once your dog has mastered a new obstacle, simply add something new.
Once your dog has mastered the contact trainer and pause table, you probably will notice that they definitely have gained some confidence and have a spring their step. You can continue to add pieces of equipment until they have mastered a wide variety of tasks. You can continue with the miniature sized equipment, which can be less intimidating and also fits more easily into your yard, basement or family room. If they are ready for a bigger challenge, you can join a local agility club and see how they handle the mix of dogs and the larger equipment. If your dog still prefers working out at home, keep up with the training and try again when they seem more confident.
Not only does this type of training boost confidence, it's also a great form of exercise for your furry friend, who needs to get outside and run around every day. Working closely together to learn these new skills also strengthens your bond, and the two of you will become even closer through agility training.
If you have a timid dog, you might think that agility training is something that your furry friend cannot handle. However, this type of training can actually build up the confidence of a dog that is shy around other dogs or people. A happy-go-lucky dog that is full of confidence and vigor might really enjoy dog agility training is a public setting such as at a local agility club. Your shyer dog, however, might feel more comfortable training at home.
Perhaps the easiest way to begin is to introduce your shy dog to the pause table. Be sure to opt for an adjustable table and begin at the lowest height. If your dog is always suspicious or nervous around anything new in the yard or in your home, give them time to check out the equipment before you try to get them to jump onto the table. Let them sniff and inspect it and then after a few days have passed, try to encourage them to get on the table. You can carefully place them on the table while holding them and gently petting or you can lure them up with a special treat or a favored toy. This can take some time, but eventually your dog will have the confidence to climb up on the pause table all by themselves.
After your dog is comfortable jumping on the table and has learned how to sit down and stay on the pause table for many seconds with you standing away from the table, you should consider adding some more equipment. A contact trainer, such as those sold by Carlson Agility, can be a great addition. This has a pause table in the middle and is flanked on one side by a mini A-frame and on the other by a mini dog walk. In general, miniature-sized agility equipment is an excellent training tool for shy dogs as well as for puppies and smaller breeds of dogs. In addition to the contact training, you can find agility dog jumps, dog tunnels, tire jumps, weaves and much more at Carlson Agility. So once your dog has mastered a new obstacle, simply add something new.
Once your dog has mastered the contact trainer and pause table, you probably will notice that they definitely have gained some confidence and have a spring their step. You can continue to add pieces of equipment until they have mastered a wide variety of tasks. You can continue with the miniature sized equipment, which can be less intimidating and also fits more easily into your yard, basement or family room. If they are ready for a bigger challenge, you can join a local agility club and see how they handle the mix of dogs and the larger equipment. If your dog still prefers working out at home, keep up with the training and try again when they seem more confident.
Not only does this type of training boost confidence, it's also a great form of exercise for your furry friend, who needs to get outside and run around every day. Working closely together to learn these new skills also strengthens your bond, and the two of you will become even closer through agility training.
About the Author:
Cheng Bernhardt enjoys blogging about dog agility training. To find a dog agility course, or to find more about training equipment for agility for dogs, please check out the Carlson-Agility.com website today.
This article collected, selected and written by: Author Van Hoc
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