While it might seem like your furry friend spends most of their free time lounging on a cushion, all dogs need exercise and play time. A long walk is always a treat, but dogs also need activities that truly engage all of their senses. Some toys and equipment are well suited to providing your dog with some exciting play time, and here are a few items to consider.
Agility equipment offers fantastic exercise and play for your dog, and you certainly don’t have to be focused on competing in order to enjoy dog agility with your furry friend. Items such as agility jumps and tire jumps are lots of fun for most healthy, energetic dogs, and you can add a few other pieces as well. Consider buying a jump, a teeter-totter, a tunnel and perhaps a dog walk or agility a-frame for some backyard fun.
Dogs love cavorting around an agility course, and it’s a great way to combine exercise and play with training. After all, your dog will be learning to follow commands and obey you while having a blast at the same time. If you don’t have room for a bunch of full-size agility equipment, Carlson Agility sells a full line of mini agility equipment which is perfect for a smaller yard as well as puppies and dogs of smaller breeds.
Dogs can begin using agility equipment at any age; however, care is taken when training dogs under a year old so as to hot harm their developing joints. Dogs generally start training on simplified, smaller, or lowered agility equipment and training aids such as ladders and wobbling boards to train careful footing. Be sure to take into account that even quickly learning puppies must be finished growing before training on equipment at standard height to prevent injury.
Treats are always welcomed by our animal companions, but rather than just handing out a treat, it might be more interesting to hide the treat inside a toy. Completing different tasks with the agility equipment is a great feat and shouldn’t go unrewarded but keep the dog’s mind working when giving treats. There are several companies that have created toys where you can hide a treat inside, and this can keep a dog occupied and busy for quite a while. This will teach the dog more patience and can help with future training and exercising endeavors.
In addition to the technical and educational training, physical training must also be done. At the very least, the dog must be fit enough to run and jump without causing stress or injury to its body. Continually working with your dog to find comfort and success with the agility equipment can lead to being able to handle a dog from a distance. This allows mobility-impaired handlers to participate in the exercises with mobile handlers. Research has also demonstrated health benefits to handlers engaged in dog agility.
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.
