Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Dog Agility Training: Three Important Benefits

By Cheng Bernhardt


Dogs make ideal companions as they are joyful, loyal and loving friends. Your dog gives you plenty of unconditional love, so to reward them for being a wonderful friend, it is a good idea to plan out some activities just for them. Dog agility training can be a great activity for you and your dog to enjoy together and here are just a few reasons why.

1. Agility Provides Great Exercise

While some breeds need more exercise than others, all dogs benefit from regular exercise. Walks around the neighborhood are great, but they can be a bit tedious for you and your dog. Agility training provides exercise that not only strengthens and tones your dog, it also engages all of his senses. Many agility obstacles are based on instinctive animal behavior from the days when dogs dashed through the woods scampering after prey. Plus, dogs love agility and they love earning all that praise from their owner.

2. A Social Dog Is A Happy Dog

We all know that dogs love their people, but they also enjoy being around dogs. Keep in mind that dogs are used to roaming about in packs. The dog park can be a bit intimidating for some dogs, but an agility club or agility class might be less stressful. After all, these are dogs that already are pretty well behaved and friendly;,otherwise their owners wouldn't be considering agility contests. Being able to behave and be friendly with other animals is important for agility because dogs run the course off-leash. In addition, the human companions will enjoy meeting new people with the shared interest of agility, and it's a great way to pick up tips and tricks for training.

3. It's All About The Bond

If your dog is new to your household, he or she might be feeling a bit unsure. Spending time together doing something fun is a great way for you to learn a lot about each other. Consider getting started with a pause table, as this reinforces basic behaviors you want to instill in your pet, such as sitting and staying on command. As you spend time with your dog, you will learn the best ways to garner a response and your dog will learn about how to please you, and dogs love to make their owners happy.

If you are just starting out, you will want to purchase a few pieces of basic agility equipment. The pause table is a great option, along with a few basic jumps. With an agility pause table, you will teach your dog to get up on the table, sit, stay and go down. You also teach them to do these skills while you are standing at a distance. After they have mastered the pause table, add a jump or two and then continue to add equipment until they have mastered a wide variety of agility skills.

Online stores, including Carlson Agility, sell all the agility equipment you might need. At Carlson Agility, you will find pause tables, agility dog walks, a-frames, teeters, tunnels and chutes, weave poles, all types of jumps and much more. For a tiny dog or a puppy, opt for the miniature agility equipment, which allows smaller animals to practice agility safely. Of course, mini equipment also can be used with larger dogs for some great indoor training so that you can keep practicing even if the weather is poor.




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