Searching for a fun activity for you and your dog? Agility training for dogs can be a perfect option to consider. We may be biased, but we truly believe that agility is an ideal sport for just about any active, healthy dog. Let’s dive into the world of dog agility so that you can discover for yourself if this activity is the best fit for your and your furry companion.
1. Dog Agility Training Provides Mental & Physical Exercise
Dogs need exercise, and while a couple of daily walks are great for your dog’s health, agility provides a complete, full-body workout. Handlers also are recommended to provide warm-up and cool-down exercises before and after training, which further strengthen your dog’s muscles. Dog agility training also improves balance and coordination.
Of course, dogs don’t just need physical exercise, they also need mental stimulation. Agility training is challenging, and the courses are constantly changing, which keeps the process interesting and drives your dog to make quick decisions and strategize. If you have a high-energy dog, agility training can be just what they need. Walks are fun, but they don’t provide the same level of physical and mental exercise as agility training. If your dog tends to be destructive or bark a bit too much, boredom could be the culprit and a couple of sessions of agility training each day could go a long way toward calming your pup.
2. Dog Agility Training Increases Obedience
Disobedience in dogs is one of the top reasons why animals are surrendered to shelters, and while we know that you have no intention of giving away your dog, if you are struggling with obedience, agility can improve these issues.
Agility training for dogs taps into two important facets of most dogs’ personalities – their love of fun and their desire to please. So, while you are teaching them to dash through a dog agility tunnel or meander up and over the agility dog walk, you are also teaching them to obey your commands, but it is a much more fun setting than traditional obedience training.
It’s kind of like teaching kids using songs or games. They acquire the knowledge more quickly because the activity is fun. It’s the same with dogs. They are having a blast, but they also are learning to follow commands, and, with the pause table, they will master the art of sit, stay and lay down. With agility training, you also work off-leash and with the handler at a distance. A dog that will obey its dog parents off-leash and at a distance is a safe dog. This is a dog that won’t dash off after another animal or run into the street and that will keep your pup safe throughout their lifetime.
3. Dog Agility Is An Inclusive Sport
Agility is a fun sport and many families set up a backyard course with no real intention of competition. However, if you do decide to compete, agility is one of the most inclusive dog sports. Dogs of all breeds and ages are welcome to compete, and there are even categories for junior handlers, so you can truly get the whole family involved in the world of dog agility.
It’s also a great way to expand your circle of friends. Agility competitions are more about fun than cutthroat competition and everyone at these events shares your love of dogs. Your dog will make friends and become more socialized and your whole family might find new friendships forming, as well.
4. Agility Is Good For Handlers
As stated above, agility competitions and agility clubs provide humans with many opportunities to meet new people and socialize. If you’ve been feeling a bit isolated or lonely, why not try agility and get out there and meet people? Joining an agility class or agility groups is a great option to think about if you would like to expand your social circle.
Additionally, agility provides handlers with just as much physical and mental exercise as their dogs and we all could use a bit more exercise. Agility can be a fun way to get into shape or maintain your current health regimen.
5. Most Dogs Enjoy Agility
In general, dog agility is something just about any healthy dog can do. Certain breeds, such as bulldogs with their upturned noses, are likely not a great fit, due to breathing issues. Dogs with lower energy and highly stubborn natures (yes, shih tzus, we are looking at you) also might not enjoy agility training.
However, beyond that, most dogs enjoy working with dog agility equipment and running around an agility course. Before getting started with dog agility, we recommend talking with your veterinarian to ensure that your dog is healthy enough to handle the jumps and weaves and turns and running.
Keep in mind, that even tiny dogs can participate in agility, they just have to use mini agility equipment with low jump heights. There’s even an entire organization (Teacup Dogs Agility Association) dedicated to providing competitions for the little pooches that are 22” or smaller. Additionally, most other agility organizations will have categories for tiny dogs as well as the big ones.
6. Puppies Aren’t Ready For Agility
If you peruse the rule book at any agility organization, you probably will notice that dogs aren’t allowed to compete until they are at least a year old and sometimes even older. Puppy agility might sound adorable, but these babies really should not be using agility equipment until their bodies are fully grown or close to it.
The risk of injury with puppies is much higher as their bodies are still developing. That said, you can start to teach some basic skills to your puppy as well as play games that will increase obedience.
This will translate well when you upgrade to agility training. For instance, teaching a dog to tug on a toy and drop it on command is teaching a basic obedience skill. If your puppy obeys this command, they likely will have no trouble obeying agility commands once they are old enough to participate.
Using mini agility equipment also can be another way to get them started with agility in a safer way as the teeter, dog walk, and a-frame are much smaller dog obstacles and closer to the ground. With jumps, you could simply lay the jump pole on the ground and encourage your pup to walk over it. Once they are a bit older, they can start jumping over the pole on the ground and eventually, you can start raising the height once it is safe to do so.
7. Agility Training Can Boost Confidence
If you have a dog suffering from separation anxiety or perhaps a rescue dog that seems to be anxious all of the time, agility training can be a great option to consider. It’s fun, of course, but as the dog begins to enjoy some success out on your backyard course, this will boost their confidence and they will love all of the praise you are heaping on them.
This is a great way to improve the bond between a dog and owner, which can be tricky with rescue dogs, as they often have difficulty trusting new people and have pasts that might be full of abuse and/or neglect.
Likewise, if you are the parent of a tween or teen that lacks confidence, but loves dogs, agility can be a great sport to consider. Your child or teen will gain confidence through the successful training of a dog and just being outside and getting exercise can help to boost their mood. It won’t solve every problem, but working with dogs is fun and dogs are always friendly, enthusiastic and they never judge us. That can be a huge relief after a day of struggling through the difficulties of school and peers.
Get Started With Agility Training
If you are interested in agility training for dogs, we have every piece of dog training equipment that you might need, including mini agility equipment. Our selection of hand-crafted dog obstacles includes all types of jumps, including a tire jump, as well as pause tables, dog walks, weave poles, a-frames and more. If you have any questions about our equipment, feel free to send us an email at any time.
