While it’s been said that one should let sleeping dogs lie, every dog needs exercise, and agility training and using dog training equipment is a great way to keep your pet fit and happy. However, training can be mystifying so keep in mind these three P’s of agility training: Patience, Perseverance and Paws.
Patience Will Yield Great Results
It takes time for all of us to learn new skills and dogs are no exception. A patient, enthusiastic handler will have much more success than someone who runs out of patience quickly. Your attitude is contagious and if you are having fun, your dog will be having fun. If you are impatient and irritated, this will worry your dog and you won’t get great results.
Truly, dog training and agility training should be approached as a fun activity for dog and owner. It doesn’t matter if you are teaching basic obedience commands or training a dog how to use a dog agility jump, it should be a fun experience for both of you. If your dog is confused and not enjoying the task at hand, it’s time to stop and reassess your training methods. Likewise, if you are frustrated and miserable, it’s time to take a step back and reconsider how you teach.
It’s important to also have some patience with yourself, as well. As a handler, you will constantly be coming up with new and better ways to teach agility skills and how to use each piece of dog training equipment. There are plenty of websites that offer different strategies and ideas, and you can learn a great deal by joining a local agility club.
Persevere Until You Achieve Success
While using dog training equipment can be a ton of fun, not every day will be a picnic. If you have a bad training day, cut training time short and pick it up the next day. Take notes regarding what went wrong and what was successful. Sometimes, we try to teach too much too fast and it is necessary to go back a few steps in order to move ahead successfully.
Mastering one piece of dog training equipment at a time and then slowly setting up an agility course usually works best. Perhaps you will start by learning jumps and then master a tunnel. Then you can practice a set such as jump, jump, tunnel, jump. Then add in the pause table and practice with jumps, the tunnel or chute and the pause table. It doesn’t really matter which equipment you teach first, just keep at it until your dog has mastered each skill. Don’t forget to provide plenty of praise and love for a job well done.
Paws Need To Pause Fairly Quickly
Dogs, in many ways, are just like small children. They are enthusiastic learners with a ton of energy. However, they also tend to have the attention span of a small child, as well. Every dog is different in regards to the length of time they are engaged and working on agility skills, so be cognizant when your dog seems to be tiring out or losing focus.
Sometimes, it’s best to work on a piece of dog training equipment and stop after your dog has correctly completed the skill just a few times. If you are more advanced, then a few successful runs through the agility course might suffice. Short sessions tend to work better and it’s always best to stop on a high note, because the dog will be more likely to associate the agility training with fun. So end on a successful note and provide a bunch of praise for your sweet, furry friend.
Quality Dog Training Equipment Is A Must
Obviously, we also believe that everyone needs great equipment; it’s how we earn our living. But it really does help to have the best possible dog training equipment if you are serious about dog agility. Our dog training equipment is affordable, durable and built to last. We carry all the agility equipment you could possibly need, including jumps, weaves, teeters, chutes, tunnels, a-frames, pause tables, dog walks, tire jumps and much more.
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.
