Training Requirements For Dog Agility Competitions
David Harding
Ask anyone who has watched, let alone been involved in, a dog agility contest and they will tell you that there is nothing like it when it comes to seeing what a dog can achieve. Maneuvering over, around and under obstacles at high speed, accuracy is very important.
When it comes to the competition, the judges pay close attention as to how the handler and the dog work together to get through the often pretty complicated course of obstacles. No dog is to large or too small but each will compete in a specific category.
On race day the handler is given a map of the course to show where obstacles are laid out. The handler is responsible for studying the map and knowing exactly where obstacles like tunnels and jumps will be placed so the dog can be given the correct commands at the right time.
Agility training does take alot of work but it is not a difficult thing to teach a dog. One of the easiest ways to start is to use a dog treat to entice the animal through an obstacle. The agility training should start off fairly easy at first and gradually build up in intensity.
There has to be good communication between the dog and handler. Competition day will be a noisy affair and the dog must know and understand exactly what its handler is communicating to it at any given moment. Everything happens at speed so there is little room for error.
Sometimes the handler is not the owner but someone trained professionally in dog agility. Regardless, the key is that whoever is responsible for the dog in the agility contest knows what will motivate it to perform at its best because at no point is there any physical contact between the two.
Dog agility training takes dedication from both owner and dog. Consistency is the name of the game but watching your dog achieve and work its way successfully through the course will be worth all the hours you put in.
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