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Three Benefits Of Dog Agility

By Cheng Bernhardt


If you have a dog, no one needs to tell you why these lovable furry creatures make such wonderful companions. With a heart full of love, your dog is a loyal friend who is always happy to see you and always by your side. Treating them to some fun activities is always a great idea, and dog agility is an activity that most dogs will enjoy, plus it has several benefits for your dog.

1. Agility Provides Great Exercise

Sure, this is an obvious benefit, but dogs often not only don't get enough exercise, they also don't get the right kind of exercise. Learning how to tackle agility obstacles provides them with activities that keep them engaged and focused. The obstacles were created with a dog's instinctive behavior in mind, which is why dogs truly love running around an agility course. While they certainly enjoy some agility obstacles more than others, learning how to use each piece of equipment provides them with hours of fun, healthy activity.

2. Agility Provides Opportunities For Socialization

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. Strengthen That Dog-Person Bond

When your new dog is first introduced into your home, this pet might be shy and uncertain. You must be patient as your furry friend leans about his new home and family, but playing around with agility equipment is a fun way for the two of you to become better connected. Start out by teaching a jump or set up a pause table. The pause table combines basic obedience skills with agility training, so you enjoy two benefits from one obstacle. As your new dog learns to obey commands, be sure to supply plenty of praise which will establish trust and establish you as the leader of the "pack."

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.

You can purchase agility equipment online from stores such as Carlson Agility. This agility equipment superstore has all the components you might need to set up your own agility course. You will find agility a-frames, pause tables, agility dog walks, teeter-totters, agility jumps, tire jumps, weave poles and much more. There is a full line of mini agility equipment available, as well, which is a great option for puppies, small dogs or just people with a smaller yard. Mini obstacles are great for indoor rainy day training, as well.




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