When you watch a dog agility competition, the dogs are having a fantastic time, zooming around the course. They love the challenge of navigating all of those obstacles and also enjoy all of the admiration and praise that comes along with a job well done. Most people probably mistakenly think that only certain breeds, sizes and temperaments of dogs will excel at dog agility, but this is definitely not the case.
For someone who owns a particularly shy dog, who dislikes being around other dogs or even other people, you might never have given dog agility training a second thought. But this type of training truly can provide a huge boost in confidence for your shy dog. While they might be terrified of training at a local dog agility club or in the local park, they might love training in the privacy of their own yard with you as their trainer.
Perhaps the easiest way to begin is to introduce your shy dog to the pause table. Be sure to opt for an adjustable table and begin at the lowest height. If your dog is always suspicious or nervous around anything new in the yard or in your home, give them time to check out the equipment before you try to get them to jump onto the table. Let them sniff and inspect it and then after a few days have passed, try to encourage them to get on the table. You can carefully place them on the table while holding them and gently petting or you can lure them up with a special treat or a favored toy. This can take some time, but eventually your dog will have the confidence to climb up on the pause table all by themselves.
Eventually, once your dog has mastered jumping up on the table and sitting, staying and remaining down for an extended period of time, you can add some more equipment. A contact trainer is an excellent option for your second piece of equipment. For instance, Carlson Agility sells a mini three-piece contact training that contains a pause table and a mini A-frame on one side and a mini dog walk on the other side. Using mini obstacles is a great way to start with a shy dog or a younger dog. Carlson Agility sells all the equipment you could ever need for dog agility training, including weaves, tire jumps, dog agility jumps, dog tunnels and chutes and much more.
Your dog's confidence level probably will have increased noticeably just by mastering the basic skills of the pause table and the contact trainer. They will probably be a bit less nervous around the new pieces of equipment you add, but it always pays to be patient. You also can get most pieces of equipment in the miniature size, which is not only easier for a shy dog to tackle, it also fits well into your yard and you can even bring a few pieces of equipment inside for nighttime or rainy day training and fun. If your dog has mastered it all and seems confident enough, you might think about joining a local agility club and seeing how your dog handles the larger equipment and the mix of dogs. If it's still a bit much, just keep on doing the work at home.
Not only does this type of training boost confidence, it's also a great form of exercise for your furry friend, who needs to get outside and run around every day. Working closely together to learn these new skills also strengthens your bond, and the two of you will become even closer through agility training.
For someone who owns a particularly shy dog, who dislikes being around other dogs or even other people, you might never have given dog agility training a second thought. But this type of training truly can provide a huge boost in confidence for your shy dog. While they might be terrified of training at a local dog agility club or in the local park, they might love training in the privacy of their own yard with you as their trainer.
Perhaps the easiest way to begin is to introduce your shy dog to the pause table. Be sure to opt for an adjustable table and begin at the lowest height. If your dog is always suspicious or nervous around anything new in the yard or in your home, give them time to check out the equipment before you try to get them to jump onto the table. Let them sniff and inspect it and then after a few days have passed, try to encourage them to get on the table. You can carefully place them on the table while holding them and gently petting or you can lure them up with a special treat or a favored toy. This can take some time, but eventually your dog will have the confidence to climb up on the pause table all by themselves.
Eventually, once your dog has mastered jumping up on the table and sitting, staying and remaining down for an extended period of time, you can add some more equipment. A contact trainer is an excellent option for your second piece of equipment. For instance, Carlson Agility sells a mini three-piece contact training that contains a pause table and a mini A-frame on one side and a mini dog walk on the other side. Using mini obstacles is a great way to start with a shy dog or a younger dog. Carlson Agility sells all the equipment you could ever need for dog agility training, including weaves, tire jumps, dog agility jumps, dog tunnels and chutes and much more.
Your dog's confidence level probably will have increased noticeably just by mastering the basic skills of the pause table and the contact trainer. They will probably be a bit less nervous around the new pieces of equipment you add, but it always pays to be patient. You also can get most pieces of equipment in the miniature size, which is not only easier for a shy dog to tackle, it also fits well into your yard and you can even bring a few pieces of equipment inside for nighttime or rainy day training and fun. If your dog has mastered it all and seems confident enough, you might think about joining a local agility club and seeing how your dog handles the larger equipment and the mix of dogs. If it's still a bit much, just keep on doing the work at home.
Not only does this type of training boost confidence, it's also a great form of exercise for your furry friend, who needs to get outside and run around every day. Working closely together to learn these new skills also strengthens your bond, and the two of you will become even closer through agility training.
About the Author:
Cheng Bernhardt enjoys blogging about dog agility training. To discover a dog agility course, or to find more about training equipment for agility for dogs, please visit the Carlson Agility site now.
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