While most dogs love dog agility training, it’s not uncommon for handlers to encounter a few problems now and again. At Carlson Agility, we can provide you with all of the dog agility training equipment you need, as well as some tips to help you overcome any hurdles that you and your furry friend might be facing.
Problem #1 – My Dog’s Run Times Are Too Slow
After your dog can manage all of the pieces of dog agility equipment accurately, it’s time to start setting up full courses and working on accuracy in moving from obstacle to obstacle. Once they are accurate, then you can work on building up speed.
If you have trouble and it feels like your dog isn’t running the course quickly enough, consider making a video of the training session and watching it carefully. By observing rather than participating, you may find areas where you need to reteach or alter your handling to help your dog run the course more quickly.
In some cases, a dog might simply not have enough energy to hit the course speed that you want. If this is the case, shorten the dog agility training sessions and see if they have a little more energy and be sure to pile on the praise when they finish the course with a faster time. In some cases, you might even have a special toy or treat waiting for them at the end so that they remember there is a reward for a job well done.
Problem #2 – My Dog Isn’t Motivated
On some days, you’ll find that your pooch is happy and excited about agility training sprinting over jumps and dashes through weave poles, but on other days, they might have trouble following instructions and seem entirely unmotivated. When this occurs, the best advice we can give you is to walk away from the training sessions.
A dog cannot learn or focus when they are unmotivated. Perhaps they have too much energy and need a short walk or another activity to expend a bit of energy. It also can be wise to analyze the energy that you are bringing to the training session. Are you all business or is there an element of fun?
When it comes to agility, it’s important to focus on two things. One – agility is meant to be a fun, bonding activity between you and your dog. Two – dogs respond positively to praise, treats and toys.
If you need to motivate your dog, show them some love and show them that you are excited about sharing this activity. Then, once they run through the course or complete a skill correctly, reward them with a small treat or perhaps give them a few minutes with a favorite toy. Reserve this favorite toy only for the completion of a great training session and they will associate this reward with agility.
Problem #3 – My Dog Is Having Troubles With Signals
Dog agility commands need to be clear and consistent. Often, we find, especially when a dog is working with multiple handlers, that the signals are not always the same for each obstacle. Make sure every handler and member of the dog’s family uses the same hand signals and verbal commands.
In some cases, the handler’s body position on the course can be confusing. If you want your dog to turn right, but you are facing left, this can be perplexing for the dog. They look to you to guide them through the course so make sure your feet and shoulders are always pointing in the direction the dog needs to go.
It’s also best to keep things simple. While many dogs can learn a large vocabulary, it’s best to limit the commands to just a few on the agility course. There’s only so much a dog can focus on, and the goal is to make it as easy as possible for your dog to follow any given command.
The three most basic commands are come, go and back. With “come,” the dog should run toward you. “Go” means the dog is running alongside you and “back” indicates that the dog needs to turn away from you, and you can signal either left or right, depending on which way the dog needs to go. Of course, other verbal commands would include words such as jump, weave, tunnel, table, etc. as you pass through each obstacle.
Problem #4 – My Dog Is Distracted At Competitions
It can be easy for dogs to become distracted at a competition – there are just so many interesting smells, sounds and sites. One way to desensitize your dog is to have practice sessions when there is a good deal of commotion around. Joining a local agility club or group would be one option, as there often would be many other dogs and people around during your practice sessions.
Head to a few competitions with your dog when you aren’t competing. This will allow your dog to become desensitized to the chaos and you can even talk with other participants about the best way to keep your dog focused during a run.
Be sure to do some warm-up exercises and expend a bit of energy with a quick walk. Often dogs have too much pent-up energy and this makes it tough for them to focus. Keep your energy calm and relaxed, as well. Dogs definitely pick up on our emotions and if you seem tense or nervous, this could distract your furry companion.
Problem #5 – My Dog Is Nervous
Some dogs will never warm up to the environment at a bustling competition and that’s just the way it goes. There are plenty of great reasons to enjoy agility training even if you never make it to a competition dog agility course. However, if your dog is nervous, it can be smart to apply some of the same principles as we listed in Problem #9.
Attend a few smaller competitions and bring your dog just so they get used to the idea of being in that environment. If they have a doggie friend with whom they feel comfortable, perhaps bring that dog along as comfort. (Unless these two dogs tend to get a bit territorial when they are together).
Of course, in some cases, a dog might be nervous or anxious about dog agility training in general or about learning a specific piece of dog agility training equipment. This is very common, and handlers simply must remain patient and encouraging. Let a dog start by just sniffing an obstacle and getting used to its scent, size and shape.
With agility jumps, you can just start by having the dog walk over the pole on the ground and gradually work on height. With the tire jump, just hold the tire on the ground and coax them through and then add some height once the dog is comfortable climbing through.
With the dog tunnel, simply have a trusted friend at either end of the tunnel and coax them through with a tasty treat the first few times as well as providing plenty of praise. You can even cinch up the tunnel to make it shorter if needed. The dog agility teeter totter can be intimidating because of the movement, so your dog may want you right by their side for a while as they master this object.
In general, patience is always the key to success. Patience and plenty of enthusiasm will go a long way toward a successful career in dog agility. At Carlson Agility, we can provide you with every piece of dog agility training equipment you might need, including jumps, weaves, a dog agility a-frame, an agility dog walk, pause tables and more, including some helpful training tools. If you have any questions about our dog agility equipment, don’t hesitate to contact us at any time.
