There are so many great reasons to consider purchasing some agility equipment and teaching your dog how to run around an agility course. Agility training improves obedience, strengthens the bond between owner and dog and, of course, provides plenty of exercise. The best part is that dogs love agility and here are just a few reasons why.
1. Dogs Love To Play & Agility Is Play
While you might see agility as a great way to improve obedience and provide exercise, your dog simply sees agility as a fun activity. Of course, to a certain extent, it’s up to the owner to make the experience fun. With lots of love and patience, using agility equipment is an ideal playtime activity for your healthy dog. If you focus too much on commands and are too stern, then your dog won’t really be enjoying himself, but if you focus on the fun and excitement of using dog training equipment, your pooch will be delighted with this special activity.
2. Dogs Love Exercise
While humans might grumble and groan about hitting the gym or jogging around the block, a dog rarely will complain about exercise. Most dogs adore getting outside and running and jumping. For a high energy dog, agility equipment provides them with an excellent outlet for this energy. They can jump and zip through weaves and dash through tunnels to their heart’s content.
All dogs need exercise, and just about any healthy dog can enjoy using dog training equipment. For older dogs with mobility issues, agility might not be a perfect fit, but for dogs with a suitable amount of energy and overall good health, it can be a great form of exercise. If you are not quite sure whether your dog is ideal for agility, talk to your veterinarian and perhaps take an agility class at a local agility club and gauge your furry pal’s interest in the sport.
3. Dogs Love Praise
Unlike cats, dogs need quite a bit of praise and affection and they can garner plenty of positive attention during agility training. As your dog successfully navigates each new piece of dog agility equipment, provide plenty of praise and love. This motivates them to keep improving their skills and it truly strengthens the bond between a dog and his handler.
4. Agility Keeps Dogs From Getting Bored
If you have a high energy dog that tends to chew on your shoes, your doors or your furniture, dog agility actually can be a way to curb this troublesome type of behavior. Often, when a dog “acts out” in these types of ways, it is simply because they are bored and not expending all of their energy properly. While a long walk can certainly burn off some steam, using dog agility equipment is a particularly good idea because it really challenges a dog to focus and make decisions.
Dog agility equipment, such as jumps and tunnels, actually mimics the natural behavior of dogs, back to the ancient times when they would dash through forests in search of pray. Having to learn new skills and learn new ways of navigating a course filled with dog training equipment is exciting and interesting to your dog, and you should notice a drop in destructive behavior after your begin agility training.
5. Dogs Love To Spend All Their Time With You
While humans often enjoy spending some time alone and the family cat might be quite content to sit behind a drape and develop a plan for world domination, dogs want to be near their owners and family. Dogs don’t need or want “me time,” they just want to sit next to you, play with you, run with you and be with you all of the time. Because agility training and learning how to use agility equipment is something you do together, this makes it all the more attractive to your dog. Playtime is great and exercise is great, but it’s even better when your dog gets to enjoy these activities with you.
If you think that agility might be a great match for your furry friend, consider purchasing a few pieces of agility equipment and get started with training. Competition doesn’t even have to be your ultimate goal, as there are plenty of great reasons to use dog agility equipment aside from participating in agility contests.
Brad Carlson enjoys dog agility training. To find agility equipment or to find more about training equipment for dog agility equipment, please check out the Carlson-Agility.com website today.
