Home Speed Agility Training

Dogs should be physically mature before engaging in serious agility work.

Dogs in an agility class or trial are timed as they run through a course composed of ramps, tunnels, jumps, weave poles and platforms. Training can begin at home with a few homemade obstacles.

Basics

Your dog should know obedience commands such as come, sit and stay before going on to agility training. When moving to obstacles, start small so your dog doesn't get frustrated or injured. Familiarize your dog with one obstacle before moving to the next.

Commands

Each obstacle will add one or more new voice commands to your dog's repertoire. Some of the commands you and your dog will need to know are right, left, up, down, fast, slow and away, according to PupDogTraining.com. You may wish to add hand signals as reinforcement. Whatever it takes, your dog's attention should always be on you.

Attitude

Along with repetition, the most important part of agility training is to make it fun for your dog. Staying upbeat while encouraging your dog will go a long way in your training. Run over jumps or weave through poles in front of your dog to show it what's expected and to add excitement.

References

• PupDogTraining.com: Curious about Dog Agility Training?
• DogTrainingGeek.com: Understanding Dog Agility Training