Dog agility training is a wonderful way to keep your dog active and happy. The most common tasks in agility training are jumping over hurdles, walking over narrow planks, climbing ladders, going through tunnels, etc. The ‘heel’, ‘wait’, ‘stay down’, etc are also part of this type of training.

Types and Limits

Absolutely anyone can do this type of training. There is no age limit for the dog or trainer to endure this type of training. Any type of dog breed can undergo dog agility training – the only pre requisite being that the pet is physically fit. Another very important factor here is that it needs the total involvement of the trainer. This is not a training for which only the dog will have to work hard at; it is as testing for the trainer as it is for the dog.

Know Your Role

Since this type of training is quite complex and requires a lot of maneuvering, the dog should be very comfortable with certain commands such as ‘heel’, ‘wait’, ‘right’, ‘left’, ‘down’, and so on. Without this it will be almost impossible for you to control your dog during this type of training.

Other important commands that the dog should instantly obey are the send way orders, where the dog understands that you want it to go ahead of you (for example, through the tunnel), and recall, when the dog should come back to you. You can use a lead if you so want but in case you do, make sure it is long and very smooth. It should not get caught when the dog jumps through obstacles or crawls through them. The best way, however, is to do away with the leash and control the dog only through your commands.

Tips and Hints

This type of dog agility training is usually started when you are comfortable with your dog and your pet is well trained in a many obedience commands. The dog agility training is best done with the help of positive reinforcement. The dog loves praise and snacks and by using these wisely, you will have the dog all ears in no time.

Another good tip is that you should take utmost care not to stress the dog. Jumping, running and crawling here and there are usually fun for a dog. Make sure to keep the training fun; in this way not only it will learn faster but will also have a great time training.