Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Three Benefits Of Dog Agility

By Cheng Bernhardt


Dogs truly are man's best friend, and you would be hard-pressed to find a human as capable of loyalty and unconditional love. Because they give us so much, it's nice to give them something as well, and getting out on a dog agility course can be a great way to help your dog get the most out of their life. Here are a few benefits your agility dog will enjoy.

1. Agility Provides Great Exercise

While some breeds need more exercise than others, all dogs benefit from regular exercise. Walks around the neighborhood are great, but they can be a bit tedious for you and your dog. Agility training provides exercise that not only strengthens and tones your dog, it also engages all of his senses. Many agility obstacles are based on instinctive animal behavior from the days when dogs dashed through the woods scampering after prey. Plus, dogs love agility and they love earning all that praise from their owner.

2. Getting Social With Agility

Does your dog shy away from other dogs? Often a timid dog dislikes being around other dogs, but through dog agility you can increase their self-confidence and introduce them to other dogs in a social setting. At an agility club, for instance, dogs tend to be well-trained and well-behaved which is an excellent setting for your shyer dog or perhaps a younger dog without much social experience. If you have a very aggressive animal, you will need to tackle that behavior through proper obedience training prior to letting them engage with other dogs, but most dogs enjoy the company of other dogs and agility provides plenty of opportunities to make friends.

3. It's All About The Bond

When you first get a new dog, whether it's a puppy or an older rescue animal, it takes a bit of time to bond. Teaching agility skills can be a fantastic way for you to spend time together, and because you are truly engaged with one another, it will cement the bond between you and build trust quickly. The pause table is a great place to start because you will be combining basic obedience skills with agility skills. By spending time together, your dog will understand you better and you will become more in tune with your dog's personality and learn the best way to manage your new friend's behavior.

If you are just starting out, you will want to purchase a few pieces of basic agility equipment. The pause table is a great option, along with a few basic jumps. With an agility pause table, you will teach your dog to get up on the table, sit, stay and go down. You also teach them to do these skills while you are standing at a distance. After they have mastered the pause table, add a jump or two and then continue to add equipment until they have mastered a wide variety of agility skills.

Online stores, including Carlson Agility, sell all the agility equipment you might need. At Carlson Agility, you will find pause tables, agility dog walks, a-frames, teeters, tunnels and chutes, weave poles, all types of jumps and much more. For a tiny dog or a puppy, opt for the miniature agility equipment, which allows smaller animals to practice agility safely. Of course, mini equipment also can be used with larger dogs for some great indoor training so that you can keep practicing even if the weather is poor.




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