Dog Agility Training
There are different kinds of training we do with our dogs. Some are for fun and some are for work. Dog Agility training is a combination of both. Training agility is dog training at its best. We’ve all heard of agility training for dogs, but many don’t know what it is. Agility training for dogs is teaching them to run through a timed obstacle course completing all the tasks that are there.
Agility training for a dog began in 1977 at a dog show when they were looking for something to fill the time and keep the audience happy between the obedience championship and the dog breeding. It was such as success, that it turned into a competition of its own.
Agility consists of the dog going through many obstacles such as jumping over and through different jumps, going through tunnels, weaving through poles, pausing and stopping on command. The entire test needs to be completed by dog and master in certain amount of time.
Dog agility training steps begin when the dog is still a puppy, as young as 4 months old. They begin with just teaching the dog to run and then small little jumps. This is more fun for the puppy than it is work. They progress onto crawling through tunnels and weaving around poles. It is a growing and learning experience for dog and owner. Once they’ve mastered what to do and how to do it, they work on speed. For an agility dog, train sessions are the part of the day they will come to look forward to.
Some of the dog agility training equipment is:
· Jumps-standard jump, wing jump, double jump, spread jump, long jump and tire jump
· Tunnels- standard and chute
· Contact obstacles- A-frame, dogwalk, see-saw and cross-over
· Weave poles- puppy weave poles, slanted weave poles and standard weave poles
· Pause table and pause box
You don’t need to have all this dog agility equipment for training at first, but you and puppy will gradually work your way towards all of it.
Dog agility training is a highly popular sport and competition in many cities.
There is dog agility training in Fresno that offers training as well as trial agility competitions weekly in different groups. There is also dog agility training in Orange County that gives the training and trials as well as an Agility Club for dogs and owners.
For those interested in dog agility training in Texas, there is great dog agility training in Dallas. They offer pre-agility training (basic obedience) first and then on to the regular agility. For those interested, they have sanctioned field trials as well as agility tests for fun.
Cincinnati has agility dog training and Ohio has private agility lessons and trials throughout the state in numerous cities. Another city with groups of agility training is Miami. Dog fun groups consisting of Frisbee, flyball and fun competition complete the lessons.
Dog owners interested in dog agility training in New York can go to an agility-training course that offers beginning or intermediate training and practice. It is offered indoors or outdoors.
