In addition to teaching agility jumps, weaves, tunnels and chutes, as an agility handler, you also will need to teach your dog how to navigate several pieces of contact equipment. This includes the pause table, the teeter (sometimes called a see-saw), the A-frame and the agility dog walk.
For those just getting their paws wet in agility, the agility dog walk includes two angled planks with a flat plank in the middle. Typically, the agility dog walk is easier for dogs to master than the teeter or A-frame, as dogs can be a bit nervous with the movement of the teeter and lack of a flat surface on the A-frame. Still, before you start teaching the dog walk, read over our list of handy training tips.
1. Introduce The Pause Table First
We often recommend that agility beginners start out with the pause table rather than another piece of agility equipment. Our pause table includes the table top as well as the table frame, and if you dog seems hesitant to hop onto the pause table, simply remove the top and just train with the table top flat on the ground. Train your dog to sit, stay and lay down on the pause table top, then put the frame back on and train on this higher elevation. Of course, you don’t have to start with the pause table. It’s not exactly the most exciting and fun obstacle, but it can be a great place to start and a great place to teach distance training.
2. Start Out Slowly
Whether you begin with the pause table or jump right into the agility dog walk, we recommend giving your dog a chance to warm up to each new piece of equipment. Let your pooch walk around and sniff this new item and then slowly encourage your dog to walk up one side, across the long plank and down the other side. For some dogs, this will be a simple endeavor, but some dogs get a bit nervous with the elevation of the agility dog walk, so give your dog plenty of time to get used to the height.
3. Use A Leash & Get Some Help
Some dogs are happy to have their human companion gently nudge them up and down the agility dog walk and some dogs don’t need any coaxing at all. However, some dogs are very nervous about the dog walk, so it can be a good idea to use the dog’s leash to guide them up and down the dog walk at first. Your dog also might feel more comfortable if you have a second person present. Each person can stand on either side of the dog to ensure that your pooch does not fall off the dog walk. Be sure to provide plenty of encouraging words and perhaps give your pup a treat after they successfully walk off the end plank. Providing encouragement and treats will help them associate the agility dog walk with fun, and fun is what agility is all about.
4. Go Miniature
If you have a dog that really seems to have a tough time with the elevation of the agility dog walk, just reduce the height. At Carlson Agility, we sell agility dog walks with adjustable stands. So, you easily can start out with a dog walk at just 24” and then move up to 30” and finally reach that 48” height. In addition to adjustable dog walk stands, we also sell a wide variety of miniature agility equipment, including mini teeters, mini tire jumps and more.
Using mini agility equipment can be a great option for puppy agility training, for training small breeds and for training a dog that is a bit nervous about agility in general. In addition to the adjustable dog walk stand, we also sell a mini agility dog walk with shorter panels, which also can be a great option if you want to set up a full agility course but have a smaller back yard.
5. Add A Training Tool
You probably noticed that our agility dog walk has a panel featuring two colors, yellow and blue. Dogs, of course, won’t notice this change in color, but it is important for handlers to see. This is because, during an agility competition, dogs are expected to touch that yellow area first before heading up the plank to the blue area. A dog that leaps over the yellow going up or leaps off before touching the yellow area going down, will lose points during competition. Dogs tend to be very enthusiastic about leaping onto the equipment, so you need to train them to touch the bottom area of the planks as they enter and exit the agility dog walk. To help with this, we sell a handy training hoop. These hoops are place at the end of each angled plank, and they prevent your dog from leaping onto the agility dog walk and heading straight for the blue area.
Once your furry friend has mastered the agility dog walk, you can move on to the A-frame and the teeter, which are a bit more challenging. If you need an agility dog walk or any other piece of dog agility equipment, we have everything you need here at Carlson Agility.
