There are many reasons why dog agility contests have become a popular animal sport. For one thing, it's fun to watch and the dogs have a great time zipping around the courses. Agility training provides opportunities for pet owners to increase obedience and cement the bond between you and your pet, as well as providing an excellent source of exercise. If you wish for your pet to start training, here are some quick and helpful facts.
While some breeds excel on the agility course more than others, just about any breed will enjoy training. If your animal has plenty of energy and a playful spirit, agility training is definitely an option. Even small dogs can compete; you simply just adjust the equipment to suit their smaller stature. In competitions, they do separate the dogs by height rather than breed and they also separate dogs by age and level of experience.
You can do agility training for fun, exercise and a form of obedience training without ever putting your dog in a competition. It is important to note that most experts say that you should not have dogs less than a year old work on actual agility obstacles because their joints are still in a development stage. Dogs aren't able to compete until their about 14-18 months old anyway.
Still, a puppy can be taught obedience skills and it is highly recommended that all dog owners begin training as soon as the animal comes home with them. Inexpensive dog obedience classes are available almost everywhere, and taking your pet to class is a great way to promote socialization. Your dog needs to feel comfortable interacting with other dogs and people and also obeying your commands when there are plenty of distractions around them.
Once your dog is old enough and has mastered the basic obedience commands, you can begin agility training. You can certainly do some research and do this yourself, but it can be much easier working with a trained professional. There are many excellent instructors for dog agility training and this can get you off to a great start. If you and your dog truly love the activities, you can even purchase some agility equipment and do the activities at home.
There are several companies that produce and sell the equipment you might need. Carlson-Agility.com, for instance, sells a huge variety of equipment including agility jumps, tunnels, weaves and many more items. They also have several helpful starter kits, which might be a great way to get your feet wet in agility training. One kit includes a pause table, a tunnel and two jumps. Another kit has several different jumps and weaves. You could also get one with a teeter, jumps and weaves. It all depends how you want to get started. Once the starter kit skills have been mastered, you can purchase new equipment individually.
While some breeds excel on the agility course more than others, just about any breed will enjoy training. If your animal has plenty of energy and a playful spirit, agility training is definitely an option. Even small dogs can compete; you simply just adjust the equipment to suit their smaller stature. In competitions, they do separate the dogs by height rather than breed and they also separate dogs by age and level of experience.
You can do agility training for fun, exercise and a form of obedience training without ever putting your dog in a competition. It is important to note that most experts say that you should not have dogs less than a year old work on actual agility obstacles because their joints are still in a development stage. Dogs aren't able to compete until their about 14-18 months old anyway.
Still, a puppy can be taught obedience skills and it is highly recommended that all dog owners begin training as soon as the animal comes home with them. Inexpensive dog obedience classes are available almost everywhere, and taking your pet to class is a great way to promote socialization. Your dog needs to feel comfortable interacting with other dogs and people and also obeying your commands when there are plenty of distractions around them.
Once your dog is old enough and has mastered the basic obedience commands, you can begin agility training. You can certainly do some research and do this yourself, but it can be much easier working with a trained professional. There are many excellent instructors for dog agility training and this can get you off to a great start. If you and your dog truly love the activities, you can even purchase some agility equipment and do the activities at home.
There are several companies that produce and sell the equipment you might need. Carlson-Agility.com, for instance, sells a huge variety of equipment including agility jumps, tunnels, weaves and many more items. They also have several helpful starter kits, which might be a great way to get your feet wet in agility training. One kit includes a pause table, a tunnel and two jumps. Another kit has several different jumps and weaves. You could also get one with a teeter, jumps and weaves. It all depends how you want to get started. Once the starter kit skills have been mastered, you can purchase new equipment individually.
About the Author:
Cheng Bernhardt enjoys writing about dog agility training. To find a dog agility course, or to find more regarding starter agility dog supplies, please check out the Carlson-Agility website today.
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