How to Teach a Dog Agility at Home

Tiny treats make powerful motivators.

Agility is a sport that has swept the dog world in recent years. Unlike conformational shows, many agility competitions are open to any dog, regardless of a pedigree. The sport teaches shy dogs confidence and gives lively dogs a positive channel for their energy.



Agility courses consist of 15 to 20 obstacles placed in a variety of patterns. Common obstacles include jumps, contacts and weaves.

Things You'll Need

• Basic home or portable agility set, OR
• 8 bricks or concrete blocks
• Plywood--2 feet square
• Plywood--several rectangular pieces
• Flimsy stick or length of light PVC pipe
• 6 ski poles
• Bicycle tire or a hoop
• Bag of small dog treats.

Instructions

Teach Jumps

1. 

   Instead of throwing this stick to fetch, lay it across two bricks or concrete blocks, and teach your dog to jump it.

   Ensure that a purchased jump is at its lowest setting. If using a homemade jump such as a stick or wire, lay it flat on the ground first. Acquaint your dog with the obstacle. Keep the dog on the leash and allow him to sniff anything that makes him nervous.

2. 

   A competition jump.

   Use the same command each time you reach the obstacle, such as "Jump" or "Up," while the dog steps over the obstacle. Reward the dog with enthusiastic praise and a small treat. Repeat several times, always rewarding the dog when she jumps without hesitation. If she refuses to jump, simply lead her away and come back and try again.

3. 

   Raising the bar

   Raise the obstacle slightly. If it was on the ground before, set it on two bricks, or if it's a purchased jump, raise the crossbar to the next notch. Then repeat Step 2. Gradually raise the jump higher as the dog consistently succeeds.

4. 

   Competition hoop jumping

   Remove the leash and repeat the drill once the dog will jump consistently on command. Then repeat the procedure using the tire or hoop, propping it vertically.

Teach Contacts

1. 

   You can use a marked-off square of ground if you don't have a table or square for the pause box.

   Go to the pause table--the square plywood. The dog will be required to mount and stay until commanded to proceed.

2. 

   Coming through the tunnel may be scary at first, but once the dog is used to it he'll dive right into it.

   Navigate the tunnel. First, scrunch the ends together so the dog views it as just another hoop. Then stretch the ends out slightly so the dog has to walk or crawl through it. Eventually you should be able to get the dog to go through the tunnel regardless of whether or not he can see the end.

3. 

   The instability of the teeter may frighten your dog at first.

   Walk the teeter. This is a long plank set on a platform; you can use the bricks for a low platform. The dog climbs, tipping the plank as he crosses the center of balance. Use only a slight incline first, and increase it as the dog becomes more confident. Teach the dog to stop at the center and inch her way until the plank tips forward.

4. Climb the A-frame. This obstacle is essentially two planks bolted together to form the peak of a triangle.

5. Walk the elevated dog walk. This is an upward incline leading to a level plank, followed by a downward incline. It's best to use only a slight incline at first. Once the dog is confident, you can raise the plank and use a steeper incline.

Teach Weaves

1. Set weave (ski) poles 24 inches apart in a straight line.

2. Walk the dog through in a zigzag, using the same command each time.

3. Connect "guide" wires to every other pole at the dog's shoulder height--a wire on the right connecting the odd-numbered poles, and one on the left for the even-numbered poles. Attempt to run the dog through without the leash.

4. Remove the guide wires and gradually move the poles closer together when the dog can navigate the weave by himself.

Tips & Warnings

• Your dog should already be trained to come, sit and stay.

• Each training segment should cover only a short period of time, such as five minutes. Longer sessions will cause the dog to lose interest.

• Always use consistent commands for each obstacle.

• Keep your dog on a leash until she becomes comfortable.

• Never allow the dog to urinate on the obstacles.

• Keep the leash short until the dog has learned to stay on the elevated obstacles--A-frame, teeter and elevated dog walk--and not jump off.

• If possible, have a friend stand on the other side of the elevated obstacles. This will make the dog feel safer and possibly keep him from jumping.

• Focus on accuracy, not speed.

• Never allow the dog to jump off obstacles like the A-frame, teeter and elevated walk. Keep the leash short, and keep a person on either side of the obstacle to prevent the dog trying to jump. Jumping off obstacles is both disqualifying in competition and dangerous to the dog.

• Although you can start training a puppy for obedience at any age, you should not attempt agility training until her joints are developed and the dog has a somewhat stable attention span.

References

• Pals and Paws Agility Club
• YouTube: Dog Agility--How To Build A Backyard Agility Course
• Affordable Agility: Overview of the Obstacles

Resources

• Agility by Carlson: Articles
• AKC: A Beginner's Guide to Companion Events
• Agility Ability: DIY Agility Training