Great Tips For Dog Agility Training

Dog Agility Training actually began in Great Britain, and came to the United States in 1977. The sport of dog agility was created from equestrian agility sports. Dog agility training also includes handler control and confidence with a set up of various obstacles for the dogs. In the sport of dog agility there are jumps, tunnels, seesaws or teeters, an A frame, and weave poles. Weave poles are the most difficult dog agility training to teach and for dogs to learn. The dogs who are competing in a dog agility competition must follow a particular path through the obstacles, complete the obstacles, and even have what are called yellow zones - places where the dog must touch in order to qualify for the obstacle and the competition.

The Seesaw: This obstacle is a lot like that you would see in a children's playground, but this one has no handles on either end and has yellow zones on each end. The yellow is put there so the dogs must climb up the seesaw from the beginning, make it tip, and then successfully go to the bottom. In dog agility training you can help by having a seesaw and walking your dog up and down the seesaw without letting them get off until they have completed the obstacle. When they do this trick successfully you can give them a treat or pet them and praise them.

The Pipe Tunnel: The pipe tunnel is very narrow at the beginning revealing a small hole and opens up gradually where the end is an open tube. This obstacle can be scary for dogs so it is important to train with something similar. You can get a tunnel like the ones they have at dog agility competitions and squeeze it almost closed at the beginning to create the small hole and allow it to get wider and wider as it gets closer to the end. In dog agility training you can help by assuring your dog to go through the tunnel and calling her from the end.

The Double Jump: This one, obviously, will test your dog's jumping abilities. Sometimes there are single jumps and double jumps in dog agility competitions. This is where poles are set up at a certain height (much like those in equestrian competitions), and the dog must jump over them without knocking them off or touching them. In dog agility training you can help your dog by having something similar at home to help them work on jumping.

The A Frame: The A frame is a simple obstacle that makes your dog walk up the wood and then back down without jumping off of the sides. This obstacle also has yellow zones at the bottom ends. In dog agility training this would be an easier one to practice at home, because you just need to create an A form for your dog to walk up and down.

The Dogwalk: This one looks similar to a large balance beam with ramps on either end.

The Weave Poles: You have probably seen these in automobile commercials. The poles are entered in the ground at specific intervals and your dog must run side to side through the weave poles. There are usually six to twelve poles in competitions, and is usually the most difficult obstacle of any dog agility training competition.

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