The Excitement Of Dog Agility Training
One of the most enjoyable activities you can do with your dog is dog agility training. Not only is it great exercise for your dog but it will keep you in shape as well. It is also a great way to forge a bond between you and your pet and if you are good maybe even win a few trophies together.
Dog agility training is a separate endeavor from basic dog obedience training, but it is a lot of fun for dog and owner. If you haven't heard of it until now it is more of a sport then anything else. It is becoming more and more popular in the U.S. right now and its origins are in the Britain where it is extremely popular.
A dog agility event consists of a number of different agility courses which your dog must navigate successfully. Each course has a set number of obstacles, normally around 26 per course. There are two criteria that must be accomplished when it comes to placing during a dog agility event. Time and faults. Your dog is timed as he makes his way through the various obstacles. Any faults count against the time taken to complete the course and the dog with the fastest time and fewest faults wins.
While a dog agility competition is a lot of fun training your dog to compete can take some time. There are two different types of obstacles and courses that you dog must be proficient in in order to compete. When doing your dog agility training with your dog you will concentrate on these two types of courses which include jumping courses and agility courses. The jumping courses are pure dog athleticism in action. The competing dogs must jump over obstacles without knocking them down and interspersed between the jumps are the weaves, which are a straight line of poles your dog must weave through, much like a slalom course for skiers. If your dog does not weave through all the poles there will be a fault given. The agility course also consists of obstacles that your dog must negotiate but there are contact points on these obstacles that your dog must recognize and then touch with his paws. Getting to the level of even competing does take time.
To enter an official dog agility competition or show your dog must be registered with either the AKC (American Kennel Club) or if in the U.K. the SKC (Scottish Kennel Club). It also helps to belong to a dog agility club where the members can meet and train their dogs together. The nice thing about a club is that you can get a lot of help with not only running whole courses but also with individual obstacles your dog may have trouble with.
Most dog agility clubs will not allow a dog less than one year of age to participate in their activities. This does not mean you cannot start training a new puppy, but it is best to take it slow and easy while they grow through that first year. You can find plenty of dog agility training equipment at your local pet store or on the internet.
While dog agility training is a rigorous undertaking it is also a lot of fun for both dog and owner. Once your dog gets to the point where he can compete then all the hard work in is well worth the effort.