Training Your Dog for Agility Competitions

Following the best in breed is perhaps one of the toughest yet rewarding contests there are on the dog show circuit. The dog agility competition is when a dog is run through various obstacles, and scores are based on speed and accuracy on maneuvering those obstacles.

When it comes to the competition, the judges pay close attention as to how the handler and the dog work together to get through the often pretty complicated course of obstacles. No dog is to large or too small but each will compete in a specific category.

During the competiton the dog will have to, with the careful assistance of the handler, negotiate various obstacles like tunnels and jumps. The handler will receive a layout of the course beforehand. The agility training the dog received prior to competition day will determine how well it does.

Training a dog to maneuver through obstacles does not have to be as difficult as it sounds. The easiest method is to get the dog's favorite toy or treat and throw it through a tunnel for tunnel training or to have the dog jump a small hurdle to come to you and get a treat. You typically do not want to bore the dog so it is best to keep the initial training limited to a few minutes per day.

There can be hundreds of different distractions around a dog agility competition course so it is imperative that there is clear communication between handler and dog. There are no room for mistakes as an incorrect or misunderstood call can cause the dog to run off course.

Whether the handler is the owner of the dog or the trainer, the handler must know what actually motivates the dog to get it to perform. There is no physical contact allowed during the exhibition as the handler runs with the dog through the obstacles and simply calls out the commands necessary to move the dog through them.

Dog agility training takes dedication from both owner and dog. Consistency is the name of the game but watching your dog achieve and work its way successfully through the course will be worth all the hours you put in.

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Before you decide to go into the exciting challenge of dog agility training be sure you take a peek at these useful dog training tutorials.